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A10 Florida Catholic Jan. 14-27, 2011 Jan. 14-27, 2011 www.thefloridacatholic.org A11 BISHOPS’ STATEMENT DVD RELEASE Bishops of Florida call on Catholics ‘Invisible Chains’: FCC to fight the evil of human trafficking THE FIGH T AGAINS T HUMAN TRAFFICKING produces educational On this 10th anniversary of the pas- documentary on sage of the federal Trafficking Victims human trafficking Protection Act (TVPA), we call upon the Florida bishops begin Florida faithful to be actively engaged in Florida: A hub of NADIA SMITH the fight against the evil of human traf- Florida Catholic correspondent ficking. The Human Trafficking Awareness campaign to educate Campaign is intended to educate those VENICE — In the state of Florida, thou- who may come in contact with victims in human trafficking sands of victims of human trafficking are churches, health care facilities, schools or held by invisible chains, which keep them the community so they can identify and and thus eradicate NADIA SMITH are from the Caribbean, Mexico, trapped in a deplorable life of slavery. report in order to rescue victims from their Florida Catholic correspondent abusers. Central America, South America It is those “Invisible Chains” that the human trafficking and Asia. Likewise, the immi- powerful, yet short, film produced as part The constant global movement of VENICE — After seven years grant communities also provide of the Florida bishops’ Human Trafficking people across borders enables traffickers NADIA SMITH 2010 Report, it is not just a prob- of research conducted by the a steady stream of vulnerable Awareness Campaign aims to bring to light to bring close to 1 million victims into the Florida Catholic correspondent as a way of helping Catholics identify and United States yearly with relative ease, lem of poor foreigners. Accord- Florida State University Center victims already living in Florida ing to the U.S. Department of for the Advancement of Human for human traffickers to prey on. report possible victims of human traffick- luring them with promises of money and ing. then selling or using them in bondage. VENICE — Catholics have the Education, sex traffickers have Rights (CAHR) from 2004 to 2010, Adding to all this is the lack of Profit over people places at risk women power to make an impact in the been reportedly targeting Ameri- it has been found that not only is fear of traffickers from the com- Take the young, pretty, Spanish-speak- and children forced into prostitution, fight against human trafficking. can school-age students through sex and labor trafficking pres- munities or law enforcement in ing girl that the film opens with. She could pornography and sexual entertainment That’s the message the Florida Internet social sites, telephone ent in Florida, but also thriving. the areas in which they operate. be the girl in the pew next to you or your to meet the huge demand of customers. Catholic Conference wants to get chat lines, and at malls, clubs, Several factors found in Florida “Many people are unaware of daughter or son’s friend, but her conversa- Florida, a prime destination for traffickers across with its Hu- or on the streets. make it an ideal location for hu- the extent or even existence of tion quickly reveals she is a victim of hu- because of agriculture and tourism, also man Trafficking Children engaged man trafficking. trafficking, particularly traffick- man trafficking. depends upon workers in the fields, ho- Awareness Cam- IN YOUR in trafficking are ing in children,” notes the CAHR “Two years ago I had the chance to tels, and other labor-intensive industries. paign. PARISH also used to re- WHY FLORIDA? report. “The ease with which come to the United States to work clean- This extreme exploitation destroys the “This particu- cruit other girls at According to the CAHR report, victims are hidden, cultural ac- ing homes for a man. He was going to pay mental, physical, emotional and spiritual lar issue is more Schedule for school and after- “Florida Responds to Human ceptance of prostitution, and me $10 an hour,” she began. “The first day health of the victims, leaving them scarred insidious because Human Trafficking school programs. Trafficking,” Florida’s economy, the lucrative profits to be made I arrived he bought me clothes and told me for life. it’s like a cancer Awareness Sunday After a decade which is heavily reliant upon ag- through pornography or sexu- that I had to sleep with some men. It was 25 men a day. We lived in a tiny room. You A troubling trend is the exploitation of Each Catholic diocese — it’s in our sys- of fighting human riculture and tourism, as well as ally oriented businesses may all could hear us crying ourselves to sleep ev- minors in domestic sex trafficking. These in Florida will