This Assembly falls as the International Network of Consecrated Life Against Human Trafficking celebrates the 15th anniversary of its establishment in 2009 under the International Union of Superiors General (UISG). Delegates will gather outside Rome at the Fraterna Domus in Sacrofano from 18-24 May 2024.

Member congregations of UISG have been involved in ministering to the victims of trafficking since 1998. Their first contribution was the production of training materials by a study group formed under the Commission for Justice and Peace.

The materials produced were translated into about 11 different languages and were instrumental in raising awareness about the challenge of human trafficking at that time.

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Talitha Kum is a Rome-based international network of religious sisters founded by the International Union of Superiors General (UISG). Their networks are active in five continents with the objective of ending human trafficking.

"Prevention was the Asian networks' priority", said Sr Abby Avelino, director of Talitha Kum Asia.

According to Avelino, the issue of human trafficking in Asia has been aggravated by the current socio-economic situation. Many countries in Asia face severe economic crises due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and political conflicts such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

"Crises like these increase the number of people who become vulnerable to trafficking, particularly women, girls, young people, migrants and refugees. The predominant forms of domestic and international human trafficking are forced labour, forced marriage and sexual exploitation", said Sr Avelino.

The initiative by Talitha Kum Asia during Covid-19 was to increase its online presence. By hosting monthly webinars, it strengthened the information sharing of anti-trafficking prevention, protection and networking.

"We have organised activities using the Sufficiency Economy Programme, helping women and young people in villages and mountainous areas to manage natural food resources such as herbs and vegetables that can be found in the local forests. This programme has had a satisfying impact on the local community in supporting and promoting capacity building," Sr Avelino notes.

"We launched the Talitha Kum Anti-Trafficking Youth Ambassadors programme in 2021 to engage more young people with the vision and mission of Talitha Kum. Young women and men representing ten countries in Asia were trained to be anti-trafficking youth ambassadors among their peers at the grassroots level," she remarks.

The outcome of this programme is the growing visibility of Talitha Kum network, especially among young people. Talitha Kum Bangladesh and Talitha Kum Vietnam were established in 2021 as an outcome of the growing visibility of the work.

World leaders were also reminded at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Birmingham, England, on July 2-6 by US Rep. Chris Smith.

"Our commitment to preventing human trafficking, protecting and helping survivors reclaim their lives and prosecuting those who commit these horrific crimes must be strong, powerful and courageous," he said.

Sources

• Agenzia Fides
• Catholic News

The "Talitha Kum," network of women religious under the direction of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) is to help nearly 40 million people trapped in modern-day slavery through their "The Care Against Trafficking" campaign ahead of World Day against Trafficking in Persons July 30.

Talitha Kum will use its Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts to promote the initiative.

With the hashtag #CareAgainstTrafficking, Talitha Kum plans to strengthen its effort to eradicate human trafficking, described "an open wound on the body of contemporary society" by Pope Francis way back in 2014.

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Speakers from the Talitha Kum organization headlined a United Nations panel on the eve of the U.N. annual observance of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

"Human trafficking is one of the darkest and most revolting realities in the world today, ensnaring 41 million men and women, boys and girls," said Father David Charters, second secretary of the Vatican's permanent observer mission to the United Nations.

"It is, as Pope Francis has repeatedly stressed, ‘an open wound on the body of contemporary society,' a ‘crime against humanity' and an ‘atrocious scourge that is present throughout the world on a broad scale,'" he said.

Father Charters said the international response to the global phenomenon includes three specific targets in the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

They commit the organization's members to fight trafficking and sexual exploitation, take immediate action to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and end all forms of violence against and torture of children.

Comboni Sister Gabriella Bottani is the international coordinator of the Rome-based Talitha Kum.

She said it is a network of networks established by the International Union of Superiors General to coordinate and strengthen the anti-trafficking work being done by consecrated women in 77 countries on five continents.

"Talitha Kum" were the words Jesus addressed to a young apparently lifeless girl in the Gospel of Mark.

The Aramaic phrase is translated, "Young girl, I say to you, ‘Arise.'"

The network seeks to free people, raise them up and restore their dignity.

Sister Bottani said Talitha Kum uses a victim-centered approach to identify people in need and support them with shelter, social reintegration and education.

"We do not have a model to export. Each of the organizations in the network promotes initiatives against trafficking in its particular local context," she said.

Some of the sisters dedicate their entire ministry to trafficked and enslaved people, while others provide housing and emergency intervention as needed. Continue reading

• Image: Crux

Sister Gabriella Bottani was honored on Thursday, during a ceremony introducing the 2019 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, presented by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Bottani was one of nine individuals who were named "Heroes" in recognition of their tireless efforts to fight modern-day slavery, which affects an estimated 25 million people and has been labeled by Pope Francis as a "crime against humanity." The nun was tasked with speaking for the group of honorees.

"This is a great responsibility for all of us who are being recognized today," Bottani said. "I'm here today because of Talitha Kum, a global network of women of faith challenged by the violence and serious violation of Human Rights caused by human trafficking and any kind of exploitation around the world." Continue reading

Talith Kum is an international network of religious working to eradicate human trafficking. Read more