In the Shelter of Each Other the People Live
In recognition of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (July 30) Deacon for Social Justice, Chris Frazer writes the following:
This year’s "Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind", UN theme for the global day against trafficking in persons, speaks loudly of inclusion. It is a clarion call for action. Action that seeks to address, and seek effective remedies for the increasing incidences of trafficking and labour exploitation that is blighting our country today.
As I am writing this I see an article from Stuff posted a few hours ago. The article highlights a rapidly-growing immigration scam targeting overseas workers who pay considerable sums of money to come to New Zealand, only to find themselves out of a job once they’ve arrived. Whilst not all such scams fit within the definition of trafficking, they are non-the-less deliberate acts of deception and exploitation with workers left traumatised and destitute.
One of the migrant workers stated starkly that, “The dreams we had before coming to New Zealand are all now destroyed. We can’t eat, we can’t sleep, we are in tears whenever we think about it, we don’t know how we can continue to survive. We have suicidal thoughts constantly. Sometimes we think it would be better to jump into the sea.”[i]
‘This year’s theme “Leave no one behind” is the central, transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
In the context of trafficking in persons, leaving people behind means,
failing to end the exploitation of trafficking victims,
failing to support victim-survivors once they are free from their traffickers, and
leaving identifiable groups vulnerable to traffickers.[ii]
However its important to also view this theme through a wider more encompassing lens, for as is pointed out on the UN page;
The campaign for World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2023 aims to raise awareness of disturbing developments and trends identified by UNODC and calls on governments, law enforcement, public services, and civil society to assess and enhance their efforts to strengthen prevention, identify and support victims, and end impunity.
Global crises, conflicts, and the climate emergency are escalating trafficking risks. Displacement and socio-economic inequalities are impacting millions of people worldwide, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers. Those who lack legal status, live in poverty, have limited access to education, healthcare, or decent work, face discrimination, violence, or abuse, or come from marginalized communities are often the primary targets of traffickers.
The Irish proverb, in the shelter of each other the people live, is a reminder that we are all interconnected within the world we share together. there is no I in this world, only WE. Nothing exists in isolation.
Edward Lorenz, a mathematician and meteorologist, was one of the first proponents of the Chaos Theory when he used the term ‘the Butterfly Effect’ to describe how tiny variations can cause a significant change in weather patterns. The butterfly effect term, when used in chaos theory, Lorenz purported, may see the wing movements of a butterfly exert a major impact on weather systems, potentially powerful enough to cause tornadoes half way round the world. The Butterfly Effect theory suggests that everything and everyone is connected in some way. And that is so true!
What we do and how we act here, right where we live, can make a difference far, far away. It may sound like a cliché, but decisions we make in our everyday living does indeed impact on people living in other parts of the world—for good and for bad. But by intelligently, compassionately and consistently harnessing our influence as consumers and contributors to help bring about greater fairness for others, we can have a positive impact. The greatest circle of influence is you and me.
There is a Zulu proverb called Ubuntu that says: “I am a person through other people. My humanity is tied to yours.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu explained it this way: “One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu — the essence of being human.
Rev. Chris Frazer,
Deacon for Social Justice , the Anglican Diocese of Wellington, chair of the Modern Slavery and Labour Exploitation Advisory Group
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