Our approach to survivor engagement is rooted in collaboration, demonstrating the power of collective action in the fight against modern slavery. By creating spaces where survivors can lead and advocate for their rights, we not only empower individuals but also strengthen global efforts to end modern slavery.
These events underscore the importance of a united and inclusive approach to combating modern slavery. By involving survivors directly in leadership roles and using innovative methods to raise awareness, Free the Slaves is demonstrating a comprehensive strategy to tackle this global issue.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been persistently plagued by numerous socio-economic challenges. Forced labor, modern slavery, and human trafficking are all prominent in the country. Recently, the DRC has taken steps forward, signaling its intent to address...
Bukeni Waruzi, Executive Director of Free the Slaves, recently conducted a critical training session with survivors of forced labor, modern slavery, sex trafficking, and child labor in Kinshasa, the national capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The...
The year 2020 brings several important anniversaries. It’s the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Palermo Protocol, the landmark treaty to confront modern forms of slavery worldwide. It’s the 20th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the...
As the new executive director at Free the Slaves, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the values that motivate me in the historic struggle to end slavery forever. They are values that drive all efforts to foster social justice. I am certain they are things that...
Free the Slaves is thrilled to announce that a courageous advocate for the rights of women and children has joined the organization as executive director. Bukeni Tete Waruzi has helped put a Congolese warlord behind bars, has helped women trafficked into domestic...
On this World Day Against Trafficking In Persons, you might be wondering if there's anything you can do to end modern slavery. Turns out, as a Free the Slaves supporter you're already doing a lot! The Free the Slaves rescue boat in Ghana liberates 15 children from...
When we visit villages that are targeted by traffickers, we see that modern slavery is, at its core, an economic crime. That's why we were thrilled to hear from an inspiring grandmother named Stella Abrokwah in Arkrah, Ghana. She explained how our Village Savings and...
The U.S. State Department says many African governments are doing a better job combating modern slavery. More than a dozen African nations received upgrades in the annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP). The upgrades include Ghana, where Free the Slaves has helped...
Advertising can be a powerful force – for good or bad. A recent FTS rescue in the Democratic Republic of the Congo proves the point. Three teen girls from the village of Nobili thought they were being hired to be waitresses. Instead, they were quickly forced into...
Every day, the staff of Free the Slaves works in solidarity with local partners and communities to help bring about a more just world. We do so in Haiti, in several countries in Africa, and in Asia. Every day, our staff manifests tremendous dedication and skill. Every...
“My story is hard to tell,” says Benita Furaha, a trainer at a dressmaking training center in Rubaya, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Benita’s parents died when she was 13. Her older brother threatened to starve her or to send her out of the house if she couldn’t...
The fight against slavery cannot be won by one group working alone. It takes many organizations, governments and communities acting in unison to free the enslaved and protect the vulnerable. The work of Free the Slaves is only possible because of your help! That’s why...
Our Fashion for Freedom Campaign is designed to benefit women, men, and children working to rebuild their lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and India. Recovering from slavery requires multidimensional healing - psychological, physical, social and...
Throughout July, our Fashion for Freedom Campaign has been in motion leading up to the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons at the end of the month. Our campaign supports vocational training programs, providing safe spaces for trafficking survivors...
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report illustrates “the commitment of our country that we have this joint effort underway across the entire United States government” to combat modern slavery. “Human trafficking is as old as...
Our work to end slavery in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is under threat. Our Congolese partner organizations say an executive order being drafted by the Trump White House would undo years of progress. The executive order would suspend the Conflict...
Overcoming fear is essential to freedom, and in eastern Congo there is plenty to be frightened about. Millions have died in conflict over the region’s vast mineral wealth. Control of mines and the slaves who work them has turned the region into one of the world’s most...
The film’s name is short and straightforward: Hatuko Watumwa, Swahili for We Are Not Slaves. It’s a half-hour fictionalization of how vulnerable villagers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo fall into slavery at mines – at what they can do to escape. FTS and our...
Seventeen religious leaders from different faiths agreed they’ll take action with their congregations to confront modern slavery, following an in-depth workshop with Free the Slaves and our Congolese partner organizations in Goma earlier this month.The training...
Anti-slavery organizations around the world are commemorating today’s International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, including Free the Slaves. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a coalition of our front-line partner organizations, called COSCAE, marked...
Your right to know if corporations are enslaving people to make products you buy is under threat. A court ruling last week might allow companies to conceal the suffering and slavery that we see every day in our front-line field programs.Here’s what has happened: A...
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry this morning unveiled America’s annual assessment of the world’s response to trafficking in persons. The 2015 TIP Report rates the governmental response of 188 countries and territories.“The purpose of this document is not to scold,...
