At both the National Assembly of the Salvatorian Family (Sisters of the Divine Savior, Society of the Divine Savior, and Lay Salvatorians), and the special "Chapter" meeting of the Sisters of the Divine Savior, many made a personal commitment to respond to the issue of ending slavery and human trafficking that builds upon our existing communal commitment. Here are a selection of personal responses and commitments. They offer all who view them an opportunity to see how faith-filled people are called to respond.

I commit myself to prayer, and to:

• become personally involved in a group such as Rescue and Restore
• help create a Lay Volunteer Corps experience... related to trafficked people from Mexico,
• write four personal letters to important people in government during this coming year,
• Continue to work with college students- talking with them about trafficking and about violence toward women,
• work with Catholic Social Services of Phoenix as they expand direct services to victims of trafficking,
• do at least three presentations to groups to increase awareness of trafficking,
• involve men and young adults in our efforts,
• share the newsletter "Stop Trafficking" and other information with my family and friends,
• work to establish a network of housing among religious...for victims awaiting the prosecution of their traffickers,
• letting St. Joseph Women's Center know about the availability of our workshops on trafficking,
• work to set up workshops in the Madison, WI area with groups and parish leaders,
• offer the anti-trafficking half-day seminar so the staff, sponsoring groups, and women guests at the Cathedral Women's Shelter in Milwaukee will learn about the issue,
• make photocopies of the "Stop Trafficking" newsletter for six teachers in key positions at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School,
• work to implement a unit on trafficking as part of the Inter-community Formation programs,
• share information with two study groups in which I participate,
• bring information to my parish's Human Concerns committee,
• read the "Stop Trafficking" newsletter and bring it to at least two others at work,
• inform my students and continue to be aware of this issue in my informal education situations,
• send a donation monthly to S. Jean and S. Sheila's efforts,
• reflect on the connection between greed and consumerism and the issue of trafficking and exploitation... and allow my reflections to impact my buying decisions,
• send the www.sdssisters.org/slavery website link to all my email correspondents within six months,
• buy fair trade labeled items,
• continue helping others learn Spanish,
• share information with my scripture class
• I often teach on the social teachings of the Church. I have developed a study packet that includes this issue.
• When I get each edition of the newsletter ("Stop Trafficking"), I make a copy and then give it to someone I don't know very well yet... and engage them in talking about the issue.
• I have developed a project in my university statistics class that requires students to address either human trafficking or fair trade data.
• Our Presbyterian Church offers a weekly ecumenical Tuesday evening gathering. I spoke to the group about the issue, using what I have learned and downloaded from this website, as well as other materials.
• I spoke at the Deaneries in our Diocese, using materials from the series "Wise as a Serpent" as well as the "Stop Trafficking" newsletter. It has been very well received.
• I teach my 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders about this issue. The kids then share what they have learned with their parents.
• I am in a position that allows me to send information to all of our priests. I've asked them to each use the inserts for their parish's bulletin.
• I believe men need to lead other men to "form, reform, and transform" attitudes that enslave women and children. Men have easier access to public forums, are in positions to educate and motivate people, and often have the ability to help create change. I've made it a point (I'm a man) to speak out on this issue to my colleagues and friends.
• When I teach, I address the need for just and fair treatment for immigrants, and awareness of the fact that immigrants are at high risk for being trafficked.

These are actions to which Salvatorians have committed- what about you?

What are YOU doing? Please, email a brief description (one line is fine!) with your actions and we'll add them to the website. Remember- we all cannot do the same things... but we all CAN do SOMETHING.

I commit myself to prayer and....

