Last December Cardinal John Dew attended the Santa Marta Conference on Human Trafficking in London.
Police chiefs and Church representatives from across the world gathered in London alongside Home Office ministers for a Conference aimed at developing strategies to combat human trafficking.
Cardinal John said he felt both privileged to attend and horrified at what he heard.
New Zealand is destination country for human trafficking.
Estimates of human trafficking in New Zealand are modest, with some reports of debt bondage and confiscation of documents among women in prostitution.
Cardinal John is calling on Catholics in New Zealand to inform themselves about Human Trafficking and to take action.
Cardinal John asks if you know that:
- The average age of a victim is 12 years old
- That every 30 seconds someone is trafficked
- Females make up 75% of all victims
- Only 1 to 2% of victims are ever rescued
- Sex trafficking generates $150 billion US dollars annually
- The Global slavery Index estimates that there are 600 slaves in New Zealand
He makes the following suggestions about what can be done to to become aware of, help others to become aware and do something to combat this evil:
- Do a web search on the words human trafficking and start reading about it.
- Read Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day of Peace published for 1 January this year “No Longer Slaves, but Brothers and Sisters” (Vatican website).
- Speak to your Members of Parliament and ask them to become informed and involved.
- Look for indications where people seem never to go out socially, or employers do not allow them to have a holiday.
- Look at farms, vineyards, orchards, the fishing industry, restaurants –look for signs of people being exploited.
- Find out about the Seasonal Workers Legislation at www.dol.govt.nz.
- Become suspicious if you hear of people whose passports or identity documents are kept from them.
- Ask questions if working conditions do not allow for reasonable breaks and rests.
- Pray with Pope Francis: “May we have the courage to touch the suffering flesh of Christ, revealed in the faces of those countless efforts to free victims and stop this crime that’s become ever more aggressive, that threatens not just individuals, but the foundational values of society, international security and laws, the economy, families and communities” persons whom he calls ‘the least of my brothers and sisters.”
New Zealand is destination country for human trafficking.
Estimates of human trafficking in New Zealand are modest, with some reports of debt bondage and confiscation of document among women in prostitution.
The Global Slavery Index is produce by the Walk Free Foundation.
The methodology used to compile the index has been described by some as “extremely crude”
The Santa Marta Group, led by Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and Cardinal Vincent Nichols is an alliance of international police chiefs and Bishops from around the world, working together with civil society to eradicate human trafficking and provide pastoral care to victims.
This was an initiative inspired by Pope Francs when he asked people to come together to try to combat the evil of modern day slavery, of human trafficking and various ways people are exploited today.
Source
- Catholic News.org.uk
- Cardinal John Dew’s Newsletter
- Image: Stuff.co.nz
