Over 100 people – women and men, religious and lay – from 20
countries throughout the Americas and Caribbean gathered in Bogota, Colombia
August 18-20, 2017 for an international seminar on human trafficking sponsored
by CLAR (the Latin American Conference for Religious). The various networks of women religious
working against human trafficking in these countries were present including USCatholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, Red RAMA, Red KAWSAY, RAHAMIM, UnGrito Pela Vida, and TAMAR.
 |
| Lead Organizers of the Continental Seminar Against Human Trafficking |
The theme for the seminar, “salgamos a prisa al encuentro de
la vida” (let us go out with haste to encounter life), came from the scripture passage of the Visitation: Mary going
out and encountering Elizabeth. On the
opening morning we reflected on where there is an urgent need for us to quickly
go out and respond, and who do we encounter?
Responses included feeling a call to the margins, to go to the borders
and respond to migrants and the most vulnerable, women and children, to go
beyond our own congregations and reach out to more laity and other faith groups,
and also to go back to our own congregations to educate, encourage, and inspire
them to join us in this important work to end human trafficking.
 |
| Representatives from the United States including Jennifer Reyes Lay representing USCSAHT |
The three day seminar was broken down into the see-judge-act
paradigm, focusing on one each day. The
first day included an educational presentation about human trafficking in
general by Dr. Norma Castillo, and included sharing the current reality of
trafficking within the various countries represented. Then there was a presentation focused
specifically on migration and its connection to human trafficking. Participants learned about how forced
migration due to a number of different factors including poverty, political
repression or instability, and violence create vulnerable populations for human
trafficking. The work to end human
trafficking is intricately connected to the work for immigration reform and
just international economic policies. In
groups we reflected on Pope Francis’ call to gather, protect, promote, and
integrate migrants and refugees in our communities. How are we already doing this and how/where can
we do better?
Towards the end of the first day we heard a powerful
testimony from a survivor of human trafficking who was a former professional
soccer player. This was eye opening as
the professional sports world isn’t often thought about as being complicit in
networks of human trafficking, but the lure of being able to go to a different
country and play professional soccer actually traps a number of people every
year into situations of trafficking, particularly as exploited labor. He shared about the difficulty of victims to
receive justice because of the heavy burden on them to prove they were
exploited. This leads into a vicious
cycle of victim blaming and re-traumatization, and in many cases even violent
threats from those who the charges are brought against. Unfortunately his traffickers were never
prosecuted, but this young man is now an active advocate, raising awareness so
other young boys and men don’t fall victim to this same trap like he did.
 |
| Group leaders report back on discussions from small groups |
Day two included a focus on children as well as some deeper
theological reflection on the themes covered and general work to end human
trafficking. The presentation on
children and human trafficking was given by Dr. Nelson Rivera from the
organization Renacer (Reborn), which is a partner with ECPAT, working to end
child sex and labor trafficking. He
shared how trying to document child victims of trafficking is very difficult
and there are different understandings as to what constitutes trafficking or
exploitation of children, especially in the area of labor. Small groups reflected on what child sex and
labor trafficking looks like in each country and what are the challenges in
addressing this crime against children.
Many countries throughout Latin America shared that both the culture and
the complicity of police and government officials make it very difficult to
denounce human trafficking, prevent it, and penalize those responsible.
Fr. Guillermo Campuzano led the theological reflection, and
for many participants it was one of the highlights of the seminar. He beautifully wove together the themes of
human trafficking, migration, and child exploitation with theological
reflections inspired by biblical passages and the words of Pope Francis. Bringing in the themes of this urgent call
out into the world, he said that it is through the cries of the victims of
human trafficking that God has been and continues to call us. The direction we need to go is toward those
cries. While there are many different
charisms throughout the various religious orders, all charisms connect to this
work to end human trafficking because human trafficking is connected to all
parts of society (schools, hospitals, social services, churches, families, etc.). He offered a challenge to those gathered to
recover the prophetic nature of their charism.
 |
| Fr. Guillermo celebrating the Eucharist |
The day ended with an incredible liturgy led by Fr.
Guillermo that was truly the work of the people. Everyone sat in a circle around a map on the
floor of the Americas and Caribbean. At
different parts throughout the liturgy, everyone was invited to participate in
constructing the map before us, from placing the dirt on the ground, to
lighting and placing a candle in each country present, to sharing the fruits of
the earth as fruits of our labor in this work together. It was a powerful visual representation of an
integral ecology that connects not only us humans gathered, but the whole of
creation throughout the Americas recognizing that God’s loving and creative presence
flows through it all and sustains us in the work we are called to do in the
world. Fr. Guillermo presided over the
Eucharist on the ground, on top of the soil, offering a powerful visual of a
God who became incarnate, taking on the earthly material substance of creation
and unifying God to that creation forever more.
We are all the Body of Christ, broken and blessed and shared with the
world.
The third and final day of the Seminar was about moving
towards action together. Participants
learned about Talitha Kum, the international network of the Vatican against
human trafficking, and their vision to encourage networks of religious life
against trafficking in every country. There
was space to learn about the various networks currently present working to end
human trafficking, and then we split off into regions to do more specific work
to collaborate across borders with those closest to us.
USCSAHT met with Mexico (RAHAMIM) and Central America (Red
RAMA and other countries) to reflect on how we can build stronger networks
between the countries, share resources, and improve communications in our joint
work to end human trafficking and support survivors. One of the challenges discussed was effective
communication and sharing of resources across borders. Many people from Central America are
traveling through Mexico with a destination of the U.S. or Canada, but the
networks in Central America don’t know the resources to share in the other
countries for those who might need them.
For example, once a Salvadoran reaches Mexico, who can they call if they
need help or where are the safe houses along the way? Who can help them contact their family to let
them know they are ok? And the same for
once they cross into the U.S. Where are
the places and who are the people they could reach out to for help?
Because of this conversation one of the goals
set forth by the region was to develop a directory of contacts and resources
across the countries to be able to use and share as needed to support any
potential or current victims of trafficking.
One way that USCSAHT can help with this is to translate more of their
information and resources into Spanish, since many victims of both sex and
labor trafficking are Spanish speaking from throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. There was also a need expressed to form
networks against trafficking in the countries that do not currently have one,
and strengthen the networks that are new and still in formation. All those present affirmed the value of
having a cross-continental meeting like this one, and would like to see future
opportunities for collaboration and relationship building continue.
I think it is safe to safe that everyone left the Seminar with
a renewed energy and sense of hope in this work, because while it is
heartbreaking to see the realities and impacts of human trafficking in our
world it is also inspiring to join with one another across countries, cultures,
and languages and know that we are not doing this work alone. We are stronger together. Rooted in our faith in a God who is incarnate
Love and Compassion, we can respond to our call to go out into the world and
experience transformative encounter in this work to end human trafficking.
Written by Jennifer Reyes Lay, Assistant Director of the JPIC Office for the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and liaison to USCSAHT who attended the Continental Seminar.
(Read the final report from the Seminar in English HERE)
No comments:
Post a Comment