Talitha Kum is an international network of Consecrated Life against trafficking in persons. Working as a network facilitates collaboration and the interchange of information between consecrated men and women in 70 countries.
Talitha Kum was founded in 2009. It arose from the shared desire to coordinate and strengthen the already existing activities against trafficking undertaken by consecrated persons in the five continents.
Talitha Kum is a network of networks, organized in many different ways, each promoting initiatives against trafficking in persons in their particular contexts and cultures.
Talitha Kum is an expression that is found in the Gospel of Mark (5, 41). The words, translated from the Aramaic mean “Maiden, I say to you, arise.” These words are addressed by Jesus to the twelve year old daughter of Jairus, who lay apparently lifeless. After uttering these words, Jesus took her by the hand and she immediately got up and walked.
The expression “Talitha Kum” has the transformative power of compassion and mercy, which awakens the deep desire for dignity and life which may be asleep and injured by the many forms of exploitation.
It is a project of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), in collaboration with the Union of Superiors General (USG).
Our goals:
- To promote networking between consecrated persons, social organizations, religious and political leaders at national and international level;
- To strengthen the existing activities and initiatives, optimizing the resources of the consecrated life, to promote preventative actions, awareness raising, protection and assistance of victims as well as official reporting of trafficking;
- To develop educational programs for raising the awareness of this phenomenon, (and to enhance the professional responses of our members);
- To act prophetically – condemning the exploitation of persons for economic or other motives and promoting campaigns aimed at changing of attitudes and practices.