Slavery-Free Commerce

Shop for Good Sunday

There's a lot of discussion about the social and economic impact of Black Friday and the holiday shopping rush. Last year, Americans spent over $1 trillion buying holiday gifts. But what if even a fraction of that holiday spending could also reduce poverty, promote...

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The Outlaw Ocean: Special Reports in August

Editor's Note: Free the Slaves is honored this month to highlight the investigative reporting of journalist Ian Urbina of the New York Times, creator of The Outlaw Ocean Project. His award-winning series first appeared in the Times in 2015. For the past four years,...

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Feminist is Not a Dirty Word

Sustainable fashion activist Amy DuFault is worried these days. Worried that the word feminist – and all it stands for – is under assault. That’s why she’s designed a new way to stand-up for women’s rights, loud and proud. For International Women’s Day, Amy and TS...

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Why I Don’t Buy Into Slavery

I am a descendant of slaves. Some of my ancestors were from Malaysia and Indonesia, brought to South Africa to work in the port of Cape Town. It always surprises Americans when I tell them that people were brought to Africa more than a century ago and enslaved....

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DoneGood Makes Conscious Consumerism Easy

Countless friends and family ask me: “How can I tell if a company is using sustainable practices when I shop?” Let’s face it, the 40 hour workweek is a thing of the past for most people. And, who wants to spend their spare time researching corporate supply chains when...

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The Fashion Revolution Is Here!

It’s here!  Actually, it's been going on for a while, but for those of us who are behind the curve, it's not too late – you can still join the ranks. “We are a diverse community that includes board members who have been tackling sustainability and ethical fashion for...

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Four Myths About Conscious Consumerism

I think in theory we all want to be ethical consumers, but in practice that task can sometimes seem daunting or even impossible. That’s why I’ve written this post – to debunk common myths about ethical consumption and offer some useful tips on how to become a...

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Pratt Institute’s BF+DA Combats Fashion Slavery

As I ride the elevator to the seventh floor of the old Pfizer industrial building in Brooklyn, I have no idea what to expect. On their website, the Pratt Institute Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator (BF+DA) is described as “a hub for ethical fashion and design that...

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Rebecca Ballard Brings Ethical Fashion to Workwear

“The industry is ready, and I’m ready," says Rebecca Ballard when asked ‘why now’ about her brand, Maven Women. The brand, which was fashioned into existence in 2016, aims to provide the working woman with a professional wardrobe that puts ethics and sustainability at...

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Return of the Fashion for Freedom Campaign

The Free the Slaves Fashion for Freedom Campaign returns this summer to bring awareness to atrocity of modern slavery within the fashion industry. By bringing together brands and speakers that offer alternatives to questionably-made clothing, we will show that there...

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How You Can End Slavery by Shopping Online

Are human trafficking victims hidden inside your closet? Could be. It’s not your fault, it’s hard to know if your wardrobe is tainted by sweatshop slave labor. But now it’s easy to stop financing the enslavement of women and children in the fashion industry. Free the...

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Fair Trade Fashion Show Sponsors Walk their Talk

We never get tired of highlighting the amazing work that our partners in the Fair Trade Fashion Show are doing. Maggie’s Organics, a conflict-free silver level sponsor, is committed to providing fair trade fashion to their customers. Bená Burda founded Maggie’s...

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Fair Trade Fashion Can Help End Slavery

An educated consumer has the power to end slavery. That’s why Free the Slaves and Bead & Reel are hosting a fair trade fashion show July 29 to raise money and awareness of modern slavery. This show is the third annual of its kind. With slavery being a $150 billion...

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The Woman Behind the Fair Trade Fashion Show

As we get closer to our Fair Trade Fashion Show, it's a great opportunity to shine a light on our co-host, Bead & Reel. Founded in 2014 by Sica Schmitz, Bead & Reel epitomizes ethical fashion. This brand offers clothing that is eco-friendly, cruelty-free and...

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Malia Designs is Designed to Carry a Cause

Submitted by Malia DesignsMalia Designs is a socially responsible fair trade brand that designs and sells handbags. Our products are handcrafted in Cambodia and every Malia purchase helps to fight human trafficking. The mission of Malia Designs is the same today as it...

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Meet Starfish Project

Submitted by Starfish ProjectStarfish Project began in 2006, when our founder and CEO Jenny McGee began visiting women caught in exploitation and trafficking. Visiting the shops is truly heartbreaking. It was clear the women had a very real economic need, so we opened...

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Sari Bari Believes in Partnership

Submitted by Sarah Lance | Sari Bari Managing and Creative DirectorSari Bari is a freedom business. A freedom business is “business that exists to fight human trafficking and commercial exploitation.” We employ women from two red light areas who want to make the brave...

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Kids Ask Their Member of Congress to End Slavery

Over the past three years a group of children and youths in Sacramento, California, has come together to form the Kids’ Freedom Club. The purpose is to free slaves by raising money, educating others about the problem and advocating for change. We’ve raised money by...

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Ghana’s Children are More Precious than Gold

Ghana’s gold mines are a source of prosperity and pain. Gold is a huge part of the country’s economy. But for children, mining can bring misery and death.“The conditions in the unlicensed gold mining sites are deplorable, especially for children,” says Free the Slaves...

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Getting Slavery Out of Your Wardrobe

Sewing factories that use slaves to make cheap clothes have become one of the newest battle fronts in the fight against human trafficking. A new investigation by one of our Brazilian partner organizations unveils just how important this effort can be. Repórter Brasil...

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New Report Says Child Labor Taints Ghana’s Gold

Ghana is one of the world’s top 10 gold producers, providing international refiners with gold that is eventually sold to banks, jewelers, electronics manufacturers and others. But a new investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW) unearths how gold extracted by child...

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Businesses Can Help End Slavery

Question: what’s an anti-slavery activist doing at an environmental sustainability conference for businesses? Answer: getting the same corporations that are helping to protect air, water, wildlife and natural resources around the globe to also protect the world’s most...

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