Vatican City, 17 March 2014 (VIS) –
This morning a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office
to present the “Global Freedom Network”, an agreement between the
representatives of the great world religions to eradicate modern
forms of slavery and human trafficking, in collaboration with the
Walk Free Foundation. The speakers at the conference were: Bishop
Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of
Sciences and Social Sciences, on behalf of the Holy Father; Mahmoud
Azab, on behalf of the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Egypt; Rev. Sir John
Moxon, on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend
Justin Welby, and Andrew Forrest, founder of the Walk Free
Foundation.
The objective of the agreement is to
eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking across the world by
2020”; it is a revolutionary and unprecedented agreement among
representatives of major faiths. The joint statement made by the
signatories underscores the “searing personal destructiveness of
modern slavery and human trafficking” and calls for “urgent
action by all other Christian Churches and global faiths”.
According to the Joint Statement,
“Modern slavery and human trafficking are crimes against humanity.
The physical, economic and sexual exploitation of men, women and
children condemns 30 million people to dehumanisation and
degradation. Every day we let this tragic situation continue is a
grievous assault on our common humanity and a shameful affront to the
consciences of all peoples. Any indifference to those suffering
exploitation must cease. We call to action all people of faith and
their leaders, all governments and people of goodwill, to join the
movement against modern slavery and human trafficking and support the
Global Freedom Network”.
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