Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery

International Justice Mission (website)

“Slavery is illegal almost everywhere...There are an estimated 50 million people held in slavery today. An estimated 90% of labor trafficking takes place in the private economy—homes, business and supply chains. Human trafficking generates about $150 billion a year—with two-thirds coming from commercial sexual exploitation.” Examples:

“--Labor Trafficking. Vulnerable people are forced to work for little to no pay, through deception, threat or violence.

--Sex Trafficking. Someone deceives and sexually exploits another person for a profit. Sex trafficking includes exploitation in brothels, homes and on the internet.
--Online Sexual Exploitation of Children. Children are sexually abused by traffickers who spread videos, photos or livestream the abuse for sex offenders to direct from anywhere in the world.
--Forced Scamming. Criminals use online communication platforms to falsely advertise overseas jobs, but trap workers once they arrive.”

International Whistleblowing Research Network Conference,  Oslo (20-21 June 2024)

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UNODC launches new action to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling (22 April 2024)
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"How to Trace Complex Forms of Ownership and Control of Assets Related to ‘Kleptocrats’ and Sanctioned Entities." Kleptotrace, Transcrime, and Universita Cattolicà del Sacro Cuore (this conference is co-funded with the European Union). 8 April 2024--recording HERE. “The training is aimed at practitioners from public authorities (e.g. LEAs, AROs, FIUs) and the private sector (e.g. banks, professionals, corporate sector). Together with representatives from law enforcement and academic research, we focused on: Exploring the fundamentals of the EU and US OFAC sanctions regimes and their impact on asset control / asset ownership mechanisms; Presenting case studies of complex ownership structures used to facilitate high-level corruption and sanctions evasion; Discussing methods, data and tools available to public and private actors for asset tracing and sanction screening.”
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Trafficked and Trapped
Trapped in Oman--BBC Africa Eye Documentary--17 March 2024
"We want our people back."
"How can you buy someone else's freedom? "
Two million women are domestic workers in the Gulf region.
This report primarily focuses on abuses experienced by Malawi women.
Video HERE--Article HERE

See also
Imported for My  Body: The African Women Imported to India or Sex
BBC Africa Eye Documentary
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Upcoming!
Trafficking in Persons: 10 July 2024--UN Vienna
Constructive Dialogues for the Review Mechanism
of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) 

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International Day Against Trafficking in Persons
30 July 2024
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International Day for the Prevention of and Fight
against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime
15 November 2024

Spotlight Activities and Ongoing Action:
Share Your Plans and Ideas for GID 2024

Connect and Contribute for Mutual Benefit

Spotlight 1. Integrity at All Costs Conference--Global Integrity Network, Lausanne-WEA
(networks of Christians) 1 June 2024, hybrid in Toronto and live stream  Recordings HERE!

Spotlight 2. 21st International Anti-Corruption Conference--Transparency International et al.
Confronting Global Treats--Standing Up for Integrity

18-21 June 2024, Vilnius, Lithuania (live stream hopefully too)

Spotlight 3. Confronting Corruption in Our Midst--Principles for Courage, Integrity, and Action (podcast). "Have you ever had to confront a specific matter of corruption? Not just someone or some organization 'way out there somewhere.' But something close to home, involving your friends, colleagues, and your own church or organization. And having to do so over a long period of time—maybe in the midst of opposition, discrediting, slanted half-truths, and excuses for not having to do anything...(Into Integrity website) 

Spotlight 4. "Help Them Heal-Stop Human Trafficking." This is the watchword for a current advocacy campaign for integrity in Cameron related to GID this year. For more information contact the Ethical Reform Organization (tabaebenezartata@gmail.com).  Promotional sticker below. 

