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Last night, Sr. Maureen Welch, osu, Associate Director of the Partnership
for Global Justice working at the United Nations and I attended the NYC
premiere of a documentary titled Walking Merchandise.
This documentary tells the story of child trafficking and the snakehead
trade business. It tells of children from China brought here to the United States
by traveling through dangerous conditions in other countries by human smugglers
known as snakeheads. The children then have a debt of up to $100,000 that they
must pay to the snakehead. This debt is worked off through various ways:
restaurant labor, massage work, sexual activity etc. The conditions that these
children work in are deplorable and harsh. Their wages are low and the debt
never seems to end. The children grow up into adults and are still working to
pay their debts to the snakeheads.
The documentary was well-done and really opened up my eyes to all the
"horrible things" that go on behind closed doors. The film also
highlighted work done by different advocates, social workers, attorneys and
film-makers to help these children and try to end this snakehead trade
business. I admire their work and send them many prayers and blessings.
Check out www.walkingmerchandise.com
to learn more about it and watch the film.
Seeing the film really reminded me of how precious life is and we must take
all cautions to protect life-these children have lost their life in many ways.
We as Ursuline Sisters have made working to end trafficking part of our
mission-we are educating our students about it, helping me out in safe houses,
and supporting agencies that are helping those who have been trafficked.
We must remember that all human beings are important and work to protect
their rights and dignity.
Sr. Jeannie Humphries, osu
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