1 June 2005

Dear Friends,

The Apostle Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians, “if one part of the body suffers all the other parts of the body suffer with it—all of you then are Christ's body and each one is a part of it” (12, 26-27).

Just before Pentecost this year I was travelling in Romania, and I would like to tell you in this letter about a problem in Europe that has been known over the last decades mainly from other regions (in particular Southeast Asia): trafficking in human beings. It affects a large number of women and children and is becoming more and more a problem in Europe. I learned about this phenomenon from partner churches in Romania and Moldova. European church networks to combat trafficking describe the situation as follows:

In the process of economic transition in the former Eastern bloc countries, women are among those who have been most dramatically deprived. They are hardest hit by poverty, unemployment, and the collapse of state-run institutions such as public health care, affordable education, and the pension systems. Increased domestic violence and alcoholism and a revitalisation of old gender roles also have a negative impact on the developmental chances of girls and women.

This has created a situation in which a large number of women, some among them highly qualified, are desperately looking for a better life elsewhere, often abroad.

Their desperate situation, plus the lack of legal migration possibilities, the myths about good employment chances abroad, and a demand for irregular migrants for underpaid labour in Western Europe causes women to resort to well-functioning networks of smugglers, which seem to offer a feasible opportunity of migration. In many cases, not only is their border crossing facilitated by criminal networks, but they become the object of cross-border trading in human beings.

In documentary films and from stories told by shelter workers and policeman, I heard about young women who left their home family with many illusions and ended up in prostitution in Western Europe, treated like slaves.

I learned from a Romanian NGO that there is a growing network to combat trafficking in Europe. Churches and church-related organizations play an important role in assistance and prevention and should be aware of their responsibility. Church staff often has a privileged position of trust. This is even more important in Eastern European countries since there is a growing distrust in other institutions, particularly in state authority. (For more details, see see the COATNET - Christian Organizations Against Trafficking in Women - page.)

There is a holistic context that must be considered. Depending on the existing capacity of the NGO, church or congregation volunteers can work in health, advocacy, repatriation, reintegration, or in job-creation projects.

Furthermore, networking is needed between churches and NGOs in the countries of origin and in countries of destination. The PC(USA) is investing in preventative measures by supporting a church-related shelter for youth at risk in Romania.

I ask that in among your global concerns and prayers you include the victims and the committed people in the different churches and NGOs that combat trafficking in human beings.

Yours truly,

Burkhard

Congregations and NGOs can start their work in anti-trafficking with prevention. One of the prevention centres is “St Macrina,” a shelter for street children and youth at risk in Bucharest, Romania. (For contributions ECO 865403, Children of Romania, AIDROM.)

Contributions from individuals may be sent to: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Individual Remittance Processing, PO Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700. Write the title (Children of Romania, AIDROM)) and the ECO number on the subject line (865403) of the check and put it on your cover letter, too. Send a copy of the cover letter to Europe Office, Worldwide Ministries Division, 100 Witherspoon St. Louisville, KY 40202-1396. Or click the "give" button below to donate on-line.

The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 160