We, members of Talitha Kum – the worldwide Network of religious life against trafficking in persons, denounce the crime of Trafficking in Persons and proclaim it as a grave offense against the dignity of the person and a serious violation of human rights.
As consecrated persons and women religious in solidarity with our sisters and brothers who suffer the consequences of this evil we will speak out loudly and clearly.
We strongly condemn this crime, addressing ourselves first to all the societies that permit wealth and power to control the lives and dignity of our sisters and brothers, who are sold and rendered objects of this modern form of slavery.
We urge local and national Catholic Episcopal Conferences, Regional and National Conferences of Religious, and religious congregations to take a stance and commit themselves with renewed energy for the protection, promotion and fulfillment of the rights of these sisters and brothers and to denounce all forms of trafficking.
We call on governments to be responsible not only to make laws against trafficking and to protect the victims, but also to implement these laws at all levels and to allocate adequate resources, both human and material, to combat this crime and compensate the victims. Governments are responsible to activate local, national and international networks capable of effectively counteracting this trafficking in persons.
We commit ourselves:
• To network among ourselves and with other social, civil, religious, and political organiza-tions.
• To strengthen existing efforts and initiatives to reduce the causes of human trafficking.
• To maximize and update resources for the prevention, protection, prosecution, assistance, awareness raising and condemnation of trafficking in persons.
• To continue to develop educational programs that awaken the consciousness of people and denounce this phenomenon.
• To participate in research in order to better understand causes, risk factors and vulnerabilities in the new scenarios of human trafficking.
We know that only by working in collaboration and solidarity are we able to confront the structural causes that generate trafficking. This mission obliges us to take a prophetic stance that requires continuous conversion and change of mentality.
We renew our commitment to promote the dignity of every person as a response to Christ’s words: “I have come that they may have life, life in its fullness.” (John 10:10)
Rome, Jan. 27, 2016
Partners:
Stop Trafficking! and the work of the
U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking (USCSAHT) is made possible
through the supportive collaboration of partners.
Society of the Divine Savior
| Partners: | Sponsors: |
| Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati | Stop Trafficking! is made possible through the supportive sponsorship of |
| Sisters of Charity of Halifax | members of the U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking (USCSAHT) |
| Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth | and other supportive collaborators. |
| Sisters of Charity of Nazareth | Adorers of the Blood of Christ |
| Sisters of Charity of New York | Adrian Dominicans |
| Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida | Benedictine Sisters of Chicago |
| Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Benedictine Sisters of |
| Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word | Mount St. Scholastica |
| Sisters of Christian Charity | Benet Hill Monastery |
| Sisters of Mercy Catherine’s Residence | Cenacle Sisters, N. Amer. Prov. |
| Sisters of Mercy of the Americas | Congregation of Notre Dame |
| Sisters of Notre Dame, CA Province | Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes |
| Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur | Congregation of St. Joseph |
| Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province | Daughters of Charity, |
| Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton | Province of the West |
| Sisters of St. Francis of Colorado Springs | Daughters of Charity, Prov. of St. Louise |
| Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque | Daughters of the Holy Spirit |
| Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate | Dominican Sisters, Houston |
| Sisters of St. Francis of Redwood City, CA | Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose |
| Sisters of St. Francis of | Dominican Sisters of Peace |
| the Providence of God | Dominican Sisters of San Rafael |
| Sisters of St. Francis | Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa |
| Rochester, MN | Dominican Sisters of Springfield, IL |
| Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet | Felician Sisters |
| Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill, | Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls |
| Philadelphia | Franciscan Sisters of Peace |
| Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, | Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration |
| Prov. of USA & Canada | Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart |
| Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange | Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters |
| Sisters of the Divine Savior | Marianites of Holy Cross |
| Sisters of the Good Shepherd | Maryknoll Sisters |
| Sisters of the Holy Cross | Medical Mission Sisters |
| Sisters of the Holy Family | Northern California Catholic Sisters |
| Sisters of the Holy Names | Against Human Trafficking |
| of Jesus and Mary | Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters |
| Sisters of the Humility of Mary | Presentation Sisters, Aberdeen |
| Sisters of the Incarnate Word and | Presentation Sisters – San Francisco |
| Blessed Sacrament | Racine Dominicans |
| Sisters of the Precious Blood | Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary |
| Society of the Divine Savior | Religious Sisters of Charity |
| Society of the Holy Child Jesus | SC Ministry Foundation |
| Society of the Sacred Heart | School Sisters of Notre Dame, |
| U.S. Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union | North America |
| School Sisters of St. Francis | |
| of Christ the King | |
| Sisters of Bon Secours USA |
International Union of Superiors General (UISG) DECLARATION – 2001
We, almost 800 women leaders of one million members of Catholic Religious Institutes throughout the world reflecting on the theme ‘Women Religious: Many Cultures, One Heart: Sent to Be a Living Presence of the Tenderness and Mercy of God in Our Wounded World’ publicly declare our determination to work in solidarity with one another within our own religious communities and in the countries in which we are located to address insistently at every level the abuse and sexual exploitation of women and children, with particular attention to the trafficking of women, which has become a lucrative multi-national business.
Drawing on our long tradition as educators we will continue to promote the education and formation of women within and outside our own organizations by committing personnel and financial resources to ensure the holistic development of women at every stage of life empowering them to develop an inner strength and appreciation of their God-given gifts to promote and enhance life.
As women committed to human rights we declare once more our solidarity with the poorest countries and restate our resolution to work for the cancellation of the international debt.
As women opposed to the perpetuation of war and violence we express our commitment to the creation of a culture of peace and we call on heads of governments and multi-national companies to stop the sale and purchase of armaments.
As women concerned about the preservation of Mother Earth we will take action when and wherever possible to end the destructive behavior that causes global warming and climate change and threatens all forms of life on our planet.
We pledge ourselves to implement these resolutions through a system of networking among ourselves and with other existing organizations with similar concerns within Churches and society.
Attentive to the cries that arise with one voice from many cultures we will respond as women disciples of Jesus Christ seeing the world with eyes of the heart and with the compassion of a loving God.