Network to Eradicate Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

Vatican City, 18 March 2014: Eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking across the world by 2020 is the objective of a ground-breaking agreement announced on Monday at the Vatican. Representatives from the Catholic, Anglican and Muslim worlds gathered in the Holy See press office for the launch of a Global Freedom Network and to sign the founding declaration.
On behalf of Pope Francis, Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo signed the path breaking agreement. New Zealand Archbishop David Moxon, director of the Anglican Centre in Rome and representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Holy See, Mahmoud Azab, representing the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and Andrew Forrest, founder of Walk Free Foundation were present to sign the declaration.

The Joint Statement by the Global Freedom Network signatories underscored the searing personal destructiveness of modern slavery and human trafficking and called for urgent action by all other Christian Churches and Global Faiths. The Global Freedom Network is an open association and other faith leaders will be invited to join and support this initiative.

Modern slavery and human trafficking are crimes against humanity, the statement said adding that ‘the physical, economic and sexual exploitation of men, women and children condemns 30 million people to dehumanization and degradation.’

Only by activating, all over the world, the ideals of faith and of shared human values can we marshal the spiritual power, the joint effort and the liberating vision to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking from our world and for all time. This evil is manmade and can be overcome by faith-inspired human will and human effort, the asserted.

We salute all those already engaged in this struggle, and fervently hope that this new project will further encourage their commitment to set free the most oppressed of our brothers and sisters.

The Global Freedom Network will take up the instruments of faith – prayer, fasting and almsgiving. There will be a world day of prayer for the victims and for their freedom. Everyone of faith and everyone of goodwill will be requested to join in reflection and action. Dedicated prayer networks will be formed in all parts of the world.

Under the Agreement, all parties commit to pursuing all avenues and pathways to galvanise global action to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking. Action plans for the first year will be developed to engage among other things, all global faiths to mobilize their youth sections to support programmes to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking; 50 major multi-national businesses whose CEOs are people of faith or of goodwill to commit to modern slavery-proof their supply chains; 162 governments to publicly endorse the establishment of the Global Fund to End Slavery, with 30 heads of state publicly endorsing it by the end of 2014.

The Joint Statement then concludes: our world must be freed of these terrible evils and crimes against humanity. Every hand and heart must be joined to bring this freedom to all those who are trapped and suffering. This agreement is a beginning and a pledge – the victims of modern slavery and human trafficking will not be forgotten or ignored: everyone will know their story. We will walk with them to freedom.
Source: VR Sedoc