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To: Clergy, religious, chancery staff, parish and school staff, parish and school ministry leaders
From: Human trafficking update
This year’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons was July 30. We are at the beginning of another year in which anti-human trafficking organizations will raise awareness of trends and help combat trafficking by calling on governments, law enforcement and society to strengthen efforts to increase prosecution of traffickers, reduce demand and provide victim-survivor support. As the Catholic Church, we are called to join this work.
This year’s theme, Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind, is an immediate call to action and an important reminder that anyone can be targeted by traffickers, especially our most vulnerable. Those who lack legal status, come from marginalized communities, live in poverty or have limited access to education, healthcare or decent work, face discrimination, violence or abuse, and are often the primary targets of traffickers. But even those least likely to be targeted can still fall victim to traffickers.
We cannot allow this crime to be met with increasing indifference and impunity. We must strengthen resilience against exploitation and the underlying socio-economic and cultural issues that are conducive to trafficking. We must sensitize everyone to the topic of human trafficking and thus push attention towards those who can make a difference in terms of changing policy and national resource management to strengthen prevention measures, improve identification of victims, increase support of survivors and end impunity.
Over the course of this next year, the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Justice and Peace Ministries will continue working to engage all of our parishes, missions and Catholic schools by offering audience appropriate education and awareness presentations, anti-human trafficking ministry building workshops, opportunities to participate in hotline sticker campaigns and advocacy efforts, as well as access to a myriad of resources.
There is much work to be done. We hope that as we roll out resources and opportunities to get involved, everyone will join us in this fight against modern day slavery. Please contact me at kdoyle@archatl.com or 404-920-7897 with any questions or concerns.
Please consider posting the links to these videos in your bulletins and newsletters, as well as on your social media and websites.
What is Human Trafficking? (English)
https://www.dhs.gov/medialibrary/assets/video/21829
¿Qué es la Trata de Personas?
https://www.dhs.gov/medialibrary/assets/video/21898
