Border to Border The Human Rights Challenge Here

Border to Border The Human Rights Challenge Here and Abroad Presented by: the Sisters of St. Dominic at Caldwell, NJ and STM Public Discipleship Ministry Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Human Trafficking, a global problem • An estimated 50, 000 women & children are trafficked into the US every year. • The largest # of people trafficked into the US come from East Asia and the Pacific • The next highest #’s come from Latin America and from Europe and Eurasia • (US Dept of Justice, Health & Human Services, State, Labor, Homeland Security, Agriculture, and the US Agency for Int’l Development 2004. Assessment of US Gov’t Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons. Wash, DC: US Dept of Justice. ) Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Think it’s not happening here? Think again. • Summer 2004, 60 Peruvian victims of sex trade were found in Long Island, • Similar cases in Texas with African choir boys, • Also in Oklahoma with Indian factory workers, • Same in California with Asian women & children sold into prostitution, • Occurring as well in Maryland, with African servants kept as slaves by medical doctors & members of foreign embassies, • Here in NJ with Mexican children in a brothel, • Also in Florida with Honduran migrant farm workers, and in • NYC with Mexican deaf-mutes forced to peddle trinkets Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Catholic Social Teaching • • Life and Dignity of the Human Person Call to Family, Community and Participation Rights and Responsibilities Option for the Poor and Vulnerable The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers Solidarity Care for God’s Creation Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Some Hard Facts • Child sexual trafficking is a $10 billion industry worldwide • Traffickers are the second largest organized crime ring in history • This issue affects more than 2 million children around the world & more than 200, 000 children in the US • Between 50 – 60% of children in sexual slavery are under age 16 • An est. $9. 5 billion in revenue is generated from all trafficking activities ($4 billion to brothel industry) Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

What can we do? • Organize a letter-writing campaign – it works! • Host/support Fair Trade Exchange Program • Attend Human Rights Workshop on 3/28/06 • Participate in local Crop Walk – Fall 2006 • If not now, when? If not me, who? Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Additional Actions We Can Take • International Justice Mission (888 -456 -4499)works to rescue girls from forced prostitution by working with indigenous government officials & even raiding brothels. www. iijm. org • The Heifer Project (800 -489 -5575): Buy a farm animal for a needy woman & you’ll give her the resources to support herself. www. heifer. org • Maiti Nepal: This organization crusades to help victims of sexual trafficking. Sponsor a victim, make a donation, or just find out more info: www. maitinepal. org • UNICEF supports children around the world through advocacy, education, volunteering & fundraising: visit www. unicel. org or call 1 -800 -FOR-KIDS (1 -800 -367 -5437) Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

What Else Can Be Done? • • • Increase poverty-focused development assistance Encourage congressional support of agricultural & business development in less developed countries Support Debt Cancellation measures foreign countries least able to repay such obligations Urge smart use of government-held food reserves Designate at least 10% of our exportable food for concessionary sales or grants to food-short nations Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Local Congressional Contact Info • Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D) One Gateway Center, 23 rd Floor Newark, N. J. 07102 Phone: 973 -639 -8700 • Senator Robert Menendez (D) One Gateway Center, Suite 100 Newark, N. J. 07102 Phone: 973 -645 -3030 Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Reading Resources / Reference Bibliography • “DESPAIR”, by Ed Vulliamy, Amnesty International, Winter 2005 • “Preying on the Margins”, by Mary Ellen Dougherty, 1/30/06 issue of America • “United Nations Reform and Human Rights”, by Silvano M. Tomasi, 9/12/05 issue of America • “What Carried the Girls Away”, by Eve Conant, Idea Lab, 2/12/06 issue of NY Times Magazine, • “The End Of Poverty”, author, Jeffrey D. Sachs • “How To End Poverty”, 3/14/05 issue of Time magazine Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Additional Resources on the Web • www. congress. org • www. jubileeinterfaith. org • www. usinfo. state. gov/gi/global_issues/human_ trafficking. html • www. usdoj. gov/trafficking. html • www. acf. hhs. gov/trafficking • www. antislavery. org • www. IINJ. org Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28