GID Background
Corruption is criminal, immoral and the ultimate betrayal of public trust.….We must hold leaders to account….A vibrant civic space and open access to information are essential. And we must protect the rights and recognize the courage of whistle-blowers who expose wrongdoing….As an age-old plague takes on new forms, let us combat it with new heights of resolve.”
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, Statement on corruption in the context of COVID-19
(15 October 2020)

The first Global Integrity Day (GID) was launched on 9 June 2020 and continues to be commemorated on 9 June 2021, 2022, and 2023. This special, annual day has been envisioned since December 2016, to shine the global spotlight on moral health for a more-whole world. It is a practical impetus as we endeavor a) to live in integrity always and in every area of our lives and b) to learn about and support a variety of strategic efforts for pro-integrity and anti-corruption ranging from developing public policy to developing personal probity.​ 

The initial theme for this Day (GID 2020) was Confronting the Corruption of Racism. How can we positively and practically impact racism by loving truth, peace, and people? The theme for GID 2021 was Corruption and Poverty. How can multi-dimensional probity (integrity at a levels, individual-institutional-international) help to curtail corruption's devastating role in multi-dimensional poverty?  The GID 2022 theme was Integrity and Corruption in the Health Sector. How can integrity and anti-corruption efforts improve health and wellbeing for all people and the planet? We also included material on corruption and mental health. The theme for GID 2023 was Faith-Based Champions Fighting Corruption. What are some of the stories and strategies from the faith-based sector's efforts to live in integrity and confront corruption in its own midst and in the world? The theme for  GID 2024 is Fighting Human Trafficking. How can people and organizations around the world collaboratively leverage their skills and integrity to prevent and combat trafficking in persons? And to support the victims!

It would be strategic to see Global Integrity Day designated as a new United Nations International Day as well as a companion day to complement the already designated International Anti-Corruption Day, 9 December (and vice versa). In the meantime, we invite friends and colleagues around the world, and organizations and networks large and small, to join together in solidarity, finding common ground for the common good, to commemorate both special days on 9 June and 9 December and throughout this year. Suggestions are very welcome for developing GID further! (MCAresources@gmail.com) Note also that 15 November is the International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime (see the related 2001 UN Convention HERE and a related civil society coalition HERE).

Tracking with GID:
GID News and Updates for 2020

Confronting the Corruption of Racism

Love truth, peace, and people

GID News and Updates for 2021

Corruption and Poverty

Multi-dimensional probity to end multi-dimensional poverty

GID News and Updates for 2022

Integrity and Corruption in the Health Sector
Moral health for a more whole world

GID News and Updates for 2023
Faith-Based Champions Fighting Corruption

Sharing stories and strategies

See also these foundational resources:
--Examples of several UN efforts  HERE (December 2021)
--Moral Health for a More Whole World. Global Integration Update  (January 2019)
--Everyday Global Heroes: Moral Lives Matter. Global Integration Update (January 2017)

Sustainable Development Goal 16
--"Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.
Sustainable Development Goal 16.5
--"Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels ."
Sustainable Development Goal 16.6
Note the SDG Indicators, Metadata Repository  and information on SDG 16,
especially these indicators related to corruption: SDG 16.5.1. and SDG 16.5.2

"Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres,
including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation"

Sustainable Development Goal 5.2

"Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms.” 

Sustainable Development Goal 8.7

"End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children"
Sustainable Development Goal 16.2

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Reflections
1. It seems to me that most of the people that we would consider to be ‘champions’ of integrity and anti-corruption--be they faith-based or of no particular faith--are either not aware that they themselves are champions or would never consider themselves to be ‘champions.’ And furthermore, very likely they would not want others to refer to them by this term. Rather, they see themselves as common people who are merely doing their duty and the right thing, ordinary citizens who are just trying to do good, even if there are risks.  

What is true of our affirmation of colleagues in Global Mental Health (GMH) is also true for colleagues in integrity and anti-corruption: 'We acknowledge, with much appreciation, that many of the developments and directions in GMH are being shaped and implemented by colleagues out of the spotlight, on the ground, in the trenches—often unrecognized and under-funded. Thank you for your commitment and perseverance!' ‘All that is gold does not glitter.’ Tolkien (O'Donnell, Eaton, Lewis O'Donnell, 2021)"  Kelly O’Donnell, 31 March 2023
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Featured Resources

Featured Items--September 2024

Global Justice and Human Trafficking: Towards a New Paradigm (24 September 2024)

Foundation Henry Dunant University College “Professor T. Pogge and Rev. Jose Nandhikkara from India discuss poverty and lack of social and economic development as well as the root causes of human trafficking, based on their experience and research.”

