CHA Human Trafficking June 22 Call

You do not want to miss the June 22 CHA Human Trafficking Networking Conference Call which will feature Sr. Anne Victory, HM, and an update from the bishops conference. We are also looking to have additional agenda items from you.

The call is on Wednesday, June 22, at noon (ET), 11 a.m. (CT), 10 a.m. (MT), 9 a.m. (PT). If you have a topic you would like to present for 5-10 minutes, or one for the group to discuss, please contact me at jtrocchio@chausa.org.

Too, be sure to share this invitation with others in your organization who might like to attend or share a program or practice.

Here is the tentative agenda for the networking call on June 22:

1. Welcome and opening prayer
2. Presenters and Topics 
   • Activities and Policy Update – Melissa Hastings, Policy Advisor, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
   • U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking update – Sr. Anne Victory, HM, RN, MSN, Education Coordinator, Collaborative to End Human Trafficking
3. Open Forum to discuss any trends you have noted, initiatives making a difference in your organization or questions/topics for group consideration

Access Instructions for the June 22 Call:
Participants' toll-free dial-in number (U.S. and Canada):
(844) 263-6303

Save the date for the next call! 
Dec. 7, 2016, at noon (ET), 11 a.m. (CT), 10 a.m. (MT), 9 a.m. (PT), for one hour.

Be sure to visit the CHA website  at  www.chausa.org/humantrafficking/ .

Orange Day, 25 May 2016 Water and Sanitation and Violence against Women and Girls

The UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, managed by UN Women, has proclaimed every 25th of the month as “Orange Day” – a day to take action to raise awareness and prevent violence against women and girls.

Initiated and led by the UNiTE campaign Global Youth Network, Orange Day calls upon activists, governments and UN partners to mobilize people and highlight issues relevant to preventing and ending violence against women and girls, not only once a year, on 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women), but every month.

- See more at: http://bit.do/b3wvQ

Orange Day - May: Water and Sanitation and Violence against Women and Girls 

Access to water and sanitation services are human rights that are experienced differently by men and women. The lack of access to drinking water and sanitation affects women impacting their health and dignity, contributing to their vulnerability, and thereby frustrating efforts to empower women to lead a healthy and economically productive life. Women and girls and other at-risk groups without water supplies and toilets within their homes are potentially vulnerable to sexual violence when travelling to and from public facilities, when using public facilities and when they have to defecate in the open in the absence of any amenities.

Women and girls are frequently subjected to unacceptable risks of violence, including sexual violence, while accessing water and sanitation facilities. Understanding the special needs of women and girls is essential in the selection and design of providing water and sanitation facilities and programmes to minimize the risks from violence and allow women and girls to access services with dignity.

Read more at: http://bit.do/b3wv4

Contribuye a eliminar la violencia contra las mujeres

Los días 25 de cada mes, celebramos el día naranja. ¡HOY es ‪#‎DíaNaranja‬ contra la ‪#‎ViolenciaDeGénero‬, una conmemoración establecida por las Naciones Unidas para erradicar la ‪#‎violencia‬ hacia las ‪#‎mujeres‬ y ‪#‎niñas‬ en todos los ámbitos!

Para la ‪#‎CNDH‬ es muy importante promover esta campaña de la ‪#‎ONUMujeres‬; por ello, te invitamos a unirte a este esfuerzo en favor del respeto y promoción de la cultura de ‪#‎NoViolencia‬ hacia las mujeres tanto al interior como al exterior de las instituciones.

¡Únete portando una prenda o un listón de color ‪#‎naranja‬ como una manera de adherirse a esta causa!

Más información: http://bit.do/b3wve

World Refugee Day

"Refugees are not numbers, they are people who have faces, names, stories, and need to be treated as such" said Pope Francis.

Take action:

1.- Share Messages of Welcome on Social Media. Use #welcomerefugees to show that your congregation welcomes refugees in your community.

