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Human Trafficking Update |
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| Dominican Preaching Archive |
As the New York legislature (Albany) considers new law against
human trafficking, a number of religious, including several Dominicans, brought
the fight to the people who can make it happen.
On May 2, a large contingent of religious women, organized by The New York
Coalition of Religious Congregations – Stop Trafficking of Persons (NYCRC-STOP)
met face to face with law makers in Albany.
"These Lobby Days are on the one hand energizing and stupefying as the same
time, said Jeanne Shary, OP (Sparkill). "We met with politicians and their
assistants who ran the gamut from congenial, sincere, genuine, and committed, to
hostile, condescending, nervous, individuals who just want us to be quiet and go
away -- to know our place so to speak. "
But the array of reactions did not stop the group from insisting that the law
against human trafficking be not only meaningful in prevention, but substantive
in punishment. Present sentancing guidelines are weak and without teeth. Most of
the law does not address the problem no one wants to talk about: the desire for
sex on demand.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) is sponsoring Bill A.2771 in the NYS
Assembly.. This legislation includes services for victims, defense for victims
and a private right of action; it addresses demand and sex tourism. the bill has
139 co- sponsors out of 180 members of the assembly.
While lobbying, the advocates learned that soon, Governor Spitzer and Speaker
Sheldon Silver, will be coming out with their own anti-trafficking legislation
and that means other legislation may be put aside. "As the two most powerful
persons in the New York State at this time no one will dare mess around with
their bill no doubt, so we best hope it’s a good one," Jeanne said.
She added that as individuals our voice is not all that consequential unless the
politician knows us personally, which does happen and when it does, things move.
For instance, Adam Powell had not signed on to A2771, the most recent
anti-trafficking bill and as the son of the Adam Clayton Powell and an
acquaintance of Sr. Claire Regan, SC and our ringleader -- his office had a
visit from both Claire and myself wondering why he still hadn’t signed on.
Before I even had the words out of my mouth to his assistant she responded, "He
just signed on and he called Sr. Clarie". So, it really is all about who you
know.
By the numbers:
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23 |
The number of U.S. states that do not have laws on the books against human trafficking. New York State is one of them, |
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800,000 |
The number of people that the United Nations estimates is trafficked around the world – 80% of them are women and girls in the illegal sex trade. |
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200,000 |
The number of men, women and children classified as slaves in the United States, according to "The Amazing Change" antislavery group. |
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50,000 |
The estimated number of women and children brought into the US yearly through physical force, intimidation or deception to work under modern-day slave conditions. About one-third of victims are believed to be children. |
What would an effective anti-trafficking law include?
An effective anti-trafficking bill would:- Define trafficking with reference to the typical kinds of fraud and coercion that traffickers commonly use on their victims, rather than the narrow doctrine of "imminent threat of force."
- Create strong penalties for the traffickers-enough to provide meaningful deterrence to an enormously profitable criminal activity.
- Address those who patronize the sex industry, as they create the demand that makes the industry so profitable and creates the motive for trafficking.
- Clarify existing law on sex tourism in order to stop the sex tour operators who conduct business in New York State, promoting sex tours that drive trafficking in poorer countries, where victims have no recourse against those who profit from their suffering.
- Create remedies for victims of trafficking, including a defense for trafficked individuals who are sometimes arrested for the very acts of prostitution that they are coerced to perform; allow victims to recover restitution and damages from traffickers.
- Provide services to assist trafficking victims in rehabilitating their lives.
—from the Dominican Life webpage, May 7, 2007
http://www.domlife.org/
with the kindness of Anne Lythgoe, OP, webpage editor
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Preaching
is at the heart of the Dominican vocation. The Dominican Leadership
Conference claims for all members of the Dominican Family the right to
preach, and commits itself to the struggle this claim entails. The
injustices of our day compel us to place the charism of preaching at the
service of the poor and powerless. The Dominican prophetic message, rooted
in experience, study and prayer, will move both preachers and hearers of the
word to act for the transformation of oppressive structures. The Conference
on its part will act corporately, confronting evil with the Gospel and
working for the construction of a just world order. We embrace the mission of preaching for justice with a commitment to act in collaboration with one another and all those with and among whom we minister ------Dominican Leadership Conference (The latest additions are shown first. Click on an article title below to view it.)
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