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Photo by Nicola Wong

Prayer and Reflection Evening for Victims of Trafficking

Andrew Metcalfe —

An invitation to join with other Christians in Dunedin to hear more about human trafficking on Tuesday 12th February 2019 @ St Patrick's Church, Macandrew Road from 7 pm.

February 8 is the Feast of St Bakhita, a Sudanese child who was kidnapped, sold several times, tortured and ill-treated and finally protected by the Canossian Sisters in Italy and freed. She became a sister herself and lived in Italy, dying in 1947. She was canonised in 2000 and is the patron of all those who are enslaved or trafficked.

The third largest trading operation in the world – after the drug trade and the arms trade - is the trafficking of human beings. In every country in the world, including New Zealand, women, men and children are sold into modern-day slavery or forced to work in inhuman conditions. Human beings are kidnapped, sold, fraudulently recruited into underpaid work and trafficked in countless ways. The practice is widespread and lucrative. Pope Francis has urged all people of good will to act in various ways to stop this illegal trade and to show compassion to its victims. In this country ANZRATH (Aotearoa New Zealand Religious Against Trafficking of Humans) has been initiated as part of a global network to draw attention to the issue in our own country, to educate ourselves and others and to support the victims of this cruel practice.

This year there is a wider invitation to all Catholics and those from other Christian churches who are interested, to join in attending this prayer and reflection evening.  Feel very welcome to bring others who may wish to come. We would love to have you among us, to feel happy to participate in the prayer and discussion, to understand more about the ugly practice of trafficking and to find ways to act against it.

There will be a light supper to close the evening.