We Sisters of Charity-Halifax

We commit ourselves to work to eradicate this global human rights violation and to affirm the dignity of all human beings.

stand together in a time when we hear the silent cries of victims of human trafficking, especially those women and children taken for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour.

~Excerpt from Corporate Stance on Human Trafficking, Adopted 2008

Human Trafficking
is a global problem. According to the United Nations, human trafficking exists in every country. This modern day slavery is everywhere. So how do people end up as victims of trafficking? Adults are often lured away from impoverished homes by false promises of travel, training and employment. By deception, children are taken from their families and sold into the sex trade or as child labourers. Whether moved across country borders or across the street, victims are put to work against their will, with threats to their lives and those of their families preventing most from attempting to flee. For some, human trafficking becomes a lifelong threat. Children who were victims of human trafficking and have escaped are often vulnerable to being re-trafficked as adults. So in addition to preventing people from becoming victims of human trafficking in the first place, its also crucial that victims receive proper support to heal and start new lives.

Tearing through
the darkness of Human Trafficking...
...one safe house at a time
To that end, Lifeway Network collaborates with a network of religious congregations, faith-based coalitions, educational institutions, legal/law enforcement bodies and concerned individuals to provide a safe haven and support to survivors as they heal, and to educate the public. In collaboration with over 30 religious congregations, Lifeway Network opened its first safe house in New York in the fall 2011. Our goal is to provide a warm, welcoming environment where women can heal, explains Sister Joan.

TRAFFICKING
People can become victims of human trafficking in a variety of ways, and forced to work in many different industries, often hidden in plain sight. The United Nations definition of human trafficking is complex, but is broken down into three key elements: (What is done) Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons. (How it is done) Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim.

DEFINING

This past year the Sisters of CharityHalifax have been involved in the creation of two safe houses for victims of Human Trafficking.
Celebrating its 5 anniversary this year, Lifeway Network continues to help survivors of human trafficking, and to act as a catalyst for change. Headed by executive director
th

Sister Nancy Brown has been an advocate for

The Bakhita Community Safe House

Sisters Sally McLaughlin and Ann Regan, along with several other members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, helped to open Bakhita Community Safe House, the only house of its kind in greater Boston, Massachusetts. This house was named after Saint Josephine Bakhita, who lived as a slave from the age of nine.

young women at risk for human trafficking and sexual exploitation for over 13 years in her work with Covenant House in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is also a member of many organizations and committees and has developed public events, workshops and resources to bring the very real danger of human trafficking to the minds of Canadians. For her work in this area, Sister Nancy has recently been awarded the Order of British Columbia, the provinces highest honour. In a recent speech on her work, she shared a success story of a young woman she called Muriel. Muriel struggled with the remnants of a tumultuous childhood and developed a drug addiction, which forced her into the sex trade. Muriel found safety at Covenant House, and although she struggled with her addiction and was in and out of Covenant House several times, the support she received there stayed with her and, through counseling, her confidence grew. You are better than that was the seed planted by the Covenant House staff that gave Muriel hope and confidence to change her life, explains Sister Nancy. Since April 2011 Muriel has lived on her own and has earned her high school diploma. She starts classes at a local college this fall, with the goal of becoming a social worker so she can help others escape the life she once lived.

How does a safe house work?

In both of these safe houses, there is a core community of Sisters who live in the house. Victims of human trafficking, known as guests, are welcomed into a safe, supportive home environment. There are also many Sisters from other congregations who volunteer at the houses whenever they are needed. Guests are referred to the safe houses by local law enforcement or outside social service agencies. Inside the house, guests take part in regular household activities, participate in household meetings, and have regular meals together. In this environment they learn life skills, and they are shown or reminded how to be part of a family. The hope is that these skills, in conjunction with counseling, will help them heal and rebuild their confidence, so that they are not vulnerable to traffickers again and can lead an independent life.

The Act

The Means

The Purpose

(Why it is done) For the purpose of exploitation, which includes sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery or similar practices.

Sister Joan Dawber, the organization operates based on an essential belief that eradicating slavery is only possible if we all work together.

Be part of the solution

Educate Yourself by reading and learning all you can about human trafficking. Start by visiting www.lifewaynetwork.org.
Share That Knowledge with family, friends, colleagues and
local politicians to help shine a light on this dark industry.

human trafficking. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Otherwise, contact your local police non-emergency number. If you live in the United States, you can also call the National Human Trafficking Resource Centre at 1-888-373-7888. In Canada, call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Be Aware and Report activity you believe may be related to

Make A Donation to support our work fighting

human trafficking.

To give you an idea of how your gift can help, here are some sample costs from one of our safe houses. All costs are for one guest.

$28 provides food for one guest for one week $66 provides personal supplies and linens for one month $139 is the overall cost of their stay for one week $595 covers their stay for one month

will help provide safe shelter and new lives for victims of human trafficking.

YouR gifT

To learn more about how were fighting human trafficking, contact:

NoVA SCoTiA NEW YoRK MASSACHuSETTS

Sisters of Charity Centre 215 Seton Road Halifax, NS B3M 0C9 CANADA
Tel: 902-406-8114

Sisters of Charity-Halifax 85-10 61st Road Rego Park, NY 11374 USA Tel: 718-424-1813 Sister Marie Sorenson Director of Advancement Email: msorenson@schalifax.ca Lauren Manning Advancement Associate Email: lmanning@schalifax.ca

Sisters of Charity-Halifax 125 Oakland Street Wellesley Hills, MA 02481 USA Tel: 781-997-1210 Rosemary Previte Advancement Associate Email: rprevite@schalifax.org

Carrie flemming Advancement Associate Email: cflemming@schalifax.ca