Strength in Numbers: Publication of the Freedom Collaborative user case studies report
Our new report describes the experiences of four of our member groups and the impact of the Freedom Collaborative platform on their work, the U.S. bans cotton made by slave labour in China’s Xinjiang province, and the IOM launches a global network for the protection of migrant workers.
We are delighted to announce the publication of our case study report documenting the experiences of anti-trafficking organizations that work on the frontlines in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam, and illustrating Freedom Collaborative’s impact on their activities. Thank you to The Freedom Story, Free to Shine, North South Initiative, and Blue Dragon Children's Foundation for your openness, honesty, and ongoing support.
Freedom Collaborative was launched in 2016 by Liberty Shared, with support from Chab Dai International, as an online platform for cross-border cooperation between anti-trafficking service providers in Asia. Since then, we have been excited to see the momentum it has gathered and the change it has created, and have continued to shape and improve this ambitious and independent platform for the global anti-trafficking community.
As we moved into 2020, the need for an information-sharing mechanism for anti-trafficking stakeholders became even more evident as the COVID-19 pandemic hit both vulnerable communities and responding agencies, affecting them in many ways. However, the work we had done in previous years had laid the foundations for us to adjust quickly and increase our engagement with members, allowing them to stay focused on delivering the support their clients need.
The four partners featured were chosen as inspiring examples of organizations that provide critical services directly to vulnerable communities, and also for their efforts in promoting the case for collaboration with other groups. Furthermore, these reports show the ways in which organizations have used the Freedom Collaborative platform not only to share information but also to seek out support and advice, in order to work more effectively.
Our impact is demonstrated through the changes we have instigated: a greater overview of actors and efforts, fewer barriers to information sharing, and increased access to resources and data for frontline organizations. We are proud of our accomplishments in driving progress in the global anti-trafficking community.
All our work is made possible through our collaborations with an extraordinary group of partners and members. We are grateful for your continued support, which has allowed us to build a truly global community of organizations and activists committed to fighting human trafficking and addressing the vulnerabilities of local populations. We are looking forward to making further progress on the complex problems of our sector through new thinking, new approaches and new coalitions.
This case study report was produced as part of the USAID Asia Counter Trafficking in Persons program (USAID Asia CTIP), and we are very grateful for the support of Winrock International and USAID in funding our project activities over the past years.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy news and initiatives:
In a joint statement ahead of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, a group of U.N. experts warned that the pandemic is fueling a concerning increase in modern slavery and exploitation around the world. The statement, which was signed by over 50 independent human rights specialists, urged governments to take immediate action to protect vulnerable populations from exploitation.
Last Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Detention Order on cotton products made by Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps using prison labour. The Withhold Release Order (WRO) on XPCC cotton products is the sixth enforcement action that CBP has announced in the past three months against goods made by forced labour in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. According to media reports, U.S. customs had already detained shipments connected to XPCC’s cotton the a day after its announcement.
On 3 December 2020, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched a global network to promote ethical recruitment and the protection of migrant workers. The new Global Policy Network on Recruitment aims to address the shortcomings in regulation and enforcement that can exacerbate vulnerabilities and lead to gaps in the protection of migrant workers, and brings together policy makers, regulators, and practitioners from around the world to collectively identify solutions.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has published two global guideline documents to raise awareness of how national skills development systems, institutions and actors, in coordination with workers’ and employers’ organizations, can contribute to the global fight against forced labour. The first document focuses on approaches to prevention, and the second on the reintegration of victims through lifelong learning and skills development. We are pleased to see Freedom Collaborative listed as an example tool to help identify service providers around the world.
The U.S. Supreme Court last week heard arguments in a child slavery case against food giants Nestlé and Cargill, which has been ongoing for more than 15 years. The plaintiffs, a group of citizens of Mali, allege that Nestlé and Cargill knowingly sourced cocoa beans from farms in Côte d'Ivoire on which they were forced to work as children.
MEP Ramona Strugariu (Renew Europe), in partnership with the Romanian Network of NGOs against Trafficking in Persons (RoTIP), the European Center for Legal Education and Research (ECLER) and Freedom House Romania (FHR), are hosting the sixth edition of the Together against Human Trafficking conference which will take place online (CET time) on 10 December 2020.
In the Justice and Coffee Podcast’s latest episode, we hear from Claire, who shares her personal account of being trafficked to Europe from her English university, aged 19. Claire was supported by the founder of Ella’s, a London-based organisation working with women who have survived trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Winrock International is seeking a Lead Technical Writer for a counter-trafficking in persons (CTIP) proposal focused on prevention, protection and prosecution, and building partnerships in countering trafficking in persons in Asia.
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