FTS Updates

A Year of Crisis and Innovation

It has been one year since the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 is a global pandemic. The worldwide health and economic crises have made modern slavery worse. As livelihoods have been disrupted, people have taken loans that will trap them in debt...

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Three New Staffers Join Expanding FTS Staff

FTS is happy to announce that three new staffers have joined the global staff today, expanding our reach and impact. "I am excited to welcome our talented three new colleagues that join our FTS family," said FTS Executive Director Bukeni Waruzi. "As part of our global...

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Can You Envision a World Free from Slavery?

This has been a challenging year, but we know that 2021 holds the promise of renewal. While the COVID-19 pandemic has made racial inequality and modern slavery worse, the recovery will provide an opportunity for a global reset. We do not need to repeat the inequities...

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Why We Produced Free the Slaves’ Untold Story

522 Productions is proud to assist Free the Slaves as the winner of the #untoldstory nonprofit video contest, launched in July 2019. 522 Productions is an award-winning video production company committed to driving social change through the videos we create. As we...

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New Members Strengthen FTS Board of Directors

Free the Slaves is honored that two exceptional anti-trafficking experts have agreed to join our board of directors. Davina Durgana and Karen Stauss will help shape innovative anti-slavery strategies as we enter our third decade as an organization. Davina Durgana is...

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Freedom Forward

It is a great honor for me to become the next chair of the board of directors for Free the Slaves, one of the founding and leading organizations of the global movement against modern slavery. I am grateful to my dear friend and predecessor, Dan Elkes, whose uncommon...

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FTS Announces New Board of Directors Chair

A new chair has been elected to lead the Free the Slaves board of directors. Professor Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Ph.D., is an award-winning scholar, educator, activist and public servant. He holds a joint faculty appointment at Harvard University, where he is Core...

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COVID-19 Impact on Communities Plagued by Slavery

I hope that you and your family are healthy and safe during these difficult times. I am reaching out to you today to share about how the Covid-19 global pandemic is affecting communities where slavery makes people especially vulnerable to disasters and financial...

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Global Freedom One Community at a Time

Dear Friends and Supporters, I write this letter as I shelter in place amidst the spreading of the coronavirus pandemic. The close tethering to our homes underscores the importance of communities even in today’s hyperconnected world. Likewise, eliminating slavery...

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This is Where Freedom Started

Visiting the front lines of modern slavery is a deeply emotional experience. As I write to you today from Northern India, my heart is filled with hope and joy. That’s because of the joy of freed bonded laborers I have met and the progress that has been made in their...

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20 Years of Fighting for Freedom

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...

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Our Rights Make Us Human

Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt once observed that “the future belongs to those who believe in their dreams.” At Free the Slaves, we dream of a future where everyone is free from slavery. Roosevelt believed in that dream too. Freedom from slavery is near the top...

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Thankful That We All Value Freedom

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...

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Situation Report from Haiti

You may have seen in the news that the situation is tense in Haiti, where Free the Slaves operates a field program in partnership with Beyond Borders. We thought you might want to hear the latest news from David Diggs of the team. It’s been a difficult year in Haiti,...

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Leadership Transition

Colleagues, We write to advise you of a leadership transition at Free the Slaves. Maurice Middleberg, Executive Director of Free the Slaves, has advised the Board of his intention to step down from his role, which he has held since 2013. After due consideration, we...

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Everything Starts With Freedom

You probably take many of life’s essentials for granted. A good education. A nourishing dinner. A clean drink of water. A visit to the doctor. A safe place to sleep. These basics are denied to people in slavery. That’s why your support to liberate the enslaved is...

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See our 2017 Annual Report Online

Transparency and accountability. They are two guiding principles of Free the Slaves, and the reason why we publish a detailed report every year about our activities, impact and financial health. The theme of our most recent annual report is "Communities, Counterparts...

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Four Remarkable New FTS Board Members

An organization's personality and reputation start at the top. That's why Free the Slaves is thrilled to welcome four astounding new members this year to our board of directors. Their diverse backgrounds and skills will shape the direction and effectiveness of our...

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Rejecting Racism, Strengthening our Bonds

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...

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FTS Board Launches Special Funding Challenge

Double Your Impact - Donate Today Dear Friends of Free the Slaves, We’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to making the work of Free the Slaves possible. Your donations are spreading freedom to thousands of people around the globe. All of us on the board...

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Hurricane Irma Threatens Haiti

Hurricane Irma continues to move towards Haiti as a Category 5 storm. Puerto Rico is already feeling the effects, with 15 -20 foot storm surges expected in some coastal communities. It is being described as the strongest Atlantic hurricane in history, with winds...

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Positioning FTS for Global Impact

Question: What do you call 26 smart, dedicated, energized, motivated and passionate human rights activists gathered together in one room? Answer: a global force for freedom! That’s the takeaway message from our 2017 all-staff retreat, which wrapped up Friday. Two...

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More than 1,000 People Freed From Slavery

Our 2016 annual results demonstrate that Free the Slaves liberates people from slavery and changes the conditions that allow slavery to persist. We’re not only helping people break free, we’re ensuring they stay free and nobody takes their place in bondage. Here is a...

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Farewell to a Human Rights Champion

Today is both a sad day and a proud moment for Free the Slaves. We are saddened to bid farewell to Karen Stauss, who has directed our field programs and advocacy efforts for the past six years. But it’s also a proud moment because Karen has been asked to join the...

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A Farewell to an Anti-Slavery Pioneer

We end this week at Free the Slaves on a bittersweet note, because yesterday was the final day on the job for one of the tireless activists who started this organization more than 15 years ago, Supriya Awasthi.Actually, Supriya has been a part of our history and...

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Meet the 2016 Summer Interns!

Free the Slaves is thrilled to welcome the largest and most dynamic group of summer interns we've ever had!We've asked each to say a bit about themselves and why they've chosen Free the Slaves. MONITORING, LEARNING & EVALUATION ALANA JONESWhere are you going to...

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Exciting Updates at Free the Slaves Board

Free the Slaves is thrilled to share the news that two outstanding individuals joined our board of directors this spring.Carolyn Long is an independent consultant, focusing on evaluation, research and capacity strengthening to improve roles of non-governmental...

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Meet the FTS Fun(d) Raisers!

Meet our  development team and learn a little more about who we are and why Free the Slaves matters to us!Katherine Carey: Special Projects OfficerWhy this mission matters to me: I still remember the shock I experienced when my mom, a career-long criminal prosecutor,...

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You’ve Made our 15th Birthday a Huge Success

Our 15th anniversary year comes to a close in just a few days. It’s been a remarkably successful year.Our front-line anti-slavery programs have crossed two important benchmarks: freeing more than 10,000 people from slavery and educating more than 100,000 to prevent...

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New Animated Video: Our Formula for Freedom

It takes more than passion and indignation to eradicate the evil of slavery. It takes science. That’s why Free the Slaves has developed our Community Based Model for Fighting Slavery. It’s a four-step formula that guides our work to bring entire communities from...

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