In anticipation of the International day of Awareness and Prayer against Human Trafficking, 8 February 2018, RENATE member Begoña Iñarra published the following blog on RENATE France website www.renatefrance.wordpress.com
Le Pape François a fait de la question migratoire un marqueur fort de son pontificat. Il  a développé une approche nouvelle articulée autour des verbes : accueillir, protéger, promouvoir,intégrer ».
A l’occasion de la journée mondiale du migrant et du réfugié, les évêques de
France, nous indiquent les actions qui, dans le contexte français et pour
chacun des quatre verbes, les paraissent être prioritaires. Parmi elles,
certaines pourront nourrir un plaidoyer préalable aux négociations des
pactes mondiaux de 2018.
Lisez le document des évêques avec ces priorités.
For additional features, please see www.renatefrance.wordpress.com
Adapted by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
Publicités
 

An association of leading European Universities has been assessing its achievements and looking ahead to ensure international cooperation. Newly focused with the aim of creating a new pan-European network of future leaders ‘’…committed to interacting with the wider community and across nations…’’ entitled EUROPAEUM, it will ask 30 scholars to suggest solutions to social and political issues such as Human Trafficking, youth unemployment and regional separatism.
Oxford University, St. Andrews, (Scotland),  the University of Luxembourg are amongst the elite participating universities, where Dr. Andrew Graham, Executive Chairperson of EUROPAEUM stated:   
“What we want are outcomes that will excite people and be useful, whether to an MP or the European parliament or an NGO or business. It could be all sorts of things, but it has to interest someone and give them a solution that they can bring about.”  
Participating Universities are; Charles University, Prague; The Complutense University of Madrid; Graduate Institute of International and Development studies, Geneva, Switzerland; University of Helsinki; Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland; Leiden University,the Netherlands; Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich; University of Luxembourg; University of Oxford; Pompeu Fabra University, Catalonia; University of St. Andrews (Scotland); Pantheon-Sorbonne University (Paris).  
For more: www.europaeum.org
Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.  

New 12-part report Confronting Root Causes: Forced Labour in Global Supply Chains– Genevieve Lebaron, Neil Howard, Cameron Thibos and Penelope Kyritsis, shines a light on key questions we need to ask when examining forced labour in global supply chains.
While Policy makers, business leaders and civil society organisations call for a determination of the root causes, commonly used terms such as ‘poverty’ and ‘globalisation’ tend to obscure ‘’a web of decisions and processes that maintain an unjust status quo, while being used as euphemisms for deeper socio-economic structures that lie at the core of the capitalist global economy. ’’ (Lebaron, Howard, Thibos and Kyritsis, 2018).   
Working from the classic economic metaphor of ‘’Supply and Demand,’’ the report explores the understanding of an over-supply and imminently exploitable workforce versus the demand for their labour, integral to the contemporary constructs of global supply chains.
On the Supply side, the report identifies four dynamics which contribute to creating a corpus of workers who are vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation: specifically, Poverty, Identity and discrimination, Limited labour protections and Restrictive mobility regimes.
On the Demand side, the report proffers Concentrated Corporate Power and Ownership, Outsourcing, Irresponsible Sourcing Practices and Governance Gaps, as the four dynamics which ‘’either create pressure within the market for highly exploitable forms of labour or open up spaces within which labour can be exploited.’’ (ibid).
Poverty and labour exploitation are frequently inter-linked with  forced labour, human trafficking and modern slavery and this particular report attempts to provide the reader with the tools to navigate the global value chain, which binds all of us and therefore implicates all of us in the responsibility to play our part in bringing an end to human trafficking and modern slavery.
Full report at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/beyondslavery/genevieve-lebaron-neil-howard-cameron-thibos-penelope-kyritsis/confronting-root-causes
Prepared by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.
 

This Declaration of Religious Leaders Against Modern Slavery was endorsed by Anglican, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Orthodox religious leaders.
 “We, the undersigned, are gathered here today for a historic initiative to inspire spiritual and practical action by all global faiths and people of good will everywhere to eradicate modern slavery across the world by 2020 and for all time. 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. We pledge ourselves here today to do all in our power, within our faith communities and beyond, to work together for the freedom of all those who are enslaved and trafficked so that their future may be restored. Today we have the opportunity, awareness, wisdom, innovation and technology to achieve this human and moral imperative.”  2nd December, 2014.
 (*The Grand Imam of Al Azhar uses the word “religions”.)
 

An annual campaign by UN Women, the 16 Days of Activism Against gender-Based Violence Campaign aims not only to end violence against women and girls, but to also ensure nobody is left behind. The campaign further aims to raise awareness and ignite a global conversation about the need for inclusive and sustainable programmes, policies and resources in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Beginning 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and running until 10 December, International Human Rights Day, the campaign originated from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute, which was coordinated by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership, in 1991.
16 Days Activism against Gender Based Violence 32 page compilation of daily activities 2017.
For more: http://www.renate-europe.net/16-days-activism-gender-based-violence-campaign/

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher , the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, told global leaders at a UN event on 19 September that trafficking is one of the defining priorities of Pope Francis’ papacy, requiring a multi-faceted approach.
While the church has been speaking out against these abuses for decades, Archbishop Gallagher spoke of the concrete ways in which the church is taking action, specifically with reference to the establishment of the Santa Marta group and partnership with law enforcement authorities. Archbishop Gallagher paid tribute to the British government, in their appointment of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, H.E. Kevin Hyland, OBE.
Of particular note was the acknowledgement of the work and varied roles played by female Religious, in prevention and awareness-raising about human trafficking, as well as their work in support of survivors, by means of psychological and medical supports; shelter in safe houses; rehabilitation programmes and vocational upskilling.
The full text of Archbishop Gallagher’s speech is here
Adapted by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.