Economic freedom is vital for trafficking survivors. If a person liberated from slavery cannot earn a living, they are vulnerable to becoming enslaved again. That’s why Free the Slaves and our front-line partner organizations help provide skills training and...
One of the key elements of our front-line strategy is the protection of children. By helping adults recognize and respect that children have rights, we help communities safeguard their youngest from slavery and other abuses. Two recent success stories show how our...
June 16 is the Day of the African Child, commemorated throughout Africa as a time to reflect on the status of children and the challenges they face in realizing their human rights. This year’s theme is ending child marriage.There is growing recognition that the forced...
European companies may soon have to ensure that their products do not contain so-called “conflict minerals” that are often mined by slaves. The European Parliament “made history” yesterday, according to a statement by Amnesty International and Global Witness, by...
Imagine this scene in remote town in the Congo. A van pulls up and workers jump out to erect a giant screen. At sunset, a movie starts to play in the village square. In a community without electricity, people gather to watch the spectacle, transfixed by a story on the...
Free the Slaves joined 22 other organizations this week urging U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to appoint a new special envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The U.S. “has played an increasingly central role in...
Under the lush green hills and red clay that surround Lubono village, lies gold. It’s the centerpiece of the local economy. Much of the mining here is carried out by what are called “artisanal” miners. This term masks the incredibly difficult and dangerous work in...
You might feel disconnected from events at remote mining sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). But American consumers are linked to the armed violence and slavery that grip eastern portions of the country. Many everyday products in our homes, offices...
It takes a special kind of person to fight for freedom and justice in dangerous hot spots where slavery still thrives. It takes a resilient and resourceful spirit to assist impoverished and marginalized people in their struggle to break free. But that's the job...
This year brings a remarkable opportunity to a country that has been gripped by conflict for decades. With the M23 rebels vanquished, slavery can become a new focus for building lasting peace and prosperity for all in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
It’s an ancient abuse. But it persists throughout the world today. Slavery remains one of the greatest human rights challenges of history. Modern-day slavery looks different than the sailing ships and shackles we learned about in high school history class. Today, it’s...
I’d like to introduce you to five of the most passionate people I know. They are the Free the Slaves country directors – our key front line activists. They supervise our organization’s fieldwork in the world’s worst slavery hotspots. Why do these courageous staffers...
Free the Slaves is excited to congratulate Catherine Russell on her new position as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. In a joint letter sent to Russell last week, FTS and other groups expressed our eagerness to work with her to bring an end to the global...
It isn’t often that all five FTS country directors are in the same place at the same time. But it happened last week in Washington, as our overseas staff briefed the U.S. State Department’s "J/TIP" anti-trafficking team. The presentation was called “Innovations on the...
A U.S. federal court judge has rejected efforts by three leading business associations to block new rules that require American manufacturers to disclose if their products contain slavery-tainted minerals from central Africa. Judge Robert Wilkins of the U.S. District...
Two new FTS field investigations are now available on our website in both French and English. The two reports break new ground in understanding the scope and impact of slavery in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Congo’s Mining Slaves provides new evidence of...
Mining is a key source of export income for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC or Congo). Minerals such as tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold are shipped to industrialized nations for use in electronics, jewelry, manufacturing and many other industries. Congo’s...
FTS has joined 11 other humanitarian and human rights organizations to urge congressional action on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as security conditions threaten to worsen in volatile eastern sections of the country. “We are at a crucial time for the...
More than 40 sustainable, socially responsible, and faith-based investment groups, who manage over $450 billion in assets, are voicing support today for new requirements that U.S. companies disclose if their products contain “conflict minerals” from central Africa....
An armed rebellion is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Rebel troops are attempting to expand the territory they hold. International aid organizations are evacuating personnel. There are serious concerns about the safety of DRC residents as the...
It isn’t on America’s front pages, but there’s a dangerous situation unfolding at this moment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Rebel troops have captured the regional capital of Goma – a city of roughly one million people and the regional base of operations...
Three major U.S. business associations have asked a federal court to block a new corporate disclosure requirement that would reduce slavery in central Africa, according to news reports in the Wall Street Journal and Compliance Week. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce,...
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) yesterday approved a new rule that requires companies to investigate their supply chains and disclose if their products contain minerals from conflict areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or surrounding...
This could become an important day in the history of the modern abolition movement. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is set to vote on new rules to require companies to investigate their supply chains and disclose if their products contain minerals...
Free the Slaves is thrilled to introduce two dynamic individuals who have recently joined us to form our action team for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Jack Kahorha is FTS’ new DRC Coordinator, working on the frontlines. He is based in Goma in eastern...
It’s taken a while, but the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has set a date to vote on rules that could require many companies to disclose if their products include slavery-tainted raw materials. The well-known Dodd-Frank financial reform act got this...