Jesus calls us to treat all with dignity and respect and to look at people and creation as sacred beings not objects, yet human trafficking is a growing crime worldwide. Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are engaged with ending human trafficking by addressing root causes.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the main types of trafficking in the world today are labor trafficking, sex trafficking, forced marriage and organ trafficking. Forced migration due to climate, war, violence and poverty makes people vulnerable to the risk of being trafficked. Currently, 77% of identified people in human trafficking are involved in the immigration system, according to the Polaris Project.
The scourge of human trafficking will not be solved easily, and for many years, our sisters and associates have advocated and raised awareness. The following are just a few recent examples.
Alliance to End Human Trafficking
Judy Molosky, CSJ from the Los Angeles Province is the vice president of the board of directors for Alliance to End Human Trafficking (AEHT, formerly known as U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking).
Sister Judy will be traveling to Rome in May for the Talitha Kum Conference. Talitha Kum is an international initiative against human trafficking and exploitation started by the International Union of Superiors General, a global network of the leaders of women’s religious congregations. The conference will be focused on evaluating their ten declarations that address the fight to end human trafficking.
Sister Judy will be accompanied to the conference by Cheyanne Neuenschwander, a former St. Joseph Worker, who is now a social worker at the Child Advocacy Center of Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. Cheyanne is experienced in providing strength-based care and healing-centered approaches for gender non-conforming/LGBTQIA+ youth who have experienced human trafficking. She is an active member of UPMC Children’s Hospital’s Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence Task Force, showcasing her commitment to tackling complex issues related to exploitation.
Walk for Freedom
Many of our sisters and St. Joseph Workers in Los Angeles take part in the Walk for Freedom each National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The annual event is hosted by the Southern California Partners for Global Justice, of which Diane Smith, CSJ is a member.
This 1.5-mile walk amid the Hollywood Walk of Fame raises awareness and supports survivors of human trafficking. Before the walk, participants meet to pray and hear from different speakers, including survivors and advocates.
Sister Diane commented, “Each year the Walk for Freedom has its own flavor. The flavor of the 2024 walk was the significant participation of students from both public and Catholic High schools, who provided stories and prayers highlighting the plight of those trafficked.”
Sisters Rising Worldwide
Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet are creating systemic change related to this issue through Sisters Rising Worldwide (SRW). SRW is a network of around 650,000 sisters working to solve the root causes of injustices globally. Their web platform allows people to donate to sisters’ projects around the world that help vulnerable communities.
Founder and President Irene O’Neill, CSJ, from the St. Paul Province, notes that every program SRW supports works towards the prevention of human trafficking by helping address issues that make people vulnerable. Sister Irene encourages us not to stay frightened but to be informed and act by checking out SRW and donating to these projects.
One innovative campaign was submitted by Sisters Sherly and Swapna in India. They travel to remote villages to talk about the danger of human trafficking and establish vigilance committees with the women in the village. In these small towns, everyone knows everyone, so the women could intervene if they hear a family was approached by someone promising a better life in the city or a child wants to run away. Donor money is needed for gas and for rice or dal to have food for the gatherings.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet financially contributed to the SRW endowment fund. This endowment increases the capacity of funded projects keeping more people safe from trafficking. You too can contribute to SRW projects by going to srw.org.
This story appeared in the 2024 issue of Carondelet magazine. Join our mailing list.