July brings to light two events
This month, we commemorate two days designed to bring about awareness of the hard work and exploitation of our brothers and sisters. Sea Sunday, which falls on July 11, is a day which many Christian churches set aside time to remember and pray for seafarers and their families and give thanks for their lives and work. July 30 recognizes World Day Against Trafficking in Persons with this year’s theme putting victims of human trafficking at the center and highlighting the importance of listening to and learning from survivors.
On June 25, the Day of the Seafarer, Sr. Joanna Okereke, Father Sinclair Oubre, Shwe Tun Aung and the Diocese of Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force spoke about the injustices that seafarers face in campaign titled “Solidarity with Seafarers: The price they pay for our well-being.” Some takeaways included:
- Seafarers are the first ones to suffer during economic recessions.
- Sometimes a seafarer is on a ship for an entire year without ever getting off.
- Seafarers are some of the most exploited workers of the world.
Okereke, HHCJ National Director of Stella Maris and Assistant Director of Cultural Diversity in the Church/USCCB led the prayer while Father Sinclair, Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi (Orange, Texas) and Director of Stella Maris of the Diocese of Beaumont and port chaplain of the Port Arthur International Seafarers’ Center and an U.S. Merchant Mariner spoke about the importance of seafarers in our lives. Tun Aung, former seafarer and the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) ship inspector for the Texas Gulf Coast, also known as the Burmese Cowboy for speaking up against the unfair labor practices and had his life threatened. He has since sought asylum in the U.S. and resides in Texas where he now uses his knowledge as a survivor of labor exploitation to speak out and assist others in unjust labor conditions. (See Burmese Cowboy: The Shwe Tun Aung Story https://www.itfglobal.org/en/videos/burmese-cowboy-shwe-tun-aung-story). Christine Commerce, DOHTTF coordinator, spoke about the current CCOAHT/Stella Maris Solidarity with Seafarer’s Campaign. If you missed the live panel discussion, you can now view a recording here: https://youtu.be/y5K-LX3ARbo .
The campaign will run through the end of the year and is coordinated in conjunction with the Catholic Coalition of Organizations Against Human Trafficking (https://justiceforimmigrants.org/what-we-are-working-on/anti-trafficking/coalition-of-catholic-organizations-against-human-trafficking/) and Stella Maris, (Stella Maris: Who We Are | USCCB) and Apostleship of the Sea (http://www.aos-usa.org/). DOHTTF is a member of CCOAHT, which collaborates with 35 groups around the U.S. Cape Canaveral in Brevard County is one of the largest ports in the world and so we have a vested interest in seeing that the rights of seafarers are met and justice is served.
This campaign reminds people who seafarers are and why they’re crucial in the supply chain. We are calling for businesses, the government, and individuals to recognize seafarers as essential workers so they may receive the Covid vaccine and return to their families allowing new workers to come aboard vessels to fulfill the necessary work, which allows our products to arrive here on shore. We want to stand up for labor and human rights for fair wages and safe working conditions. Seafarers play a key role in 90% of global trade but typically are not considered essential workers but they should be. They bring food, medicine, and electronics to our shores.
As Pope Francis said, “Without the people of the Sea, many parts of the world would starve.”Businesses are already seeing the repercussions of disruptions in our global supply chain. Businesses such as Starbucks has announced it would not be able to provide one of their popular beverages. Manufacturers have also seen this with parts for vehicles and electronics that are in short supply. Many may remember the empty shelves when the pandemic first hit and struggling to get our basic necessities such as toilet paper. The crew changes aboard these ships are essential so we may get our everyday products that we rely on so heavily.
More than 800 companies have already signed the Neptune Declaration, which advocates for Seafarer Wellbeing & Crew Change. It also works toward making sure every seaman has access to the covid vaccine. We are asking people to sign the petition for Wal-Mart to get on board with this initiative to designate seafarers as essential workers since the company has already demonstrated a proactive interest in addressing forced labor practices in its supply chains. We are only 233 signatures away from the 1,000-signature goal. To sign the petition, click here: Solidarity with Seafarers (salsalabs.org)
Other ways individuals can be involved is by praying for seafarers sharing information on social media to help spread the word. Finally, you can donate to Stella Maris and Apostleship of the Sea, which needs non-perishables for port chaplains to give to seafarers. This includes slippers and toiletries and more. For resources and ways to become involved, click here: https://justiceforimmigrants.org/what-we-are-working-on/anti-trafficking/solidarity-with-seafarers-as-key-essential-workers/.
Often, we find ourselves becoming complacent when we hear about issues that seem so distant and don’t always seem to affect us directly, but as Catholics we have the moral duty and responsibility to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ to speak on behalf of the voiceless and the vulnerable.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
We can all do at least one thing to take action for seafarers. It may cost us a little time out of our busy schedules but think about the price that they pay for our wellbeing. Seafarers are counting on us to turn the tides in their favor so they may return to their families, and we can continue to receive the products we rely so heavily on for them to provide.
“You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know,” William Wilberforce, British politician, philanthropist, and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade.
For more information on the Seafarers Campaign, contact Christine Commerce at [email protected] or 407-658-1818, ext. 1122.