Anti Trafficking Australia – ACRATH Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans
June 20, 2014
The Australian Sisters of Mercy work with ACRATH.
At our National Executive Meeting in February, Anne Tormey rsm (South Australia) was elected as National President of ACRATH and Carmel Heagerty rsm (Victoria) was elected National Secretary. I was re-elected as Regional Coordinator (Victoria) ACRATH. Other positions are held by Religious of other Congregations.
Thursday and Friday 29th and 30th May, the National Executive members of ACRATH met during which they reported on activities since February and planned for the forthcoming months. The Reports included the following:
- Education Workshops to adult groups, students at secondary colleges, Criminal Law students at Australian Catholic University, representatives from parishes in the Melbourne Archdiocese.
- Meetings with Federal Members of Parliament to discuss
- Slavery Free Supply Chain Campaign,
- Federal Compensation Scheme
- Funding for ACRATH for the next three years
- A small group has been working on the Report for the Universal Periodic Review to be presented by Australia in 2015
- Client Support. There have been casework conferences with the Red Cross and Caritas. The latter supported Indonesia to help repatriate a victim of trafficking
- Meetings with the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Department of Immigration
- Our President linked with Antonia Stampaliga, CEO Global Freedom Network.
- A West Australian member and two Sisters of Mercy from PNG attended a Caritas workshop on trafficking which was held in Indonesia.
- RAP. Community Service Announcements in Mandarin, Thai, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, Spanish and Bahasa have continued in Victoria and South Australia. It is hoped to continue these announcements in the other states in the next few months.
- In Queensland, ACRATH has made contact with the Anglican Franciscans and has given talks to their group
Carole McDonald RSM
Regional Coordinator ACRATH
May 2014