participate tem and in our trafficking, ex- its geographical location, make contribute to the lack of response ery night.” youth, under age 18, are the runaway and communities but in a Human Trafficking perts have come it one of the top destinations for on the part of local communities throwaway children in society picked up you may not see Awareness Sunday. The to understand the traffickers and their victims. Mi- where trafficking occurs.” Or take the restaurant dishwasher who on our streets and forced into sex acts in following is a schedule of is forced to work 18 to 22 hours a day with it … just like can- crucial role aware- ami International Airport ranks According to the U.S. Traf- no pay. exchange for food and a bed. We grieve cer,” said Deborah when the campaign will ness plays and the among the top entry destina- ficking in Persons 2010 report, for the children whose innocence has Stafford Shearer, take place in each diocese. growing need of tions for trafficking victims and the lack of human trafficking They are just two of nearly 18,000 vic- been sacrificed in the name of greed and director of the Of- Many parishes will be it as human traf- among the three leading U.S. cit- awareness training found among tims of human trafficking believed to be monetary gain, a shocking example of showing an informational trafficked into the United States yearly and “man’s inhumanity to man.” fice of Advocacy ficking quickly ies for visa fraud. law enforcement agencies has kept enslaved by different forms of physical and Justice for the video about the plight of ex pa nds f rom Demand is also high in Flor- contributed to victims slipping human trafficking after and psychological abuse, including threats In a 2007 pastoral statement of the Diocese of Orlan- one region to the ida due in part to the industries through the cracks of the legal each Mass on the ap- of false debts, threats against the victim’s U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops do, and a subcom- next. That is why that require cheap labor and the system, leaving many missed op- (USCCB) Committee on Migration, the pointed campaign Sunday family or threats of deportation. bishops wrote: “Human trafficking is a mittee member of or during chosen days until the “public state’s eight military bases that portunities to identify and rescue That number does not include the es- horrific crime against the basic dignity the Florida Catho- for the campaign. Please is aware and can fuel the sex industry. victims and prosecute traffick- timated 200,000 incidents of sexually ex- and rights of the human person. All efforts lic Conference Ad check with your parish to assist law enforce- “U.S. military bases represent ers. And weakness in laws and ploited U.S. children within our borders. Hoc Committee ment” then “it is some of the greatest demand penalties has also contributed to must be expended to end it … to ensure find out what events will “Anyone involved in the sex trade under that, one day soon, trafficking in human on Human Traf- be taking place. unlikely to rescue sites for sex services, including traffickers’ confidence of not be- the age of 18 is by definition a sex traf- persons vanishes from the face of the ficking Aware- • Jan. 16: Diocese of a large number of the South where the bases have ing prosecuted even if caught. ficking victim as well,” said Terry Coonan, earth.” ness. “We need to Palm Beach those being traf- created the market for an infra- executive director of the Center for the As we reflect on our human bond with be more conscious • Jan. 30: Diocese of ficked,” Coonan structure of sex clubs, brothels WHO ARE VICTIMS? Advancement of Human Rights at Florida each other and the words from Matthew of the fact it does Orlando said. and massage parlors similar to Human trafficking is, on many State University, in the video. “That in- exist.” It is for this rea- those found near military bases levels, an invisible crime. The 25:40, “as you did it to the least of my • Jan. 30: Diocese of cludes the thousands of U.S. citizen chil- Florida ranks son that the U.S. abroad,” the CAHR report notes. real number of victims or an ac- brethren, you did it to me,” we call on St. Petersburg dren — runaway children and throwaway Catholics to become educated about third in the na- Conference of “There are eight military bases in curate profile of a victim remains children — and for so many of them Flori- • Jan. 30: Diocese of the scourge of trafficking in society. Our tion when it comes Catholic Bishops’ Florida that employ more than difficult to know for certain be- da is a mecca.” Pensacola-Tallahassee vulnerable brothers and sisters, trapped to the trafficking Migration and 32,000 civilians and house more cause of its clandestine nature, The film, just under seven minutes, will • Feb.