"Trafficking in persons—in which men,
women, and children from all over the globe are transported to other countries for the purposes of forced prostitution or
labor—inherently rejects the dignity of the human person and exploits conditions of global poverty.”
-Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States
Background on Human Trafficking
Human
trafficking, a modern-day form of slavery, is a global scourge, which over the past decade has unfortunately grown in magnitude.
Victims of trafficking, in many cases from vulnerable populations, are often lured by traffickers with false promises of jobs
and money and then sold into servitude in brothels, sweatshops, domestic service, and other forms of bonded labor. Traffickers,
often affiliated with organized crime, use a variety of tactics, including threats and intimidation, debt bondage, confiscation
of immigration and identification documents, physical force, and confinement to maintain control over victims. The fears cultivated by traffickers, the isolation of victims and the fact that many victims are often
treated as criminals make escape difficult and dangerous.
The
U.S. Government estimates that some 800,000 people (80% of which are women and girls) are trafficked across international
borders every year (some estimates are as high as 2 million) and millions more are trafficked within their own countries. An estimated 18,000-20,000 people are trafficked into the United States every year and new research is being done to determine the number
trafficked within our borders. Trafficking is an estimated $7-9 billion a year
criminal industry – the second largest (tied with arms dealing and behind drug trafficking) and the fastest growing.
Growing
awareness of the problem of human trafficking has led the international community to develop both national and multinational
responses. Following numerous reports throughout the 1990s, the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute
(UNICRI) launched the Global Programme against Trafficking in Human Beings (GPAT) in March 1999. Through data collection, assessment, technical cooperation and awareness raising, GPAT is helping train
law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges, providing advice and assistance on establishing and strengthening anti-trafficking
elements and relevant legislation, strengthening victim and witness support, and assisting in interdisciplinary efforts to
design effective anti-trafficking measures.
In 2000,
around the same time that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was signed into law in the United States, the United Nation adopted the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and
Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (a supplement to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime). This protocol entered into force in December of 2003 and commits parties
to establishing prevention policies (including the obligation to criminalize trafficking), protecting and assisting victims,
and promoting greater public awareness and further international cooperation. In
addition, a number of international and national coalitions of non-governmental organizations have formed to assist victims
and press for stronger measures against trafficking.
However,
despite this growing international concern and response, many countries still lack the legal framework to effectively combat
trafficking and cooperate with international efforts. In addition, even those
countries with strong anti-trafficking measures are still slow in identifying and responding to the needs of victims, especially
children, and they have yet to devote the resources needed to make the measures effective.
Human rights activists and NGOs around the world, including Good Shepherd Sisters and people, continue to press national
and international bodies for stronger commitments to ending this gross violation of human dignity.
Good
Shepherd Response
Believing that “one person is of more value than a world,”
the Sisters of the Good Shepherd have made the prevention of and response to human trafficking a top congregational priority. Part of the direction statement from the 28th General Chapter reads, “We
commit ourselves to … choose to be present at the margins; make a preferential option for the poor giving priority to
women and children who are exploited and trafficked,” and throughout the world Good Shepherd Sisters and programs are
living out this commitment.
Wherever Good Shepherd Sisters are present, they are active participants
in anti-trafficking coalitions, conferences, and workshops. In addition, Good Shepherd Economic Justice Ministries throughout
the world support prevention efforts by creating employment opportunities for women or offering skills training that will
expand their opportunities for finding non-exploitative work. Here are just a few examples of Good Shepherd work:
· In the United States, both Good Shepherd Sisters and programs are part of the Department of Health and Human Services
“Rescue and Restore” Coalition to help disseminate information about trafficking and the resources available to
help victims. Many Good Shepherd programs are also providing services to victims.
Sr. Helene Hayes represents the congregation in the Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking and is currently
working on book that aims to raise awareness by giving voice to the experiences of women and girls who have been trafficked. In addition, as Good Shepherd NGO Representative at the United Nations, Sr. Clare
Nolan has become an expert on human trafficking and in addition to her advocacy at the UN, frequently speaks to a wide variety
of audiences on the issue.
· In the Philippines, Sr. MarySoledad
Perpiņan (who was one of was one of the 27 Filipinas whose names were submitted to the Nobel Prize Committee in Oslo for inclusion
in the "1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005") founded the 3rd World Movement Against the Exploitation of
Women – and organization that does advocacy work against sexual exploitation and the trafficking in women and operates
residential rehabilitation services and drop-in centers in 12 sites in major islands of the Philippines. In 2004, Sr. Soledad
was a key speaker in an anti-trafficking/prostitution workshop at the World Social Forum in India.
· In Thailand and Taiwan,
Sisters have set up programs to assist victims and work with at-risk populations to prevent their exploitation.
· Throughout Europe, Sisters have established programs to provide outreach and hospitality
to victims of trafficking. Since 1994, Sisters in Brussels have opened their doors and hearts to the young whose lives were in danger because
of the prostitution trade operated by the international Mafia. The European Sisters
have also formed the European Apostolic Lobbying Group in Europe (EAGLE) to advocate on behalf of women and children and encourage
countries to do more to combat trafficking.
· In Latin America, sisters are leaders in providing educational materials and workshops
on preventing child trafficking. One innovative program, the Center for Studies and Promotion of Marginalized Women, coordinated
by Good Shepherd Sisters in Brazil sponsors an acting troupe to reach out to at-risk youth and teach them the about the dangers
of human trafficking.
· In Australia, the Good Shepherd Social Justice Network is helping
establish an online Trafficking Clearinghouse and the Sisters, in partnership with other congregations, recently submitted
a Shadow Report to the 34th Session of the Committee on CEDAW evaluating Australia’s response to the trafficking of women.
· In Africa, Sisters in Senegal are
collaborating with NGOs to set up local reporting on the sexual exploitation of children in tourism, launch advertising campaigns
against exploitation, and provide care to women and children who are seeking to escape prostitution. In addition, Sisters from Italy have partnered with
other religious groups to help women who are trafficked and to set up a small program in Nigeria,
staffed by local people, for women who have been deported from Italy.
The National Advocacy Center hopes to build on these efforts by supporting
further improvements to U.S. anti-trafficking
measures in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and full funding for victim service programs under the act. In addition, NAC plans on working more with the Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking
to strengthen protections for child victims of trafficking through legislation such as the Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection
Act of 2005 (S.119) and to reduce barriers to service for trafficking victims.
Links
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
Stop Trafficking Newsletter – Sisters of the Divine Savior, et al.
Anti-Trafficking Toolkit – Vital Voices
Trafficking in Human Beings – United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Campaign to Rescue and Restore Victims of Human Trafficking – U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons – U.S. Department of State
Note: A workshop kit on Trafficking in Women
is also available to those interested in learning more and helping raise awareness.
The Kit was prepared and edited by the Trafficking Working Group
of the JPIC Commission of the Union of Superiors General (USG/UISG) and is sponsored by the JPIC Commission and Caritas Internationalis.
It draws attention to the issue of trafficking on a global scale and offers resources for a 4-hour workshop. It is an A4 folder with individual pages for different aspects of the issue.
Each Kit costs 8 Euro. The money raised goes towards producing the
Kit in 3 other languages - French, Italian and Spanish. The kit is available from Brother Anton de Roeper, who can be reached
via e-mail at aderoeper@lasalle.org.
