Dear Friends and Parishioners,
As January is Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month, it’s important to understand the link between trafficking and those who are most vulnerable victims of this form of criminal behavior.
The Michigan Journal on Race & Law (Volume 27), recently had an enlightening article. Following is an excerpt:
One of the most pressing global challenges is human trafficking. Human trafficking is defined as “a crime whereby traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of adults and children by compelling them to perform labor or commercial sex.”[i] Former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo described human trafficking as “the new slave trade” at a conference in Lagos at the beginning of the century.[ii] Today, millions around the world are affected by human trafficking.[iii] Perpetrators deceive and exploit victims, trafficking them for various purposes including sexual exploitation, forced labor, and domestic servitude for profit.[iv] Victims are trafficked within their own countries, to bordering countries, and across continents.[v]
The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) recognizes that human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery and millions are subjected to this form of human exploitation for a number of commercial purposes. Minorities, immigrants, and the poor are especially vulnerable. Due to the hidden nature of the crime, lax enforcement of the laws, the ease with which victims can be re-exploited, and large demand, human trafficking is considered a lucrative illegal enterprise. Creating a 150-billion-dollar industry, this modern slavery is among the fastest growing source of profit for criminals worldwide.
Check out www.usccb.org/stopslavery for important information about awareness and prevention.
Please be sure to remember our most vulnerable brothers and sisters in your prayers as we continue to grow in our own knowledge of this crime against humanity and advocate on their behalf.
Yours in Christ Our Life,
Fr. Gurnick