2.-You can do your part to support World Refugee Day by calling on your MP to do theirs! Send a letter to your MP today asking them to stand up for refugees: http://bit.do/b26Ln

Estela, grita muy fuerte

¡Estela, grita muy fuerte! Es el nombre del libro que toda niña y niño debe leer.  Un libro que ayuda a las(os) niñas(os) a expresarse y dar la voz de alarma. Y, a nosotras(os) las(os) adultos, nos da herramientas para defender a las(os) más pequeñas(os), a las (os) hijas(os) y hablar con ellas(os) sobre el abuso sexual infantil.

"Estela, una niña a la que le encanta usar su imaginación, es pellizcada y rasguñada por una compañera de clases. Como no sabe qué hacer, se queda callada. Entonces, su maestra le aconseja: ´Cuando alguien te hace algo que no te gusta, tienes que decirle que pare. Y si no para, entonces GRITAS muy fuerte hasta que vengan a ayudarte´.
Un día, su tío Anselmo empieza a tocarla de formas que no le gustan. Ella hace lo que su maestra le dijo: grita lo más fuerte que puede. Y funciona".

Lee aquí el libro: http://bit.do/b2TSd

Sister Story Highlight

When you meet with this sister, you are greeted by a woman full of joy, with a refreshing smile.  These few lines are to recognize and thank Sr. Helena Monahan, CCVI for her work and commitment to justice, peace, and the care of creation.

In 1996 Sr. Helena received her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, in response to the needs of the Congregation.  During her time in leadership of the Congregation the “Headwaters Coalition” was created which legally protected 56 acres of green space (near the campus of UIW in San Antonio) for education, environmental protection, and spiritual development for generations to come.

Currently, Sr. Helena serves as the Executive Director of Incarnate Word Academy, an all-girls school in St. Louis, MO.  In this role she has been able to support and encourage many young women to take action promoting human dignity and living the charism of the Congregation.  We are grateful for her prophetic voice and witness!

Challenges and Commitments for our Communities of Faith

With joy I participated in the Interreligious Conference entitled “Objectives for Sustainable Development” (OSD) which discussed the challenges and commitments of our faith communities, organized by the Interreligious Counsel in Peru.  One of the most significant moments for me was understanding that the Agenda 2030, which contains the 17 objectives for sustainable development, responds to the concrete faces of people throughout the world.  It was created though extensive consultation.  Through this, the word ‘Ubunto’ became clear: “I am when you are.”

The presenter from the United Nations indicated that the Agenda 2030 is meant to orient the public politics of the country, because every country that signs on has a responsibility to fulfill these common goals. 

The event, which was held in the auditorium of the United Nations in Lima, included the participation of religious leaders who are working for a more just, humane, spiritual, and peaceful world.  For the working group in which I participated, we indicated that all of our work should place first the earth, our common home, the creation of God.  Therefore, objective number 4, which highlights Quality Education, is definitely one of the priorities. 

After an interesting interreligious dialogue, we committed ourselves to working on the promotion of a more dignified life for all, because we are all responsible for implementing these objectives. 

Report: Human Trafficking in Peru

In Peru, the main characteristic of Human Trafficking is its internal development, which is to say that “there is more internal sexual and labor exploitation than that which crosses the borders,” as Jose Ivan Davalos, President of the International Migration Organization (OIM) in Peru explained. 

According to the OIM report, between 2009 and 2014 there have been four thousand registered complaints of human trafficking.  Of those four thousands cases, 80% are women and 60% of those women are underage. 

Considered an invisible crime in Peru, because it happens unbeknownst to the general population and the State, and is only allocated .006% of the National Budget; the weight of this reality is heavy.  Some of the challenges in combating human trafficking include the lack of shelters for those rescued and little information about preventing this crime from happening. 

It is worth mentioning that the traffickers trick their victims by promising work.  Once their victims arrive, they are transported to places where the presence of the State basically doesn’t exist, and they are subjected to physical and sexual violence, with the goal of breaking them down and making them dependent on their trafficker.  The trafficker threatens them with death or injury to themselves and to their family members in order to prevent them from running away.