The week was a fitting climax to our year of commemoration and through cooperation with SANTAC we hope to continue the campaign.
Category: Justice and Peace Page 3 of 6
125th Anniversary Antislavery Campaign – Bulletin of Justice and Peace, Rome
12-15 September 2013, by Hugh Seenan, M.Afr
The social study week in Nazaré was the climax of the three Provincial Capitals Caravan, Tete (Tete), Chimoio (Manica) and Beira (Sofala), promoting our anti-slavery campaign commemorating the 125th Anniversary of Cardinal Lavigerie, our founder’s campaign.
It was a joint week run by the Missionaries of Africa, the Archdiocese of Beira and SANTAC, the SADC sponsored group against Child Trafficking and Abuse. The participants included local traditional leaders, Catholic Secondary School pupils and their teacher, students and teachers from the Catholic University of Mozambique, local and provincial government agencies involved in this area, members of parish Justice and Peace groups as well as local religious and priests.
With the help of SANTAC we had experts in the areas of law and social policy in this area. Key themes and presentations of the Missionary of Africa campaign were integrated into this. There was much interest and lively debate in a friendly atmosphere.
Through SANTAC we had the presence of Fransisco Júnior, the top television investigative journalist in Mozambique and correspondent of VOA. He spoke about a famous case he was involved in, a report on girls trafficked to South Africa. He also made various interviews for VOA Portuguese service (radio and website see
The week was a fitting climax to our year of commemoration and through cooperation with SANTAC we hope to continue the campaign.
The week was a fitting climax to our year of commemoration and through cooperation with SANTAC we hope to continue the campaign.
Beira, 15th September 2013
As I am writing these lines, one of the major events organised at the level of SAP to mark the 125th anniversary of Lavigerie’s Antislavery campaign, has just come to an end. The sector of Mozambique was the only one capable of pulling off something in the line of the bus tour we had envisaged at the initial stage of the campaign. A minibus set off from Beira on 29th August and travelled to Tete, the boom town along the Zambezi River, picking up some people from our parishes of Dombe and Sussundenga. A two day awareness event was organised in Tete and the same happened in Chimoio a week later. Hundreds of people took part. The grand finale took place in Beira, at the centre of Nazaré, from 12th to 15th September. Conferences, debates, radio and television interviews, drama and the 4-day-long continuous and interested involvement of some 80 participants were a considerable achievement by our confreres here.
Claudio Zuccala, M.Afr
Francisco Júnior, Actualizado em: 12.09.2013 18:16
Em Moçambique os padres católicos estão a organizar um encontro para reflectir sobre o problema do tráfico de seres humanos.
O encontro decorre na cidade da Beira, centro de Moçambique. Para além dos religiosos, participam no encontro oficiais da polícia, da procuradoria da república e representantes de diversas organizações da sociedade civil.
”Não à escravatura”, é uma campanha que decorre desde o início do ano, em 22 países africanos onde a congregação católica “Missionários de África”, também conhecida por “Padres Brancos”, está presente.
Em Moçambique, e na zona centro do país, os religiosos já promoveram diversas actividades nas províncias de Tete e Manica, e, de hoje até domingo, vão reunir-se num centro, em Inhamízua, periferia da cidade costeira da Beira. Um encontro de reflexão onde se falará do tráfico de seres humanos.
Com a presente campanha, os Missionários de África pretendem também celebrar os 125 anos da campanha lançada pelo seu fundador, o cardeal Charles Lavengerie, para a abolição da escravatura em África.
Fundada em 1868, a congregação “Missionários de África” estabeleceu-se em Moçambique em 1946 nas províncias centrais de Manica e Sofala onde, para além da sua missão evangélica, tem contribuído para a formação de líderes religiosos sobre a doutrina social da Igreja, justiça e paz, preservação e protecção do meio ambiente, bem como no diálogo inter-religioso.
