News Release: Work of Religious Against Trafficking is Recognised by Federal Government

ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans) has been granted $350,000 funding for the next three years to contnue the fght against human trafcking. The Federal Government has announced that ACRATH is one of four non-government organisatons funded, along with Project Respect (Melbourne), Ant-Slavery Project (Sydney) and ScarlettAlliance (Sydney). ACRATH natonal chair Sr Louise Cleary said the organisaton was delighted with the grant as the money would help keep ACRATH viable over the coming three years.

“We are conscious, though, that the grant will cover only part of our costs as the work of ACRATH has grown and ACRATH is now working in four states,” Sr Louise said.

The announcement was made at the Government’s recent National Roundtable on Trafficking in Canberra attended by Sr Louise and Victorian ACRATH chair Sr Carol Hogan. The National Roundtable coincided with a 15 strong delegation of ACRATH members in Canberra. The group had 68 meetings with MPs, Embassy and Union officials and policy makers to discuss trafficking in Australia and globally. Sr Louise said the visit to Canberra had been very encouraging as MPs expressed interest in ACRATH’s work against human trafficking, which is recognised as a transnational problem that needs to be fought on many levels.  read more..