We, the participants of the Consultation on ‘Tackling Newer Emerging Vulnerabilities leading to Trafficking in Children and Women in Bihar’ came together to deliberate on the issue of Human Trafficking to develop a strategic plan of action for the Church of North India along with the relevant stakeholders for combating cross border and internal trafficking and to restore the dignity of children and women from 12^th – 13^th January 2008 in Patna, Bihar, India.  

The consultation was represented by a cross section of people, Government officials, Political leaders, Police, Representatives from the UN, Donor agencies, International agencies, Corporate, NGOs, Media, Religious leaders, Church leaders and workers, to:  

• facilitate and deepen reflection on, and understanding of, the issue of trafficking in women and children in the area from different perspectives

• deliberate upon the underlying factors for Trafficking through the lens of human development

• build linkages between stakeholders to address the vulnerabilities of women and children that makes them vulnerable to trafficking.

• be a part of the movement on anti-trafficking of children and women and to create and/ strengthen a wider network.

• evolve and share strategies and a plan of the Church of North India to combat cross border and internal human trafficking to restore the dignity of children and women. 

• co-construct a strategic plan of action for joint interventions with different stakeholders and integration of Anti- trafficking initiatives within the existing programmes.

We have listened about the situation of children and women in Bihar and the vulnerabilities that pushes them to be trafficked and put in inhuman conditions of exploitation and abuse, in situations of powerlessness and being used as commodities that profit the exploiters and the perpetrators of violence.  

We re-looked into the Scriptures and were reminded of the call to us to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God with the hope of being agents of peace and seeking justice in establishing the reign of God.  

We are concerned that a growing number of children, are being deprived of their right to grow up in a healthy, safe and supportive family and community environment which results in growing numbers of children at risk of social exclusion, in significant increases in morbidity, stunting of growth and child development delay as a consequence of poor quality of care as well as in reduced numbers of children participating in basic education programmes and increased rates of juvenile delinquency, accidents and suicides.  

We are challenged to be biased for the affected and not be neutral while restoring their dignity and creating a space for them in the mainstream society.  

We gained deeper understanding at this consultation of the context of the vulnerable population in Bihar . We have together analysed the root causes for that put them at risk and have worked out suggestions for strategic interventions to address these issues within the Diocese of Patna, Church of North India together with all stakeholders in Bihar . In the light of our deliberations we make solemn affirmations and propose concrete actions:  

We solemnly affirm that the stakeholders present here:  

• must break the culture of silence and bear its prophetic ministry by being the voice of the voiceless  

• must and should work towards affirming life in its fullness of the vulnerable and the affected  

• must protect the dignity of children and women at all cost.  

• should share God’s love in seeing broken lives healed and restored.  

• oppose the “Spirit of times” of free market, consumerism, materialism and commodification.  

• the vulnerable and the affected  must be treated as human beings who need care and protection, whose rights should be protected and their dignity restored.  

• should strategise to address these issues both at the micro and macro level  

• should work through societal institutions including families, schools and congregations and also with other stakeholders and agencies working on the issue.  

• needs to understand the issue of violence against children and women and find  alternative ways of affirming life and dignity for the vulnerable and the affected  

• should understand and give space to the affected to be listened and to participate in the decisions concerning them

We therefore propose that:  

• the Diocese of Patna, Church of North India and all stakeholders should take human trafficking as a grave violation of human rights and address this issue together.  

• the Diocese should strengthen the hands of Government and the civil society through sharing resources  

• the Church, in keeping with her prophetic ministry, must move from charity, going beyond development to transformative action

• the Church and other faith groups should re-read the Scriptures from the perspective of the exploited, taking their sides and not be neutral  

• the Church should find alternate life affirming strategies for overcoming violence against children and women according to local contexts and protect them from being trafficked and also mainstream the survivors in the mainstream Church and Society.  

• the Diocese of Patna, Church of North India should work with NGOs and other concerned organisations and stakeholders to lobby at governmental and international level for effective policy and implementation of the different laws and Conventions to protect the rights of the affected  

• Diocese of Patna, Church of North India should provide assistance to the concerned stakeholders in terms of Prevention, Protection, Rescue, Rehabilitation, Repatriation and Social re-integration and also to produce materials for information dissemination and advocacy on human trafficking and organise Capacity Building programmes, seminars, and consultations where appropriate.  

• the Diocese of Patna, Church of North India should address this issue at local levels, equip its congregations, women’s and youth groups, pastors and reach to the larger community with an inter-faith approach.  

We urge to the Government of Bihar to integrate the plan of action of this consultation into the Draft State plan of action and to implement the plan with immediate effect to combat human trafficking by all means.  

We recognise the importance of regular monitoring and review of progress as part of the accountability for results and propose that this Patna Declaration be brought to the attention of the stakeholders which will provide opportunity for a common position to be taken at the State level.  

We pledge to work towards the implementation of this Declaration.