The Coordinating Committee of the Carmelite NGO decided during its annual meeting to take the trafficking of human beings as its main focus for the coming year. A number of Carmelite ministries and organizations are already involved in the issue. The meeting was held at CISA in Rome on August 6-8, 2012.

One morning session was dedicated to a presentation and discussion with Dr. Alessandra Barberi from the Italian Prime Minister's Office of Equal Opportunity, the government agency responsible for dealing with trafficking. Dr. Barberi presented the current situation in Italy and outlined measures being taken to stop trafficking in the country.
A lay Carmelite from Sicily, Avv. Andrea Ventimiglia, was invited to join the coordinating committee. A lawyer by profession, Sig. Ventimiglia and his wife are very involved in the Domus Carmelitana Siculorum, an active NGO dealing with various social situations in Sicily.
Members attending the recently completed RIO+20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro reported on the various conferences and meetings they were able to attend.

Each member reported on the activities of their geographical area, the annual budget was discussed, and the publications for the Carmelite NGO for the year were planned. This meeting is usually held in conjunction with the annual meeting of NGOs at the United Nations but due to the recent RIO+20 Summit, no meeting was held this year.
More information about the work of the Carmelite NGO can be found on its website: www.carmelitengo.org