News and Stories from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime--Human Trafficking
--Rescuing Migrants and Cracking Down on Smugglers in the Mediterranean
(26 September 2024)
--How Widespread Are Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling in Latin America and the Caribbean?
(24 September 2024)
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Featured Items--August 2024

Anti-Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Learning Hub

Joint Learning Initiative

See information below in the "More Resources" section

Stories of Rescue (videos)

International Justice Mission

"Courageous survivors persevere through the darkest horrors to find hope and healing. "

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Featured Items--July 2024

Like, Follow, Trafficked: Insta’s Fake Guru
BBC World Service Documentaries (15 Jul 2024)
"When two young Brazilian women were reported missing in September 2022, their families and the FBI launched a desperate search across the US to find them. All they knew was that they were living with wellness influencer Kat Torres. Torres has now been sentenced to eight years in prison for the human trafficking and slavery of one of those women. The BBC World Service has also been told that charges have been filed against her in relation to a second woman. How did the former model who partied with Leonardo DiCaprio and graced the cover of international magazines come to groom her followers and lure them into sexual exploitation?" (quote from BBC Eye Investigations (14 Jul 2024—short overview article)

International Justice Mission ([IJM) Leader Sam Inocencio Receives Highest Anti-Trafficking Award from U.S. Government at TIP Report Release Event. IJM news report (24 June 2024). “Today, the U.S. Department of State released the 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which evaluates countries’ efforts to create and implement policies that combat human trafficking. International Justice Mission (IJM) commends this significant effort to provide a clear picture of the scale and nature of human trafficking around the world and what governments are doing – or aren’t doing – to address this problem. Using a tier system, countries are assigned a rating for the success of their policies in reducing levels of human trafficking; these ratings shape future U.S. and multilateral foreign aid decisions. Alongside the TIP Report, the Department of State honors a group of individuals as TIP Report Heroes for their transformative work in the crucial endeavor to end human trafficking...”
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Featured Items--June 2024

Integrity at All Costs,  Global Integrity Network--hybrid conference in Toronto (1 June 2024)

The recordings are available at the above link (presentations, testimonies, and discussions).

Corruption is a Discipleship Problem, Robert Osburn, Christianity Today (article 20 June 2024)

"Six ways Christians often make the problem worse and five steps toward a solution."
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Featured Items--May 2024

Protection Against Sexual Abuse, Exploitation, and, Harassment (PSEAH)--resources from the CHS Alliance
"The nature of humanitarian and development work means that staff are often in positions of power while helping people and communities in highly vulnerable situations. Employees in the sector must also be able to work in a safe, harassment-free environment. As an alliance of more than 200 aid organisations, we are committed to tackling all forms of mistreatment and misconduct, wherever they occur. Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) is woven throughout the Nine Commitments of the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)."

Note the CHS Alliance Harmonized Reporting Scheme on PSEAH (November 2023) (25 pages)
“The SEAH harmonised data collection and reporting scheme ("the Scheme") is an initiative led by the CHS Alliance and the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR), supported financially by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Fund (FCDO) which started in 2021. It aims to increase transparency on SEAH in the aid sector and harmonise SEAH data to support trend analyses and effective learning from aggregated and anonymised data. Members of the Scheme report twice a year on agreed-upon data fields into an online platform, where the data is aggregated and anonymised before being analysed in-depth to identify trends and patterns. The data reported includes no identifiable information, and is aggregated with that of other organisations to ensure all incidents are fully anonymised. This allows for trends to be shared in a safe way with enough detail to inform action. The trend analyses produced by the Scheme are valuable evidence to inform and improve policies, strategies, and actions for better SEAH risk mitigation, prevention, and response. They also allow for increased transparency, which, combined with better victim/survivor outcomes, are key to tackling under-reporting on SEAH in the aid sector.” (page 4)

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Featured Items--April 2024
Human Rights, Education, and Empowerment Group. Winrock International
This is a program area within Winrock that "partners with national and local governments, civil society, the private sector and communities to ensure marginalized and at-risk populations can safely access their fundamental rights to freedom from trafficking and child labor, a quality education, and skills and opportunities for decent work. We engage and support our partners across this ecosystem to increase equity, inclusion and agency." Project examples include anti-trafficking work in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Cambodia nd other countries and collaborative efforts.

News Stories from the International Justice Mission--April 2024

Trauma-Informed Care Builds Resilience for Survivors of Human Trafficking and Violence (8 April 2024) International Justice Mission. “Trauma-informed care is a strengths-based framework grounded in an understanding of trauma and responsiveness to its impact. It emphasizes physical, psychological and emotional safety for providers and survivors and creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.”

