'Human Trafficking happens in plain sight'
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
"Human trafficking is a crime that's still a little bit under the radar. You know, it happens in plain sight. And in the US, we tell people it happens in every zip code, and we have to learn to see and address it in a way that's safe, both for survivors and those who would report it."
In an interview with Pope, the President Emeritus of the Alliance to End Human Trafficking, Talitha Kum's designated U.S. member, American Sister Ann Oestreich, I.H.M, made this observation, on the sidelines of Talitha Kum's 2nd General Assembly taking place north of Rome this week, marking fifteen years since the network's founding.
Talitha Kum is the International Network of Consecrated Life Against Trafficking in Persons. Headquartered in Rome, the Network is an initiative of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG). Talitha Kum coordinates the anti-trafficking efforts of Religious Sisters, facilitating networking, communication and formation, according to the strategic planning of the UISG and the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church.
Drivers of trafficking
After having long served as Talitha Kum's regional representative of North America, Sr. Oestreich pointed out the presence not only of religious sisters at the Assembly, but also of lay men and women, survivors, and other guests, who helped "illuminate issues that more deeply drive human trafficking, such as migration and inequity in societies between men and women," and "make us better understand economic forces that exacerbate human trafficking all over the world."
"This wildly, fast-growing crime," she observed, "is expanding exponentially and we need people who will join with us in the struggle to end it and educate themselves." It is not intended to be an exclusive commitment among only Catholic sisters, she suggested, but rather a welcome invitation for the laity, young people, professionals, and people of other faiths.
"We need to join together in this struggle," she said.
'More than 70% who migrate to US are trafficked'
Sr. Ann replied to Pope' question asking what she perceives to be the most dangerous phenomenon when it comes to human trafficking in the United States.
"Right now, one of the most dangerous phenomena," she said, "is the forced migration of peoples who are coming into the United States."
"What our State Department has found is that between 72 and 77% of people who migrate into the United States are trafficked there. We have a problem with work authorizations. When people come in, they have to wait 180 days to file a work authorization, making them so vulnerable to human traffickers because they need to work to survive," she said.
"Therefore," she went on to explain, "we have teamed up with people who are working in migration to educate our legislators and the public about forced migration and the plight of migrants who enter our country."
Sr. Abby: Education is key
Talitha Kum's international coordinator, Sr. Abby Avelino, also discussed with Pope the renewed commitment of the Network to rise to the challenge to combat trafficking, regardless if the phenomenon is worsening.
Pointing to progress, she highlighted the great work of education that helps to minimize vulnerability, noting that according to 2023 statistics, the sisters, through education outreach on the topic, were able to reach almost 800,000 people across the globe.
Sr. Barron: 90 countries present to combat the scourge
Likewise, the President of the UISG, Sr. Mary Barron OLA, Superior General of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, recognized the immense fruits of the past 15 years but acknowledged the still-long journey ahead.
"We have participants from 90 countries. You have sisters, lay people, men, women, survivors, activists, really the whole spectrum of people who are engaged in fighting against this scourge," whose impact she acknowledged, "can be clearly seen, in terms of reach, awareness, and growth of the network."
Recalling the enrichment offered by survivors and youth to the Network and Assembly, she suggested that support to fight together against this scourge is always needed "of all committed people, of whatever creed, of whatever gender, whoever."
Blind to how trafficking perpetrated
"We're blind to so many ways in which trafficking is, is perpetuated," Sr. Barron lamented, urging, "We have to open our eyes. We have a big responsibility."
"As Christians in the world, we, first of all, for ourselves, ought to uncover what is really driving human trafficking, including the sweatshops that still are providing us with the beautiful items that we want to wear, and the makeup we want, and so on." Therefore, she stressed, "we have to become more aware, ourselves, and become more educated on the supply chain, and therefore, more likely to make these connections".
Survivor: For traffickers to stop selling humans, demand must drop
Meanwhile, a survivor, Kris, who now is the executive director of a network in the United States which helps those who were victimized like herself, spoke to Pope about her ordeal.
During the interview, she expressed her hope that by the next Talitha Kum General Assembly, the issue of 'demand' will be tackled, observing that the phenomenon would diminish if there were no 'buyers' for human beings. In this regard, she stressed, that law enforcement and education both have an important role to play.
Sr Angela: Plight of Africa's trafficked girls and women
Also in Africa, Pope learned of challenges told by African Sister, Sr Angela Nemilaki Kapitingana, who recalled the need to see the dignity in all people, like Christ, always, and lamented the reality of forced marriage of girls and women within certain cultures across the African continent.
"Many women and girls are trafficked because of many reasons," she noted, but to counter this, she called for their education, empowerment, and being given the right information.
Sr. Angela shared with us her first experience with someone who was trafficked. "The young woman was 22 years old and was trafficked with a child."
"Seeing her body scorched and traumatized, psychologically, for me, was really devastating. While I instinctively first went to attend to her physical needs, she soon made me realize that what she desired most, was for me to listen to her."
"She asked me a question: Am I still a human being? Following the experience she lived, I did not have the answer, but just to be there, listening, she slowly 'unfolded' her story. The more she shared her story, the more I could see we were building this mutual trust, where she could feel, and realize she was being truly, respected, and could claim her dignity."
"That," Sister Angela concluded, "was my first experience. and this moved me through this day, and for this, I will always continue fighting against human trafficking."
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