Pope: solidarity and an 'economy of courage' against human trafficking

Francis sends a video message for the International Day of Prayer and Reflection Against Human Trafficking. An economy without trafficking is "a economy of care ". It is "an economy of solidarity: : we work for solidity combined with solidarity. We are convinced that solidarity". "Human trafficking finds fertile ground in the approach of neoliberal capitalism". We need "the courage to combine legitimate profit with the promotion of employment and decent working conditions".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - We need an "economy of courage", against human trafficking understood as " is the courage of patient construction, of planning that does not always look only at the very short term gain, but at the medium and long term fruits and, above all, at people. "

This is the final consideration of the video message sent by Pope Francis to the participants in the Online Prayer Marathon which takes place on the occasion of today's VII International Day of Prayer and Reflection Against Human Trafficking, which this year has as its theme "“An Economy without Human Trafficking".

Francis first of all points out that " this year several moments of prayer are interfaith, one of which will also take place in Asia". "This day - he adds - This day is important because it helps us all to remember this tragedy, and encourages us not to stop praying and fighting together," with the aim that "every enslaved person returns to be free protagonist of his own life and active part of the construction of the common good ".

“This - he continues - is a Day of Prayer. Yes, there is a need to pray to support the victims of trafficking and those who accompany the processes of integration and social reintegration. We need to pray that we may learn to approach with humanity and courage those who have been marked by so much pain and despair, keeping hope alive. Prayer enables us to be beacons, capable of discerning and making choices oriented towards good. Prayer touches the heart and impels us to concrete actions, to innovative, courageous actions, able to take risks trusting in the power of God”.

For Francis, “an economy without human trafficking is: 1. An economy of care. Care can be understood as taking care of people and nature, offering products and services for the growth of the common good. An economy that cares for work, creating employment opportunities that do not exploit workers through degrading working conditions and gruelling hours." And if the pandemic "has exacerbated and aggravated the conditions of labour exploitation", “an economy of care means an economy of solidarity: we work for solidity combined with solidarity. We are convinced that solidarity, well administered, gives rise to more secure and sound social construction”.

“An economy without human trafficking is an economy with market rules that promote justice, not exclusive special interests. Human trafficking finds fertile ground in the approach of neo-liberal capitalism, in the deregulation of markets aimed at maximising without ethical limits, without social limits, without environmental limits (cf. ibid., 210). If this logic is followed, there is only the calculation of advantages and disadvantages. Choices are not made on the basis of ethical criteria, but by pandering to dominant interests, often cleverly obscured by a humanitarian or ecological veneer. Choices are not made by looking at people: people are numbers, to be exploited".

"For all that, an economy without human trafficking is a courageous economy - it takes courage. Not in the sense of recklessness, of risky operations in the hope of easy gains. No, not in that sense; of course it is not courage that is needed, this On the contrary, it is the courage of patient construction, of planning that does not always look only at the very short term gain, but at the medium and long term fruits and, above all, at people. The courage to combine legitimate profit with the promotion of employment and decent working conditions. In times of great crisis, such as the current one, this courage is even more necessary. In times of crisis, human trafficking proliferates, as we all know: we see it every day. In times of crisis, human trafficking proliferates; therefore, we need to strengthen an economy that may respond to the crisis in a way that is not short-sighted, in a lasting way, in a solid way".