Free the Slaves Inc.

Slavery flourishes when people cannot meet their basic needs and lack economic opportunity, education, healthcare and honest government. A holistic approach is required to eradicate slavery forever. That's why we: Work with grassroots organizations where slavery flourishes; Record and share their stories so people in power can see slavery and be inspired to work for freedom; Enlist businesses to clean slavery out of their product chains and empower consumers and investors to stop subsidizing slavery; Work with governments to produce effective anti-slavery laws then hold them to their commitments; Research what works and what doesn't so that we use resources strategically and effectively.

Free the Slaves has developed a causal model that captures the logic by which we attempt to redress key vulnerabilities. All of our programs are carried out with and through local partners. Our basic approach is to create assets that offset vulnerabilities: educate about rights and risks; organize community groups against slavery; strengthen household security; liberate those in slavery; and increase the costs and risks to perpetrators.

Contextual Research: We undertake research to define the vulnerabilities and pathways leading to slavery, and needed interventions.

Capacity Building: We provide training, technical assistance and grants to strengthen local organizations and agencies to achieve sustainable solutions. Our partners may include: Non-governmental organizations that serve at-risk communities; Government agencies responsible for essential services and/or legal protection; Media that benefit from training on how to report about slavery; Advocacy coalitions that seek reform of laws or more effective enforcement; International organizations, including donors and international NGOs.

Fostering Community Resistance and Resilience: In concert with local partners, we implement programs to reduce community vulnerabilities. The outcomes we expect are:

o Behavior change from education and participatory exercises; these yield changes in knowledge, attitudes and practices that protect against slavery.

o Launching or strengthening community-based organizations. Our partners and we encourage the creation of village and neighborhood committees that mobilize action against slavery. They educate neighbors, look out for traffickers, pursue suspected cases of slavery, and advocate for better services.

o Household security is advanced by helping communities access legitimate sources of credit, schools, health care and employment.

o Survivor security is advanced by ensuring former slaves receive needed shelter, counseling, medical care, vocational training and follow-up.

o Legal and police protection are strengthened through training, legal services for survivors, media reporting on police protection, and political advocacy.

Sustained Reduction in Slavery: Enhanced community resistance and resilience lead to long-term reductions in slavery. Specifically, we expect to observe the following: Liberation of slaves through direct action by newly empowered individuals and communities or through rescues and raids undertaken by NGOs and police; Reintegration of freed slaves, who, through survivor services, acquire the wherewithal to claim a life in freedom; Reduction in the number of people newly entering slavery; Decline in the prevalence of slavery in formerly vulnerable communities.

The Free the Slaves headquarters staff in Washington, D.C. consists of highly-skilled professionals with extensive experience in international development, project management, monitoring and evaluation, policy advocacy, communications, and programmatic financing. Free the Slaves employs in-country teams of one to three individuals, all of whom are nationals of the nation in which they work. They are experienced human rights and community mobilizing experts. In each country, Free the Slaves partners with highly-regarded community based organizations, who conduct the front-line anti-slavery activities.

Since its founding, Free the Slaves has liberated more than 14,000 people from slavery. We've educated more than 650,000 villagers to protect their families from trafficking. We've helped bring more than 300 traffickers and slaveholders to justice. We've built global public awarerness through print, online and broadcast media outlets that reach more than 250 million people.