Sisters Take Stand against Human Trafficking

RACINE, WI -- The Racine Dominican Sisters and Associates have declared a corporate stance, decrying the injustice of human trafficking. “People are enslaved all over our country,” S. Sharon Simon, president of the community, said. “Among the most insidious evils of our time is that of exploiting women, men and children through forced prostitution and slave labor.”

Following discussion and study, the sisters and associates recently voted unanimously to take the stance for human rights in opposition to human trafficking. Their hopes in doing so are fourfold:

• to raise awareness among the sisters and associates themselves, as well as in Racine County about the pervasiveness and stark reality of the trafficking problem;
• to network with groups, such as the Rescue and Restore Coalition of Milwaukee, to identify more clearly what traffic victims need and how the Racine Dominican community might respond;
• to form a coalition with others in actively addressing the problem;
• to raise awareness of impending legislation and existing laws and services available for victims.

“As responsible citizens, we all need to become alert to what’s happening in our neighborhood and our community,” said Racine Dominican S. Ruth Schaaf, who has studied the issue extensively. “Notice people’s behavior when you stay at a hotel. Pay attention to what’s happening in your neighborhood. People have even discovered those sitting next to them in church have domestic slave laborers hidden in their home.”

Ruth will address the human trafficking issue this Sunday at 7 a.m. on WRJN radio (1400 AM) on the “Lighting the World with Truth” program.
(see related story)

The Racine Dominicans have a 147 year history of serving Wisconsin communities. They are a religious community of sisters and lay associates who live by the mission “committed to truth, compelled to justice.”