Chisinau, 28.11.2007 - The spirit of prayer has always been an important part of the Moldovan national character and a force that has guided us in moments of joy and of sorrow alike. Even if the citizens of the Republic of Moldova share different religious beliefs, they still believe that God can hear our prayers. With this in mind, the members of the Inter-confessional Coalition for the Prevention of Trafficking in human beings and the International Organization for Migration, Mission to the Republic of Moldova (IOM Moldova), have initiated the National Prayer Day for all those affected by migration.

This event will take place on Sunday, December 2, and will coincide with the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. All places of worship will hold a religious ceremony based on a compilation of sermons, especially elaborated and distributed for the National Prayer Day . The aim of this is to unite the Churches, the representatives of the main Christian confessions from Moldova in prayer for those who are far away from home, for those who stayed behind, for those who have suffered and for the victims of human trafficking.

Such a day is welcome in Moldova, especially now when the number of migrants, according to IOM, has increased four fold during the past six years. According to the same source of information, 62% of Moldovan citizens would be willing to work abroad permanently or for an extended period of time. The increasing number of children left behind as a result of migration is alarmingly high and continues to rise. Since 2001, the Chisinau Rehabilitation Centre has offered assistance to 2,143 victims of human trafficking. In order to alleviate the despair and the pain of those affected by migration, but also to grant hope, the priests, pastors, monks, deacons, and clergymen call the people to unite in special prayers on a special day.

We invite all Moldovans to join the National Prayer Day on December 2.

THEY NEED OUR PRAYERS!

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The Inter-confessional Coalition for Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings comprises the following churches: Moldovan Orthodox Church (Moldovan Mitropolia, Russian Patriarchate), the Moldovan Orthodox Church (Bessarabian Mitropolia, Romanian Patriarchate), the Union of Christian Evangelical Baptist Churches and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Moldova (ELCRM).

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The activities are carried out by the Inter-confessional Coalition for the Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, Mission to the Republic of Moldova (IOM Moldova) and Christian Aid from Moldova within the framework of the programme, ' Mobilization of Church Networks for the Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings in Moldova'. The programme is implemented with the financial support of the Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) of the US State Department as part of the initiative of the President of the United States to combat Trafficking in Persons.