Saturday 26 August saw government, members of the police and the army, the US Embassy and the Catholic Church among others, coming together against Human Trafficking.
Below, my speech
* * * * *
Your Excellency, the Honorable Prime Minister of Swaziland
Honourable Ministers
The Ambassador of the United States of America
Members of Both Houses of Parliament
Principal Secretaries
Regional Administrator
National Commission of Police
Chief Executive Officer – Municipal Council of Mbabane
Head of the Department of Human Trafficking
Distinguish Guests
Reverends Fathers and Sisters
Matter Dolorosa Parish Pastoral Council
Women of St. Ann’s Sodality
Programme Director
Royal Swaziland Police Choir and Catholic Heavenly Choir
Media Representatives
Brothers and Sisters in Christ
You might be all familiar with the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho falls into the hands of bandits who strip him, beat him and make off leaving him half dead. Three people pass and they all see him: a priest, a Levite, a Samaritan. Only one – though – has compassion.
The trafficking in persons that gathers us today is a crime like the one in the parable. The difference is that no one seems to see it. The crime seems to be “invisible”. The victims seem to be “invisible” too. We all talk about it. We all read and hear about it in our media, but no one sees it and therefore the victims risk not having any good Samaritan; and our youth and children remain deeply at risk.
Pope Francis says, “Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ. It is a crime against humanity”.1 The dignity of our people, the dignity of the children of God is being destroyed.
Pope Francis adds: “Human persons created in the image and likeness of God are deprived of their freedom, sold and reduced to being the property of others.” 2
We are here because we are the Body of Christ and that body is today being attacked and trafficked. Our dignity, destroyed.
But it is not just the dignity of those being trafficked that is destroyed. Cardinal Tagle who is Caritas International president once asked: “Do the traffickers see human beings in those they are exploiting?” ... “Where is the humanity of those who exploit other persons?”
We, the Church, cannot remain indifferent. Like the Good Samaritan we need to stop and address this crime which is hurting us all.
I believe our approach has at least four “P”:
Prevention
Prevention can only happen by tackling both supply and demand. It is common knowledge that “several factors increase the vulnerability of the child victims, namely endemic poverty, inadequate child protection, ignorance and cultural constraints”3 in the places trafficking victims originate.
We need to talk about it. We need to help our children and young people to believe it is real, it is ugly and cruel.
Protection
Protection of children requires the protection of families. Therefore, policies and programs must provide families with the essential tools to protect and nurture their children in situations of vulnerability. Decent housing, health-care and education are essential. We therefore renew our commitment at these levels through Caritas Swaziland, through our health facilities and schools
Partnership
I believe no one can address this crime alone. That is why we approached His Majesty's government to show our wish to join hands with government and with many others. Together with the elements of awareness, housing, health and education, we wished we could partner in the care of those who have been victims of trafficking so that they are not also victims again not being able to insert themselves back in their families and society.
All of us are needed because we all have different abilities and skills: governments, churches, social workers, police, doctors... A crime against humanity demands humanity to come together to stop it.
Prayer
February 8th is particularly significant for the Catholic Church. We celebrate the feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita, a Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery at a young age in Sudan. When she was freed, she chose to enter a religious order and spent the rest of her life helping the poor and the suffering. On this day Catholics all over the world join in prayer.
We believe in the power of prayer!
Let us all pray – not just on that day – for the many people who are denied their dignity, people with no voice, people who are enslaved; and let us also pray for those who raise awareness about this crime, for our families and particularly for our youth and children.
In December 2014, thirteen leaders signed a common declaration and encouraged other religious leaders to add their names.
They said:
“In the eyes of God each human being is a free person, whether girl, boy, woman or man, and is destined to exist for the good of all in equality and fraternity. Modern slavery in terms of human trafficking, forced labour and prostitution, organ trafficking and any relationship that fails to respect the fundamental conviction that all people are equal and have the same freedom and dignity, is a crime against humanity.”4
May we all unite in this conviction that comes from our faith. May we all work together for the dignity of every person in the Kingdom of Swaziland and the world.
+ José Luis Ponce de León IMC
Bishop of Manzini
1. Address of Pope Francis to participants in the international conference on combating human trafficking - "Casina Pio IV ", Lecture Hall of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences - 10 April 2014
2. Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the celebration of the World Day of Peace – 1 January 2015 - “No longer slaves but brothers and sisters”
3. Michael Czerny S.J. - Under-Secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section: Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development – Speech at the 17th Alliance against Trafficking in Persons Conference “Trafficking in Children and the Best Interests of the Child” - Vienna, 3 April 2017
4. Casina Pio IV, 2 December 2014
Click on the photo below
for photos of the event (from Flickr)
