During the past year I journeyed to five continents to investigate the rise of the modern slave trade (human trafficking) and explore strategies how to undermine it. In early February HarperSF will publish the results of my investigation in a new book, Not For Sale.
The journey took me beyond a book project, however. What I saw and experienced really got under my skin. I felt a calling to do more than write a book. So along with my colleagues at Right Reality we are launching next month a campaign to end modern slavery. You can see the early stages of a movement that will launch next month here: www.notforsalecampaign.org.
To take the fight against modern-day slavery to a new level, we must initiate economic strategies that undermine trafficking syndicates and labor slave shops (where workers are forced against their will to work without compensation). I often hear defeatist comments that we cannot end slavery because it is a globalized criminal activity. Such cynics do not comprehend what an enormous impact we could have if we enacted well-designed legal and economic policies with accountability.
I recently had a long conversation with David Arkless, the vice president of corporate affairs at Manpower Inc. Its worldwide network of 4,400 offices in 72 countries and territories enables the company to meet the needs of its 400,000 clients per year, including small and medium size enterprises in all industry sectors, as well as the world's largest multinational corporations. In 2006 David led his company to become the first major corporation to sign the Athens Ethical Principles. In essence, the pledge commits a company to declare a “zero tolerance” policy for working with any entity which benefits in any way from human trafficking. The commitment extends to the company's clients, vendors and business partners.
In more detail, the Seven Ethical Principles of the Athens Action Plan are:
1. Explicitly demonstrate the position of zero tolerance towards trafficking in human beings, especially women and children for sexual exploitation.
2. Contribute to prevention of trafficking in human beings including awareness-raising campaigns and education.
3. Develop a corporate strategy for anti-trafficking policy which will permeate all our activities.
4. Ensure that our personnel fully comply with our anti-trafficking policy.
5. Encourage business partners, including suppliers, to apply ethical principles against human trafficking.
6. In an effort to increase enforcement it is necessary to call on governments to initiate a process of revision of laws and regulations that are directly or indirectly related to enhancing anti-trafficking policies.
7. Report and share information on best practices.
Last month David and Manpower made a challenge to 1000 of the world's largest companies to commit themselves to these principles. The Not for Sale Campaign is teaming up with this effort to inspire executives to do the right thing. Our FREE TO WORK platform will launch in early February. So stay tuned and learn more ways that business professionals and their companies can join the fight.