International Conference Tackles Global Trends in Crimes Against Women (2 April 2024) International Justice Mission. “The conference sessions focused on critical topics: the reality and impact of violence against women, emerging trends seen in human trafficking, forced labor and online crimes against women, and available Indian and international laws, strategies and best practices to combat such crimes.”

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Featured Items--March 2024

Detained, Trafficked, Exploited: The Plight of Lone Child Migrants Stranded in Tunisia

“Almost 1,500 unaccompanied children are stuck in the country, where many report being separated from parents, while globally the number of minors making journeys alone is rising.” Elizia Volkmann, The Guardian 11 (March 2024)

How Traffickers Lure Nigerians into Modern Slavery In Egypt

“Many Nigerians trafficked to Egypt to engage in forced labour are living in fear as authorities go after illegal immigrants. While victims are interested in returning home, their sponsors refuse to release their travel passports and threaten to implicate them.” Adejumo Kabir, Humangle (8 March 2024)
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Catholic Sisters Working to Eradicate Human Trafficking

Special Online Event-Dialogue on 6 March 2024 (1230-1300 EST)
Sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
and the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University

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International Prosecution Of Human Trafficking
OM,  CUHD,  and RGS
1 Where Are We Now? Webinar #1 (16 Feb, 2021)
2 What Can Be Done? Webinar (23 Feb, 2021)

3 Best Practices? Webinar (02 Mar, 2021)

4 Demand As Root Cause for Human Trafficking (13 Apr, 2021

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Featured Items--February 2024
True Freedom—Global Course Addressing Modern Slavery

The Clewer Initiative and the World Council of Churches

(February-March 2024) 50 pages of facts and reflections for advocacy and action
organised into six parts--for individuals and groups
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10th International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Trafficking in Persons
8 February 2024
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Featured Items--January 2024
21st International Anti-Corruption Conference--Transparency International
Confronting Global Treats--Standing Up for Integrity

(18-21 June 2024) Vilnius, Lithuania--You can register now and submit workshop proposals
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Human Trafficking Preventative Strategies and Care of Victims Conference
Held at the United Nations  in New York (11 January 2023)

Refugee Protection and Human Trafficking
Held at the United Nations in Geneva (11 December 2023)

More webinars HERE from Ad Laudate Si

More Resources
Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (2022) UNODC. "­This 7th edition of the Global Report on Tracking in Persons captures our world at a fragile tipping point....As law enforcement and public services were under increasing strain, pandemic restrictions may have also driven some forms of tracking to more hidden locations, potentially increasing the dangers to victims and making it less likely they could come to the attention of the authorities. Overall, there is little evidence to suggest that the threat of this crime has diminished with the drop in detected victims, and many reasons to fear that Covid, crises, conicts and the climate emergency are escalating tracking risks. Moreover, the findings suggest that our institutions are too often failing to detect and protect tracking victims, and to give them justice. ­The global slowdown in the number of convictions for tracking in persons – decreasing since 2017 – further accelerated during the pandemic, falling in 2020 by an alarming 27 per cent over the previous year. More concerning still, a review of adjudicated trafficking cases in this Report found that most victims rescue themselves – instead of being proactively identified, they escaped exploitation by coming forward on their own. ­e analysis also found girls and women are three times more likely to subjected to explicit or extreme violence during trafficking compared to boys and men, and children overall are two times more likely to be subjected to violence than adults." (page 7)

Confronting the Corruption of Human Trafficking
Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities(JLI). “There are over 40 million victims of human trafficking worldwide. The annual cost of this exploitive industry totals a massive US$150 billion a year, with no country to escape the grips of this human rights tragedy. Alongside global efforts, local faith communities - with their widespread reach and unique community presence – are key assets in countering human trafficking. They play a role in prevention, protection, and prosecution, tenets of a holistic human trafficking response, by supporting the vulnerable, ensuring that systems are just for all and making perpetrators accountable.”

