WUNRN
June
15, 2009
Rome:
Women Religious Conference on Human Trafficking
Women
Religious from around the world will begin meeting in Rome today to discuss the
issue of human trafficking.
The three-day event has been organised by the International Union of Superiors
General (UISG) and by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Fr Hernandez Sola, OAR, bureau chief at the Congregation for Institutes
of Consecrated Life said: "The problem of human trafficking
represents a new form of slavery of the twenty-first century, one that offends
the dignity and freedom of many women and minors, but also of youths and adult
men, most of them from poor countries."
"These new forms of poverty remind us that religious life is, by vocation,
called to play a prophetic role in society and the Church today. A new
conception of charity must carry consecrated life to the new frontiers of
evangelisation, and to the new forms of poverty, among the most serious of
which is the loss of personal dignity".
Sr Bernadette Sangma, FMA, of the IOM. explained that awareness about the
phenomenon of human trafficking has increased to such an extent over the last
few years that "some congregations ... have adopted the struggle against
trafficking as part of their capitular deliberations, making it an obligatory
mandate for members of their congregation. This has also included a number of
male orders".
"Given the complexity of the factors involved in human trafficking,
networking in this field is not an option but a necessity if we hope to make
any kind of strategic commitment. The criminal bands that prey on women and
children are highly organised and linked to one another, from one part of the
world to the other. Only through a networking strategy which includes the
victims' countries of origin, of transit and of destination, will it be
possible to implement measures to prevent the weakest and most vulnerable
people from becoming human merchandise".
Sr Victoria Gonzales de Castejon RSCJ, secretary general of the UISG noted how,
for the religious of the UISG, the last six years of collaboration with the IOM
have provided "an opportunity to put the intentions of the Union into real
effect, and to increase the scope of our actions aimed at contrasting human
trafficking. ... What emerges clearly from the work that has been achieved is
the richness and complementarity in exchanges and collaboration between two
organisations that represent public and the private aspects - lay people and
female religious - in the common cause of defending the lives of people who
live in situations of poverty and marginalisation".
_______________________________________________________________
2009-06-15
POPE BACKS NUNS' WORK TO STOP HUMAN
TRAFFICKING
Conference Gathers Religious, Experts
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 15, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is lauding the
commitment made by women religious to put a stop to human trafficking and
rebuild the lives of those victimized by this phenomenon.
The Pope affirmed his support for the initiative in a telegram signed by his
secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. The papal message was sent to a
four-day international conference being held in Rome on what various
congregations of women religious are doing to oppose human trafficking. The
conference began today.
The Holy Father contended that it is important to bring about "a renewed
awareness of the inestimable value of life and an ever more courageous
commitment to the defense of human rights and the overcoming of every type of
abuse."
The Pontiff expressed his "deeply-felt appreciation for the laudable
initiative" that has gathered together not only religious and experts, but
also members of the International Organization for Migration.
Prophetic role
For his part, the recently named president of the Pontifical Council for
Migrants and Travelers, Archbishop Antonio Vegliņ, inaugurated the working
sessions by expressing his "admiration for the work [already] done."
The archbishop underlined the dramatic reality of human trafficking;
L'Osservatore Romano reported him saying that data he has received indicate the
phenomenon could be much more widespread than what is reported, victimizing as
many as 4 million people across the globe.
In the Friday press conference presenting the conference, it was reported that
2.5 million people are affected by trafficking, which is a $150 billion
business -- money that goes in the pockets of those who control the markets of
prostitution, trafficking in organs, and forms of slavery that predominantly
affect women and children.
In this context, Archbishop Vegliņ affirmed, the Church has a role that is
"not only important, but also prophetic."
He said that before all else, it is important to "know the factors that
encourage and especially attract prostitution, and the strategies used by
recruiters, traffickers, intermediaries and those who abuse the victims."
Then, in the commitment made by the religious to combat human trafficking, the
Vatican official affirmed that personal and spiritual formation is needed, so
that they know how to deal with difficult and broken lives that need to be
reconstructed.
Out of the dark
Archbishop Vegliņ also highlighted the importance of collaboration and
interchanging information.
"Many women religious are already doing excellent work in this area,"
he said. "You have to know about this [work] and share it more thoroughly
at the national and global level."
To overcome human trafficking, information is decisive, the archbishop
affirmed. He suggested "working with the press to ensure adequate
information about this grave problem. The more hidden it remains, the longer it
will endure."
Archbishop Vegliņ assured that his dicastery is ready to offer all the support
possible to help the religious in their efforts. But he also asked to be privy
to the information sharing since, "we also have the need to know and share
the ways in which this is proceeding so that we can also contribute to this
grand undertaking."
================================================================
To contact the list administrator, or to leave the list, send an email to:
wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com. Thank you.