•  I fast one day each month for victims of trafficking and their perpetrators,
• I will discuss this issue with my teenage daughters and their friends,
• I have added an email "signature" to all of my emails- over 100 a week- that tells people I am working with others on this issue and asks them to click to this website. That's 5,200 or more reminders a year!
• I asked my parish if I could put a little box in our weekly bulletin and on our parish website that raises awareness of the issue.
• This past weekend I hosted an awareness party- like a Tupperware party or a Scrapbooking party. Except, I worked with the Emancipation Network and used their products to raise $1,010 in a single day! (link is at http://www.emancipationnetwork.org/help.html) What a neat idea! It PREVENTS trafficking.
• I am working on (Pennsylvania) House Bill 1112 submitted by Representative Katie True and cosponsored by about 45 other members. It is presently in the Judiciary Committee for examination. It seeks to amend the Criminal Code to create the offense of trafficking of persons (slave trafficking), impose penalties, provide for restitution, authorization application for wiretaps to investigate trafficking offenses and allow for persecution of corrupt organizations engaged in human trafficking.
  I am in touch with the staff person in charge and am hoping to make contact with the Pennsylvania State Catholic Conference for their support and also do some op-ed pieces for papers such as the diocesan paper, York and Harrisburg papers. I already submitted a piece for the Catholic paper!
• I have been looking at one new website on the issue of trafficking each week.
• I created an insert for parish bulletins and am asking pastors around the area to include it in preparation for February 27, National Slavery Day
• I did a training for seminarians to introduce them to the issue and teach them how and why they need to be alert to victims of trafficking they might encounter.
•  I am now part of a coalition of groups that are starting to address the need for safe housing for victims after they are rescued from slavery
• I am part of a group that's developing a protocol that our law enforcement, medical, and social services organizations can use to respond appropriately when they come across someone who might be a victim of trafficking.
• I spoke to a group of graduate business administration students on their role and responsibility relative to fair trade, fair wages, and use of trafficked/slave or exploited labor, including in places their corporation might outsource from.
• I got on the agenda of my parish's Social Concerns committee. They don't know that trafficking is a real issue right here in our state. I talked to them about it and am working to get a speaker to come to one of our adult education events.
• I made a video tape of the Lifetime TV mini-series "Human Trafficking" when it was on TV this fall. Then, I held a viewing, inviting people from my bible study group to watch it and reflect on it. It was a very powerful experience! Wow!
• I use Google to go to a different website each month to learn something new about trafficking of women and children.
• I just read the book "The Natashas: Inside the New Global Sex Trade" by Victor Malarek. I asked my public library to purchase it, and they did, then I borrowed it and am going to recommend it to others.
• I just sent for 100 free posters and roledex cards from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/about/materialform.html and I am going to give them out at my university and ask my local hospital to put them up too.
• I joined the AntiSlavery group's "fight": http://www.antislavery.org/2007/index.html
• We are putting aside some money each week from our family's food budget to give as a donation. This Lent we will give it to the Coalition Against Trafficking of Women (http://www.catwinternational.org/) .
• This is very cool. It's a book (88pages download) that explains how we can learn to identify victims of human trafficking! It's international (created in Europe) and available in several languages. Here's the link to the English version: http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/resources/PDF/Protocoltraffickedpersonskit2005.pdf
• My friends (high school) and I bought our shoes from No Sweat Sneakers (see http://www.nosweatapparel.com/ ) and we're trying to make it a "trend" at our high school because right now everyone buys athletic shoes made with slave labor.
• We have a local "alternative" newspaper that has a lot of ads for "escort services" and we are going to write letters to the editor of that newspaper to tell them to stop supporting prostitution and slavery. I don't know if it will work but it's worth trying.
• I saw this on the web- a 26 year old walking across France to raise awareness. We (our college) could do something like this quite easily! http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060517/NEWS01/605170457/1078/Local
• Our Wisconsin Congress person, Gwen Moore, stood up with others against the slavery and genocide in Sudan and got arrested. This was a protest and helped call attention to the need for the United States to take action. http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/news/9226665/detail.html?rss=mil&psp=news
