A diocesan desk against "trafficking"

Our diocesan commitment against "trafficking in persons" started a few years ago. The members of the sodality of St Anne and the members of the Swaziland Council of Catholic Women took the initiative in leading our diocese.

Diocesan events helped raising awareness: a march in Mbabane in partnership with the "Human Trafficking Secretariat" (Prime Minister's office), a round table at "The George Hotel", a day of prayer in every parish on the feast of St Bakhita...

As a result of a workshop held in Lilongwe (Malawi) it was decided to take another step: the creation of a diocesan desk. In fact, it had always been clear in our minds and hearts that the whole of our diocese, the whole of the Catholic Church in the Kingdom of Eswatini should be involved in the fight against this that we consider a crime against humanity.

The desk is not a subcommittee of a Sodality but an expression of the whole of our diocese: men and women, young people and adults... A small committee has been set up with people who live around Manzini in order to make it possible to meet regularly. A larger one involves delegates from each one of our parishes. 

They are the ones who came together on Saturday 26 October for the "launching of the diocesan desk" and the blessing of their office in the new diocesan chancery.

I was only able to join them by the end of their meeting and share a few words with them. I saw they had become familiar with the 4 "P" in the fight against trafficking: "prevention, protection, partnership, prosecution". The truth is that there are more than four as they include also: prayer, protest, passion... (and we might discover even more!).

I am grateful to each one of the members of the diocesan desk for their generous commitment and to Fr Ntshangase for accepting to be their spiritual adviser. The presence of Mr William Kelly ("Caritas Swaziland" director) opens the door to link with the new "Parish Caritas" being developed in our diocese.

In December 2014, thirteen religious 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.”

 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.