Não obstante o encontro da Beira marcar o encerramento da campanha “quebremos as correntes”, as acções de prevenção e sensibilização não vão parar tal como referiu à Voz da América, o Padre Hugo Seenan, um dos organizadores do encontro de reflexão sobre o fenómeno de tráfico de seres humanos que iniciou esta quinta-feira e termina domingo, em Inhamízua, arredores da cidade da Beira.
Francisco Júnior, Actualizado em: 12.09.2013 18:16
Em Moçambique os padres católicos estão a organizar um encontro para reflectir sobre o problema do tráfico de seres humanos.
O encontro decorre na cidade da Beira, centro de Moçambique. Para além dos religiosos, participam no encontro oficiais da polícia, da procuradoria da república e representantes de diversas organizações da sociedade civil.”Não à escravatura”, é uma campanha que decorre desde o início do ano, em 22 países africanos onde a congregação católica “Missionários de África”, também conhecida por “Padres Brancos”, está presente.
Em Moçambique, e na zona centro do país, os religiosos já promoveram diversas actividades nas províncias de Tete e Manica, e, de hoje até domingo, vão reunir-se num centro, em Inhamízua, periferia da cidade costeira da Beira. Um encontro de reflexão onde se falará do tráfico de seres humanos.
Com a presente campanha, os Missionários de África pretendem também celebrar os 125 anos da campanha lançada pelo seu fundador, o cardeal Charles Lavengerie, para a abolição da escravatura em África.
Fundada em 1868, a congregação “Missionários de África” estabeleceu-se em Moçambique em 1946 nas províncias centrais de Manica e Sofala onde, para além da sua missão evangélica, tem contribuído para a formação de líderes religiosos sobre a doutrina social da Igreja, justiça e paz, preservação e protecção do meio ambiente, bem como no diálogo inter-religioso.
Não obstante o encontro da Beira marcar o encerramento da campanha “quebremos as correntes”, as acções de prevenção e sensibilização não vão parar tal como referiu à Voz da América, o Padre Hugo Seenan, um dos organizadores do encontro de reflexão sobre o fenómeno de tráfico de seres humanos que iniciou esta quinta-feira e termina domingo, em Inhamízua, arredores da cidade da Beira.
FENZA Conference: September 17, 2013
This was the theme of the conference organized by the FENZA team on Saturday 17th against the backdrop of the Antislavery Campaign celebrations and commemorations which are coming to an end this month.
Four inputs were given. Claudio Zuccala, the JPICED Provincial Coordinator, presented the historical background in which the campaign was launched by cardinal Lavigerie -with specific references to the situation encountered by the first White Fathers when they arrived in Zambia at the end of the 19th century-, and the link with contemporary forms of slavery. Brother Jacek Rakowski, director of the Home of Hope, spoke about the slavery inherent to the life of children living in the streets. Sister Sabina Namfukwe, of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Child Jesus, currently matron at the Zambia Catholic University, shared her experience in the field of fighting Human Trafficking in rural areas in Zambia, especially in villages near border towns. In her presentation she explained the methods used by the traffickers and the main causes and contributing factors that lie behind the problem.
Finally, Mr Francis Chivuta, coordinator of the National Freedom Network in Zambia and directly involved in human trafficking awareness raising and victim support, illustrated the aim, the goal and the methodology used by the NFN which was launched in South Africa in 2011 but is now operating in different countries.
The conference was made lively by PowerPoint presentations and short video clips on the topic. Some of the participants raised interesting questions and gave their own enriching contribution to the debate.
One of the strongest outcomes of the conference is the necessity to create a network of all the parties interested and committed to fighting modern slavery. That would enable us to pool together our resources and plan for the future. We are all convinced that it’s absolutely necessary to keep high the alert level and to do whatever is within our outreach to try and stop any form of slavery. It’s good to keep that in mind as the FENZA team will draw up a table of contents for the next series of conferences.
