The Amistad Movement

Like the captives aboard the Amistad slave ship who revolted and won their freedom, the Amistad Movement seeks to empower immigrants in at risk communities with the educational tools to protect their own community members from falling victim to human trafficking. The Amistad Movement has four goals:

  1. The empowerment of the immigrants themselves through comprehensive workshops and trainings
  2. The formation of peer educators from within the community to continue raising awareness with our support
  3. The building of trust between the immigrant community and law enforcement
  4. Coalition-building that enables the immigrant community to reach across and benefit from other local NGOs and government programs working against human trafficking

The Amistad Movement is inspired by the Catholic social principle of subsidiarity, which teaches that the best solutions to local problems arise from, and are led by, the members of the affected communities. The Amistad Movement uses the talents and gifts of the immigrants themselves to effect lasting change in their communities, recognizing that their initiative arises from intimate knowledge of the factors that make their communities vulnerable to human trafficking.

The Training Tools

Are you a member of an immigrant community?  Are you interested in learning how you can help your community or parish prevent labor exploitation and human trafficking?  Use Amistad’s wide range of educational empowerment tools to help you respond to what Pope Francis describes as a “wound against contemporary society.” While the program is designed for an immigrant community, you do not have to fit this description in order to access and benefit from the materials. 

Awareness Raising Campaigns

The bishops’ Amistad Movement is especially suited to implementing a direct and action-oriented awareness raising campaign for two reasons:

  1. The Amistad Movement utilizes the Catholic Church’s extensive network of social service providers, advocates, charitable associations and ministry outreach programs to reach immigrants where they are.
  2. The Catholic Church’s consistent and forceful advocacy on behalf of immigrants gives the Amistad Movement credibility and access in immigrant communities.

Many of the immigrant communities whose members work in poorly regulated sectors, such as agriculture, domestic service, and hospitality industries, are not receiving the prevention training they need to be aware of the dangers of trafficking. The Amistad Movement is dynamically filling this gap and reaching the recent immigrants, helping them implement the practical, goal-oriented strategies that safeguard their communities from the scourge of human trafficking. 

More Information 

For more information or to request materials email us.