“[JLI's] Anti-Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery (AHT-MS) Hub is a learning community that brings together academics, policymakers and practitioners working on the contribution of faith actors to ending human trafficking and modern slavery. [It] is a collaborative platform that provides understanding for better practices in the effort to end human trafficking and modern slavery.” AHT-MS is one of the many hubs in JLI. See also: Faith and Freedom: The Role of Faith Actors in Anti-Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (2019, scoping study) which explores “the programs and initiatives of local faith actors in their response to modern slavery and human trafficking in the Global South;” and the Resource Library.

Human Trafficking in Armed Conflicts and Post-Conflict Situations (27 March 2023, webinar recording). Side event during the Human Rights Council, United Nations Geneva. Subtitles in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese HERE. Power point and other documents HERE. This is the latest international webinar on human trafficking in light of Laudate Sí and Fratelli Tutti (Encyclicals by Pope Francis). CO-organized by Caritas Internationalis, Secours Catholique-Caritas France, and the Sovereign Order of Malta. “Existing and emerging war conflicts (including, but not limited to, Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Eritrea, and others) have led to a dramatic development of trafficking. In Europe, the war in Ukraine has contributed to revealing this phenomenon in the country itself, the border countries, and the host countries of people fleeing the fighting. Preventing conditions of trafficking of human beings in armed conflicts and supporting the victims is vital.”

Evil, Inc.–Trafficking Children for Sex. Global Integration Update (August 2023)
"God's children are not for sale."  The Sound of Freedom (2023) 

Human Trafficking and the Role of Local Governments (2014)

United Nations Institute for Training and Research

UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto (2000-2004)

(traffick, trafficking, etc. occur 93 times)

Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings 

A Summons to a Global Integrity Movement: Fighting Self-Deception and Corruption (March 2018), Kelly O'Donnell and Michele Lewis O'Donnell. Lausanne Global Analysis.  Link to a copy with a translation tool for 50 languages HERE.  'In this article psychologists Kelly and Michele O'Donnell  distill some of the lessons that they have learned over the past 15 years in promoting integrity and confronting corruption. Why is it hard to live up to our moral and ethical aspirations? They reflect on the reality of dysfunction and deviance, highlight the challenge of self-deception, describe anti-corruption resources, and summon the church-mission community (CMC) to a global integrity movement marked by righteousness and relevance. We are the light—or the darkness—of the world!'  (adapted from the opening section)

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More Resources for GID 2024

25 Networks-Groups-Organizations (suggestions welcome)

Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Angel Studios--The Sound of Freedom (film and resources)

Ad Laudate Si Forum

Alliance 8.7

Alliance against Trafficking in Persons 

Freedom United

Fondation College Universitaire Henry Dunant
Global Hope Network International (GHNI)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) (search “human trafficking”)

Human Trafficking Search
International Justice Mission (IFM)

International Labor Organization (ILO)

International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Joint Learning Initiative (JLI)

Lausanne Movement   (search for “human trafficking”)

Love 146
The Clewer Initiative
United Nations Development Program (search for “human trafficking”)
United Nations Institute for Training and Research (search “human trafficking”)

United Nations Human Rights Office--Trafficking in Persons (more HERE)

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

US Department of State--Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

Winrock International--see the program area for Human Rights, Education, and Empowerment

World Freedom Network (WEA and European Freedom Network)

World Vision International (search human trafficking)

'Accountability is good because it requires you to give an account...
even if you have to lie about it.' 
Baghat Korani, a facetious (and memorable!) comment in his presentation
at Which Way for the Arab World? Geneva Graduate Institute (5 November 2015)
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Contact us to share examples/links--MCAresources@gmail.com
See all the special news in the Special News section  of this website

Examples from 2020-2023
Globethics--Ongoing courses and webinars/events online and hybrid related to ethics, teaching ethics in higher education, leadership, peace, interfaith initiatives, etc.

Tracking the reviews of how countries are implementing the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). UNCAC--Civil Society Coalition. Note also the Guide by Transparency International and the UNCAC-Civil Society Coalition on Using the UNCAC to Advance Anti-Corruption Efforts (2014).

OECD Public Integrity Handbook (May 2020). "...provides guidance to government, business and civil society on implementing the [13] OECD Recommendation on Public Integrity. " Available in English and French.

Mistakes Were Made (but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Behaviors. (2020, 3rd edition). Caroll Tavris and Elliot Aronson.

Institutional Integrity: An Essential Building Block of Sustainable Reform (October 2018), report by James Michel.