New call to action against trafficking
A month after the World Day of Prayer and Reflection Against Trafficking, a new call from the global youth network
In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8 and during this Jubilee Year, the Ambassadors of Hope from the global network advocating for the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking are launching a new Call to Action to combat the global crisis of human trafficking.
“We have chosen this significant day to launch our commitment to combat human trafficking, driven by the alarming fact that “70% of the victims of trafficking are women and girls,” according to United Nations data. We therefore stand in solidarity with the global #AccelerateAction campaign for Women’s Day, focusing on the theme of the year to spotlight this global issue that requires collective and immediate action. Through this Call to Action, we renew our commitment together with young ambassadors against trafficking by amplifying the voices that matter most—the voices of victims, survivors, migrants and refugees, and young people— who are at the forefront in the fight against this crime and all forms of discrimination and injustice,” said Sister Abby Avelino, coordinator of the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking and the sister-led Talitha Kum International anti-trafficking network.
The Call to Action was drafted by an international group of young advocates, survivors, and experts on February 8, at the conclusion of the 11th edition of the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, an initiative established by Pope Francis in 2015.
This appeal of commitment invites young people worldwide and encouraging them to join the campaign calls on governments, institutions, and individuals of all faiths and backgrounds to take action in the fight against human trafficking. It encourages all people of goodwill to unite and make a tangible impact in ending this heinous crime.
The call to action
We are a group of young people from different continents, committed to ending human trafficking, representing the partner
organizations of the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking (IDPAAHT). We gathered in Rome from the 1st to the 8th of February 2025 to continue journeying together, as Ambassadors of Hope, following the invitation to the XI International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking (IDPAAHT). During the week we learned from one another and shared best practices to enhance our strategies and contextual work in light of the reality of human trafficking in our respective contexts.
“Human trafficking is the process by which people are coerced or lured by false prospects, recruited, relocated, and forced to work and live in exploitative or abusive conditions.” Human Trafficking is a form of slavery, that is often invisible in our society. People in situations of vulnerability are at great risk of being trafficked. Human trafficking strips people of their dignity and autonomy, inalienable rights, whereas they are deceived and commodified.
We encounter and challenge strongly the continued systemic normalization and reproduction with lack of awareness and impunity for this crime against humanity on a global level. For this reason, we continue and reinforce our commitment within the international network of the IDPAAHT, to the fight against this crime, specifically by raising awareness, centering those vulnerable who are the main targets of traffickers across the world.
Together, building on the encounter with experts, women with lived experience and along with the blessing from Pope Francis for our work, we amplify and strengthen our commitment to:
- Pray and care for those affected by human trafficking and those accompanying them;
- Develop and Implement strategies for the rehabilitation, reintegration, inclusion, and long-term healing of survivors, wounded healers and individuals affected by human trafficking, informed by their lived experiences;
- Educate ourselves and others about the root causes, methods and consequences of human trafficking, by promoting creative and holistic approaches, such as utilizing media platforms;
- Collaborate by creating physical and digital spaces to share information, practices, provide updates, and connect stakeholders for ongoing support.
We call young people around the world to continue being Ambassadors of Hope, educating, advocating and standing in solidarity with survivors. Walk and continue to journey – together with us – for Hope, in this 2025 Jubilee year. We call all people of good will, partners and other organizations to support our commitment in guarding the light of human dignity.
The anti-trafficking network
The International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking is coordinated by Talitha Kum International, promoted by the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and the Union of Superiors General (USG), in collaboration with Partner Organisations: tThe Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Dicastery for Communication, the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Caritas Internationalis, CoatNet, the Focolare Movement, the Jesuit Refugee Service, the International Union of Catholic Women’s Associations (WUCWO), JPIC- Anti-Trafficking Working Group (UISG/USG), The Clewer Initiative, the Community Association Pope John XXIII, the International Federation of Catholic Action, the Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts Association (AGESCI), the Santa Marta Group, Sant’Egidio, USMI and many other organizations worldwide.