N.B. Most of the material used during the conference is readily available. Please contact Romaric Bationo at director@fenza.org or Claudio Zuccala at c_zuccala@hotmail.com
By Bernhard Udelhoven, M.Afr
These are some book titles in our Christian bookshops that remind us of spiritual forms of slavery that hold us hostage today. Thousands of new deliverance ministries witness in Zambia to bondages to witchcraft and demons. The need for liberation from the slavery to evil forces seems enormous. Many people testify to the inner freedom and the new start which they found after undergoing sound deliverance services.
Yet, while the number of new churches and deliverance ministries has been multiplying steadily over the last decades, sometimes coming with the promise of a fast-track to divine blessings and prosperity, demons and witchcraft are in no way diminishing. The opposite seems true. Demonic entities are increasing. This is strange. One should think that the demons surely must be useful to some of us; else they would hardly hang around given that they are beaten, cast out and insulted so often by so many churches. Is it not also pastors, prophets, and churches who profit? READ MORE
On the 2nd August, I gave a talk to students & professors of Cedara (St. Joseph Institute) where our theology students go. There were about 50 people; the biggest attendance they ever had! A proof that modern slavery is a very hot topic! It had been organised by the OIKOS group, of which Antony Alckias is the Secretary. He is one of our students who should be ordained deacon in December.
As I was speaking to philosophy & theology students and teachers, I started with a quick overview of the attitude of the Church towards slavery through the ages followed by a brief history of Lavigerie’s antislavery campaign.
The big question is: what is the Church doing? The Counter Trafficking In Persons (CTIP) Office at the Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) published all kinds of posters & flyers to bring more consciousness. They had a 3 day seminar in April and started a Truck Drivers’ Anti-Trafficking group. They will soon publish a small book “The Church and Anti-Trafficking”. The Sisters seem to have more roles to play, as most trafficked people are women and children.
United in the same Mission,
Michel Meunier, M.Afr
By Jacek Rakowdki, M.Afr
Published in the Saturday Post, Saturday 27 July 2013
Most people remember very well a moment or an episode in their lives, which was a turning point. (…) It happened (to me) 10 years ago. I had just arrived in the country, form my native Poland, to continue my training with the Missionaries of Africa in Kasama. I was in Cairo Road, looking for an Internet Café from where I could call my family to tell them I had arrived safely. I found one but at the door, lying on the pavement, there was a child. The only way for me to enter into the shop would have been to step over his body. But I couldn’t. I froze and I moved to the other side of the street and went back home. That night the vision of that boy came back to haunt me time and again. 
On the following morning, I went back to the shop and the child was awake, standing and begging. Unable to communicate, I just took him by the hand, led him to a fast food and bought him something to eat.
Today I would not encourage anyone to do that but that’s what happened to me on that fateful encounter which threw open a door on a world I only knew through readings and movies.
By Pierre Lafollie M.Afr
Published in the Saturday Post, Saturday 20 July 2013
When the White Fathers arrived in the north of Zambia in 1891 they discovered that the slave trade was still thriving in spite of having been abolished by many countries. Their reports, together with other witnesses coming from different parts of Africa, prompted their founder, Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, to launch an antislavery campaign whose 125th anniversary is being celebrated this year. But the fight is far from over since slavery is still with us.
The White Fathers in Northern Zambia
When Brazil abolished slavery in 1888, it was the last Western country to do so. Thus, when the first Missionaries of Africa (popularly known as the White Fathers) settled in July 1891 at Mambwe Mwela, along today’s Tanzania – Zambia border, the Western slave trade had ended since its market, essentially across the Atlantic, had disappeared and the slaves had already been freed. In this corner of Africa though, the missionaries arrived in a country devastated by a still active campaign of slave raiding. READ MORE
Human trafficking is modern slavery, says Kapiri DC
By Isaac Zulu in Kapiri Mposhi, Friday 05 Nov. 2010
KAPIRI Mposhi district commissioner Cosmas Musumpuka has observed that human trafficking is a complex phenomenon which involves deception of the potential victims.
