Human trafficking affects millions of people worldwide, most of them women and minors. And advances in technology have only made it easier for human traffickers to ensnare vulnerable people.
DEREK HANNON
Irish Ambassador to the Holy See
“Human trafficking is a heinous crime. Indeed, Pope Francis has called it a plague, which is what it is. It is based on the deception and exploitation of vulnerable people.”
In response to this tragic reality, the Irish and the United States Embassies to the Holy See, in collaboration with the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), hosted a virtual symposium on “Empowering a New Generation to Fight Modern Slavery.”
The focus of the symposium was on how to raise awareness of human trafficking, especially among youth and how to empower young people to become leaders in the movement to eradicate modern slavery.
SR. IMELDA POOLE
President of RENATE
“We have a very special new generation emerging that is quite unique. They are a generation that is savvy with the Internet and technology in particular. When we talk about empowering the new generation to work with us on mission, to eliminate the world of this heinous crime of human trafficking, maybe we need them to empower us.”
Also present at the event was Blessing Okoedion, a survivor of human trafficking. She shared that before she became a victim, human trafficking was not an issue she worried about. Today she runs an NGO dedicated to helping other girls on the streets going through the same trauma she still vividly remembers nine years later.
BLESSING OKOEDION
President of Weavers of Hope APS
“You have to show yourself to the buyers that you are an adult that can make decisions, and that it is your personal decision. Because that is what the buyer sees on your face and through your actions. But no one really understood what was behind the scenes. No one really understood that those girls on the streets, they are not smiling. They are crying.”
Also among the panelists were Sr. Gabriella Bottani, the international coordinator of the Talitha Kum network, and Sr. Monica Chikwe, the vice president of “Slaves No More.”
Their organizations are dedicated to addressing the systemic causes of human trafficking, such as poverty and lack of education, while providing victims of human trafficking the support they need to regain their freedom and dignity.
CT
U.S. Embassy to the Holy See
