VATICAN – Religious leaders resolve “to work for the freedom of all those who are enslaved and trafficked”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “We pledge ourselves here today to do all in our power, within our faith communities and beyond, to work together for the freedom of all those who are enslaved and trafficked so that their future may be restored. Today we have the opportunity, awareness, wisdom, innovation and technology to achieve this human and moral imperative”.
A “Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery” was signed in the Vatican on December 2, International Day for the abolition of slavery, following an agreement on 17 March which instituted the Global Freedom Network, aimed at eradicating by the year 2020 all forms of modern slavery and human trafficking. The Declaration signee for the for the Catholic Church was Pope Francis himself. Other signees included, besides other Christian confessions, Orthodox and Anglican, representatives of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam
“In the eyes of God, each human being is a free person, whether girl, boy, woman or man, and is destined to exist for the good of all in equality and fraternity. Modern slavery, in terms of human trafficking, forced labour and prostitution, organ trafficking, and any relationship that fails to respect the fundamental conviction that all people are equal and have the same freedom and dignity, is a crime against humanity”. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 3/12/2014)