I Am the Change

Celebrating Women of Free the Slaves

For more than 100 years, International Women's Day has put a spotlight onto issues affecting women around the world. Today, International Women's Day belongs to everyone who believes that women's rights are human rights. We Asked some of Free the Slaves’ leading...

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Give the Gift of Freedom and Equality

On this special Tuesday, people around the world will come together to celebrate generosity and make an impact. We hope you will share some love this holiday season with individuals and families going through tough times, including those trapped in modern forms of...

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Can You Help Stop Child Slavery?

Did you know that 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children?   At 7 years old, Kwezi left his childhood home with expectations of a better life and more opportunities. But that was far from his reality. Instead, he was tricked by traffickers and was forced to work...

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The Enslaved Need Your Help on #GivingTuesdayNow

Your generosity has changed lives around the world. The programs you support at Free the Slaves help people learn new skills and start microenterprises that build financial resiliency. Your contributions mean that slavery survivors are less likely to be re-enslaved,...

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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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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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Will You Stand Up and Speak Out?

“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth.” Author William Faulkner’s thoughts about the value of standing up and speaking...

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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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The Value of Resilience

It takes resilience to live in rural Nepal. Mountainous terrain and a lack of roads limit access to healthcare and education. Caste systems and violence against women and children create socioeconomic disparity. Dependence on agriculture and tourism limit the national...

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Valuing Courage in Times of Crisis

There are few places on earth where it’s harder to stand up for human rights than Haiti. On this year’s Human Rights Day, we’d like to share an update about our courageous front-line activists there, who continue to fight child slavery even in times of national...

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He Escaped to Reclaim Hope

Every child has the right to grow up in a safe environment that provides opportunities for a decent future. It’s a fundamental value, self-determination. Unfortunately, thousands of children in Ghana are denied this basic principle of fairness. Instead, they are...

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Five Ways #GivingTuesday Ends Slavery

Today is the most important day of the year for social justice. Millions of people will contribute to organizations that make the world a better place. I’d like to take a quick moment to explain what you can accomplish by donating to Free the Slaves on #GivingTuesday:...

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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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Double Child Education to Fight Slavery

Summer is over and kids are back to school. But not enslaved children. For them, each day brings a lesson in hardship and mistreatment. They have no school mates, no pep rallies, no recess. Just backbreaking work and beatings. That’s why Free the Slaves invests so...

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From Fishing Nets to Safety Nets

Emmanuel endured years beneath the blistering sky of Ghana’s Lake Volta. As a child fishing slave, he faced the bare elements in a shoddy open boat. Sharp nets left deep cuts in his fingers. The blurry water left him fearful that he might not survive when forced to...

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Double the Number of Slavery Resistant Villages

When people map how modern slavery plagues their villages in the Dominican Republic, it’s a real eye opener. The simple drawing becomes a road map for freedom. Everyone in bondage is identified, and residents pledge to liberate every last woman, man and child. It...

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Dedicated to Peace, Freedom, Human Dignity

My journey to becoming a human rights activist began while I was a high school.  During holiday breaks, my classmates and I organized "Framing Camps" to benefit children in our neighborhood. Later, I had an opportunity to attend a child rights workshop and research...

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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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What You Can Do in One Minute to End Slavery

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the United States, a key part of Trafficking Prevention Month. There are three simple things you can do right now to spread awareness that slavery still exists. It will only take one minute. Literally. Share the...

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I Am A Survivor

I dream of a world without slavery. I hope to see that world one day. I am writing to tell you my story because I hope it will prompt you to take action. There are so many people victimized by human trafficking just like I was.   For me, it started with a dream about...

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10 Freedoms That Start With You

International development work can be tricky. Imagine building a school for 100 village children in Africa, but on opening day 20 desks are empty because those kids are enslaved at a mine. Disappointing, and tragic. That’s why we say that everything begins with...

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Savings Start With Freedom

Traffickers target people in financial trouble. When a medical crisis or other emergency strikes — like a fire, flood, drought, cyclone or earthquake — traffickers offer quick loans to desperate people who promise to “work it off.” When the borrower arrives at the job...

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Dignity Starts With Freedom

Traffickers steal more than a person’s labor and wages, they attack a victim’s basic humanity. They spit on the enslaved. They beat them. They’re assaulted sexually. The slaveholder’s goal: force people to give up hope.   Our message to those is slavery is simple:...

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Dreams Start With Freedom

People everywhere dream about a better future for their children. We all want them to have the education and opportunities necessary to lead fulfilling lives. For millions of families, those dreams aren’t possible. Traffickers promising schooling in return for easy...

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Equality Starts With Freedom

Inequality is one of the major root causes of modern slavery. Traffickers thrive when women’s rights aren’t respected, when gender-based violence is ignored, when girls are denied education, and when people of different races, tribes, nationalities or social status...

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Education Starts With Freedom

There are no classrooms at the mines, plantations, fish camps or sweatshops where children are enslaved. Their schooling stops the moment slavery starts. That’s why your support in liberating child slaves makes such a difference. Freedom changes the trajectory of a...

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Shelter Starts With Freedom

Someplace warm and dry to sleep. It’s a basic necessity. But traffickers don’t care. They force the enslaved into ramshackle conditions fit for animals, not people. Your support of Free the Slaves changes that.  I’ve seen firsthand how shelter begins with freedom. On...

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Safety Starts With Freedom

By donating to Free the Slaves, you liberate people from bondage and put traffickers in jail. Our front-line activists guide police to farms, factories and mines on raids that liberate the enslaved and arrest slaveholders. We help survivors file court cases and...

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Freedom Starts with Your Birthday

Is your birthday coming up? If so, stop for a minute and think about this: becoming one year wiser can now translate into a child slavery survivor in Ghana being able to afford a school uniform. While you are free to decide how you want to celebrate your birthday, or...

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Nutrition Starts With Freedom

Three square meals a day. It is fundamental for proper nutrition. But a nourishing breakfast, hearty lunch and wholesome dinner are distant dreams for people in slavery. They are typically fed just enough to stay alive to work another day. Donating to Free the Slaves...

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Innovation Starts With Freedom

Slavery stops innovation dead in its tracks. It keeps children out of school. It blocks entrepreneurs from access to credit. It steals a community’s wealth and labor and hope. Freedom brings creativity and positivity. This jumpstarts a village economy. People start...

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Health Starts With Freedom

Traffickers don’t care about the health of people they enslave. No doctor visits for those who fall sick. No vaccinations for children. No prenatal care for pregnant women. That’s why the work of Free the Slaves is so vital. We ensure that the people we liberate...

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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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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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Fashion for Freedom Event Gets Rave Reviews

The reviews are in, and our 2018 Fashion for Freedom Event in New York is being heralded as a fantastic success. Scores of Free the Slaves supporters and ethical fashion advocates gathered in Manhattan for the uplifting evening. “The Fashion for Freedom Event was a...

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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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