RENATE. UN Sustainable Development Goals: Their relevance to RENATE's work in Advocacy, Lobbying, Awareness Raising, Campaigning, Direct Action ...

RENATE.
UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Their relevance to RENATE’s work in
  Advocacy, Lobbying, Awareness
Raising, Campaigning, Direct Action,
          and Prevention.

        Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications.

Inspired by its Mission, RENATE
members ‘’…work in all areas of
anti-trafficking, from victim
support, healing and reintegration,
prevention, to education-
awareness, advocacy and
campaigning for legislation which
will combat this modern-day
slavery.’’ (Agreed Mandate, 2nd
European Assembly, Rome,
November, 2016).

9 sectors of society, the main channels through which broad
participation would be facilitated in UN activities related to
the SDGs :

•   Women.
   Children & Youth.
   Indigenous Peoples.
   NGOs.
   Local Authorities.
   Workers and Trade Unions.
   Business and Industry.
   Scientific & Technological Community.
   Farmers.

With membership in 27 different European countries, RENATE’s
Goal is to respond, in the light of Gospel values, to the issue of
trafficking and exploitation of women, children and men.

The RENATE Strategic Plan integrates the SDGs into its work as
it focuses on key areas of :

awareness-raising,
advocacy,
education,
training,
prevention and partnerships,
poverty alleviation,
social inclusion of vulnerable groups,
local development
mutual understanding.

A sample of RENATE’s activities in
Advocacy, Awareness-raising,
Prevention, Campaigning and Direct
Action at local, regional, national and
international level, illustrates how
RENATE’s work is directly reaching out
to the SDGs.
While RENATE activities involve the 9
sectors of society, there is a special
emphasis on the participation of
women, children and youth, in
partnership with other NGOs and
always including indigenous peoples.

Each RENATE member country participates and contributes to RENATE from their
respective capacities.

• Some members take an academic approach through ongoing research and
  presentation of factual evidence. Their research features in on-line and oral/aural
  media platforms.

Other members draw upon
their personal experiences
and story, with a focus on
SDG 3, (Ensure healthy lives
& promote wellbeing for all,
at all ages) through working
in spiritual direction and
mission amongst those on the
streets who have been
trafficked into forced begging
and/or prostitution.
Production of resources such
as Prayer Cards, PowerPoint
presentations, Film and
Annual Reports, together
contribute to a corpus of
knowledge that is shared
throughout the membership
and beyond, by means of the
world-wide web.

RENATE is active cross- culturally in the following ways:
rescue-work cross border;
cross border counselling of victims in trauma;
attendance at OSCE training events and conferences;
the EU Civil Society Platform against Trafficking in Human
Beings;
the Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of the European
Community:
Numerous cross - culture training programmes for its members.

In keeping with the mission to uphold the dignity of the human
person and sustainable development, RENATE engages in
empowerment initiatives which ultimately act as prevention
initiatives also.

Some examples:

•   Home gardens/allotments
•   Horticulture production
•   Greeting Card making
•   Candle making
•   Therapeutic soap production
•   Tailoring and fashion design
•   Agricultural enterprises.

Prevention activities
effectively contribute
towards the
implementation of
SDGs 1, 2, 6, 10, 11, 12,
13 and 15 in the local
situation where the
members work with
those most vulnerable
to being trafficked,
empowering them to
alleviate the terrible
poverty themselves and
build self-esteem,
confidence and the
possibilities for their
futures.

RENATE’s actions illustrate its commitment to global partnerships, as
the means by which collective responsibility and collective wisdom
prevail in the efforts to deliver on SDGs 16 (Promote just, peaceful &
inclusive societies) and 17 (Revitalise global partnerships for
sustainable development).
RENATE members participate in Public Policy Exchange (PPE), through
attendance at its conference ‘’Tackling Poverty and Social Exclusion in
Europe: Towards Better Social Cohesion and Tolerance in times of
Austerity’’.
Presentations have also been given internationally e.g. at the UN by
RENATE President, Imelda Poole, IBVM, on ‘’Ending Human Trafficking
by 2030: The Role of Global Partnerships in eradicating Modern
Slavery,’’
And at the UN CSW60 (2016), with workshops presented by RENATE
member Lynda Dearlove, RSM, entitled ‘’Pastoral Care of Women and
Girls on the Street,’’ & at CSW 61 (2017) workshop ‘’Economically
empowering trafficking survivors to stay permanently off the streets.’’

Campaigns such as
the UN GiftBox,
events to honour St. Bakhita’s Day,
availing of training such as that provided regionally by ERSTE,
the provision of training to its members
the organisation of the RENATE bi-annual European Assemblies,
illustrate the extent to which RENATE continuously pursues
active engagement with its membership, the private sector, civil society and citizens
alike, in order to bring an end to human trafficking and exploitation.

Through its explicit mission, RENATE is implementing the
            Sustainable Development Goals.