• Here's a two-sided handout used at our high school after a presentation.
• I just bought my first pair of "fair trade" sneakers!
• I live in Milwaukee, WI. I asked my local Starbucks about their coffee. They have one or two products that they said are "fair trade" but they said the demand is low, so they won't add any more. I went to Alterra Coffee (down by the lake, but also elsewhere in the city) and their coffee is all fair trade. I decided I will now only buy my specialty coffee at Alterra! And, I will go online to buy fair trade coffee for use at home, since Folgers etc. have such poor reputations!
• I saw this article in our paper in Canada and went to see the exhibit and made a donation to the project. http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-18491-Ending-child-slavery-with-beads-and-clay.html  This kind of project could probably be easily duplicated.
• I am reading the handout "Hiding in Plain Sight" by Donna Hughes to learn more about identifying possible victims of sex trafficking. I work in an inner city clinic and we do treat many prostitutes and I hope this resource will help us get a better understanding.
• I am teaching summer school in high school- a remedial reading course that is typically VERY  hard to get students engaged in. Guess what!? I have students reading about human trafficking, writing essays, using the internet to research, and engaging in reading tasks far beyond their supposed "reading levels." All with great interest and energy! Our "final project" will be to prepare our own website summarizing what we have learned.
• I just saw this example on the web. In Denmark, at a festival, people donated toward anti trafficking efforts (prevention, mostly) in Cambodia by "drinking and painting." See: http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?news_id=2549&coun_code=dk
• How about a contest? See: http://www.changemakers.net/journal/300503/
• In Vietnam, they are teaching kids how to spot and avoid traffickers. http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=04SUN081006
• In Ghana, micro-lending to families to prevent need to sell children: http://allafrica.com/stories/200610250502.html
• I am reading the new book, "To Plead Our Own Cause," by Zoe Trodd. Here's a review: http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/10.26/05-slavenarrative.html .
• I have downloaded and am using the "Parish Packet" developed by the Salvatorians. Go here to look at it.
• Here is an article about several enterprenureal ideas being used by nonprofits to offer options for rescued slaves. I think the ideas could be used in other locations, too. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/article_print.html?id=39886
• Franciscans International: http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=22636
• A teen started a national movement in England: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0221/p13s01-lign.html
• A 27 hour fast to commemorate the 27 million people in our world in slavery right now. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070224/LIFESTYLE/702240320
• Tell companies you won't buy their slave-made goods. It works! http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a_GhdH0ssFkY&refer=home
• Kids in Newark, NJ take it on! http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070426/NEWS01/704260337/1002
• Local Wisconsin Business does Fundraiser (West Bend, WI, April 2007): http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2007/April_07/04142007_11.asp
• Here's a free (donation requested) curriculum to use to train people who want to be able to effectively serve victims of human trafficking. http://www.faastinternational.org/ Go to OUR PROJECTS >> Curriculum
• I am working on Wisconsin's anti trafficking bill, AB-544, that was recently introduced in our Assembly. I am also starting to organize a group of people who can send in letters of support for the bill when it is the right time.
• a fashion show by college students makes headlines- and makes a difference- http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Nov/20071110News010.asp
• Here's an online video, "Not for Sale": http://www.womenlobby.org/site/video_en.asp
• There is a safe house now open in Washington State. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003980653_trafficking29m.html and I hear that there may be one opening in California, too.
• Women religious around the world are uniting in response: http://www.zenit.org/article-20806?l=english
• Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence recently collaborated to produce this excellent set of articles which were published in their quarterly professional publication. The themed publication is entitled: HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Sexual Exploitation, Prostitution, and Brokered Marriages. Please click HERE.
• Video and article on the "Not for Sale" campaign is very good.
• Wisconsin's AHT bill is moving through the legislative process.
• Adam Niemeyer, a student at the University of Cincinnati, wrote an essay for an undergraduate class in which he discusses several issues related to the anti human trafficking movement.
• Here's a downloadable PDF entitled Guide to Ending Sweatshops. http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/guideDownload-Donate.cfm?source=WDSS38&trk=SSGUIDEHOME