21 million trapped in forced labour, says International Labour Organisation
By Mwala Kalaluka in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday 11 June 2012
ALMOST 21 million people are victims of forced labour globally, trapped in jobs into which they were coerced or deceived and they cannot leave, according to a new International Labour Organisation study.
And the ILO says the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories is extremely worrying and remains precarious.
US estimates 27m victims of human trafficking By Fridah Nkonde, Saturday 23 June 2012 US Embassy acting public affairs officer Adam Jagelski says an estimated 27 million around the world are victims of human trafficking.
US estimates 27m victims of human trafficking By Fridah Nkonde, Saturday 23 June 2012 US Embassy acting public affairs officer Adam Jagelski says an estimated 27 million around the world are victims of human trafficking.
Some interesting links on the Internet. The talks on TED can be downloaded in High-Medium- and low definition, with subtitles in several languages. Click on Download and choose your option.
I have all the videos on DVD-CD-USB pen for those who do not have a decent/good internet connection.
Claudio Zuccala, Woodlands, Lusaka
Kevin Bales: How to combat modern slavery
In this moving yet pragmatic talk, Kevin Bales explains the business of modern slavery, a multibillion-dollar economy that underpins some of the worst industries on earth. He shares stats and personal stories from his on-the-ground research — and names the price of freeing every slave on earth right now. (Recorded at TED2010, February 2010 in Long Beach, CA. Duration: 18:01)
Lisa Kristine: Photos that bear witness to modern slavery
For the past two years, photographer Lisa Kristine has travelled the world, documenting the unbearably harsh realities of modern-day slavery. She shares hauntingly beautiful images — miners in the Congo, brick layers in Nepal — illuminating the plight of the 27 million souls enslaved worldwide.
Sunitha Krishnan: The fight against sex slavery
Sunitha Krishnan has dedicated her life to rescuing women and children from sex slavery, a multimillion dollar global market. In this courageous talk, she tells three powerful stories, as well as her own, and calls for a more humane approach to helping these young victims rebuild their lives. Sunitha Krishnan is galvanizing India’s battle against sexual slavery by uniting government, corporations and NGOs to end human trafficking.
Human trafficking – 21st century slavery: Faridoun Hemani
Faridoun Hemani is a broadcast journalist, and founder of independent production company Linx Productions. He has been in the television news business for 35 years, and has covered major international stories around the world. In 2010, Faridoun co-produced a 6-part series on Human Trafficking (as part of Moonbeam-Linx), that aired on BBC World Television. The series was supported and funded by End Human Trafficking Now (EHTN), a Geneva based organization that encourages businesses to take an active role to stem this modern form of slavery.
Modern Day Slaves – Niger
July 2005. The chains and markets may be gone, but in 21st century Africa, people are still being born as slaves. Produced by ABC Australia. Distributed by Journeyman Pictures.
MODERN SLAVERY – AL JAZEERA INVESTIGATIONS 9 videos Mac McKinney
This is Al Jazeera’s powerful investigative series on modern slavery throughout the planet. No country, officials say, is untouched by this recurring scourge of inhumanity and depravity that enslaves, reports say, some 27,000,000 men, women and children. Although slavery has often morphed in form from classic scenarios, it still shares these common conditions: 1) victims of slavery cannot escape the complete control of their enslavers; 2) they are controlled through violence and threats; 3) They are economically exploited. This series of nine videos will educate and upset you.
The Child Within
To be a pregnant child is to be terrified. Girls between 15 and 19 are twice more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth than women in their 20s and 25,000 children marry every day, 19 every minute. Camfed is part of the international movement to end child marriage and motherhood. Our film, The Child Within, is an unflinching portrait of three girls, three unique individuals, who are among the statistics. The Child Within was made in 2011 in rural Malawi, in a district where pregnancy is the prime cause of school dropout in 50 percent of cases.
Hidden Truth
Filmed by the first women’s filmmaking collective in rural Zambia, Hidden Truth is an intimate portrayal of the effects of domestic violence on women and children in Samfya, a remote region of Northern Zambia.