Human Trafficking & Fair Trade
A #YouAreKnown Guest Post by Father Shay Cullen of Preda Fair Trade
One of the most well-known success stories of Preda Fair Trade is its action to alleviate poverty and oppose the evil trade of human trafficking by implementing the social teachings of the Church. Living out in action these spiritual and social values is a great challenge to Catholics and Christians of all denominations.
Pope Francis has spoken clearly on the need for economic justice in the world. He said that he wants “a Church that is poor and for the poor.” In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, he grounded this goal in Jesus Christ, “who became poor and was always close to the poor and the outcast.” (186)
The selling of young people into bars and brothels under the guise and cover of “entertainer” is a modern form of human slavery. The evil trade begins when the young women and children are recruited in Filipino villages or towns by human traffickers by giving promises of good jobs in factories and hotels or as singers and dancers in Korea and elsewhere. They pay part of a salary in advance to the parents and relatives of the young women so they are obligated and become victims of “bonded” labor.
Unless we act for exploited and abused children like these, then our faith, teaching and evangelization will have little impact and inspiration for the youth of today. That is why fair trade is the long term sustainable vehicle for delivering social and economic justice to the poorest of the poor. It makes them independent and and self reliant.
The goal of fair trade is to curb human exploitation of every kind and promote the human rights of rural poor and workers and help the exploited and the oppressed people. This is at the heart of the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth. The Preda Fair Trade project aims to prevent human trafficking and sex slavery by teaching the people Gospel values and the dignity and rights of every person, especially the rights of women and children.
It also provides livelihood projects to poor families such as organic mango production and handcraft production. Fair trade also provides water pumps, bicycles and educational assistance to children. A portion of the earnings from sales of Preda Fair Trade goes to help child victims of sex trafficking and abuse.
By buying the products of small farmers and indigenous people at fair prices, Preda Fair Trade is slowly eliminating the exploitation and poverty. It is the cruel poverty and social injustice that makes so many impoverished villagers eager to allow their children go to work in cities in the Philippines and abroad.
The practice and example of economic justice in fair trade is a form of evangelization in word and action. It is by example of giving justice and fairness that Preda has credibility with the people and society. As St. James writes, “Faith without action for justice is dead.” The Church has a duty to implement the social teachings proclaimed by Jesus and the Popes for generations, and Pope Francis in particular, and fair trade is one great way to do it.
The development and promotion of fair trade is a most effective way for Catholics to use their buying power to make a strong faith-based commitment and statement for social justice. Faith can be more alive every time they choose to buy a fair trade product, knowing it is not the product of child labor or exploitation. They will know it is based on fairness and concern. They will learn too from the information given with the products about the needs of the poor and the positive help that fair trade gives to them and what more they can do to help.
