On 20 June 2019, Sr Gabriella Bottani SMC, the international coordinator of the Talitha Kum anti-trafficking network of Catholic women’s and men’s religious orders, was honoured as a Trafficking in Person (TIP) Report Hero by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the US Department of State in Washington, DC. (“Talitha Kum” – Aramaic for “Young girl stand up!” – Mark 5:41)
Speaking at the event, Sr Gabriella identified three “causes and vulnerabilities that contribute to human trafficking”:
— “Unequal power structures in our societies, especially regarding women, children and indigenous people.
— “Inadequate migration polices in an increasingly interconnected world.
— “An economic model that exploits human beings and environmental resources for the profit of a few in contrast with the exploitation of the many.”
To access the full text of the speech by Sr Gabriella Bottani (SMC) click the following link or watch the video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m0w6tv_lqYP1uGp-dIyHkgJNJxYDTDMi/view