WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris, the Freedom Fund, the Walk Free Foundation, and partner organizations spanning the globe announced the launch of the Global Modern Slavery Directory today. The Global Modern Slavery Directory is a first-of-its-kind publicly searchable database of over 770 organizations and hotlines working on human trafficking and forced labor. By enabling actors in the anti-human trafficking field to better locate, identify, and connect with each other, the tool will help connect victims of human trafficking and at-risk populations to the help they need.
A joint collaboration between Polaris, the Freedom Fund, and the Walk Free Foundation, the Directory enables service providers, law enforcement, policy makers, and advocates to both identify modern slavery organizations in specific countries and determine what services are or are not provided. Mapping verified organizations internationally also enables the Directory to highlight regions and countries where services for victims are lacking or non-existent.
“The Global Modern Slavery Directory is an important new tool in the movement as we strengthen the global safety net for victims and combat this $150 billion criminal industry head-on,” said Bradley Myles, CEO of Polaris. “Polaris is honored to be part of this collaboration between the Freedom Fund, the Walk Free Foundation, and numerous international partners as we work together to ensure victims of human trafficking and modern slavery can get connected to the help they need no matter where they are in the world.”
“This Directory will ensure slavery victims can locate the support they need, anti-slavery organizations can work together more effectively and funders can identify potential partners,” said Nick Grono, CEO of the Freedom Fund. “It will help build a more cohesive anti-slavery movement globally, which will a big step forward in the fight against modern slavery.”
“The Directory will also serve as a powerful research and collaboration tool for other anti-slavery organizations, policy-makers and government bodies in order to increase communication and collaboration within the anti-slavery sector,” said Josephine Thomas, Walk Free Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer.
Additional organizations will be added to the Directory as they are verified. The public database enables individuals to search for specific organizations or countries, and then identify the operational status, contact information, range of services provided, populations served, and types of trafficking encountered for the organizations listed.
Over 200 organizations are listed in the Directory from across the United States. Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors, operates victim service programs in Washington, D.C. and Newark, New Jersey, as well as the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC). The NHTRC is the nation’s anti-trafficking hotline (1-888-373-7888) and resource center serving victims of human trafficking and the anti-trafficking community. Specially trained and experienced call specialists can speak about victims’ needs, their options, and the resources available to them in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. The toll-free hotline is available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year in more than 200 languages.
Organizations that wish to be verified for the Global Modern Slavery Directory can contact Polaris at global@polarisproject.org for more information.
The Global Modern Slavery Directory is located at: www.globalmodernslavery.org.
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About Polaris
Polaris is a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery. Named after the North Star that guided slaves to freedom in the U.S., Polaris acts as a catalyst to systemically disrupt the human trafficking networks that rob human beings of their lives and their freedom. By working with government leaders, the world’s leading technology corporations, and local partners, Polaris equips communities to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking. Our comprehensive model puts victims at the center of what we do – helping survivors restore their freedom, preventing more victims, and leveraging data and technology to pursue traffickers wherever they operate. Learn more at www.polarisproject.org.
About Walk Free Foundation
The Walk Free Foundation’s mission is to end modern slavery in our generation by mobilizing a global activist movement, generating the highest quality research, enlisting business and raising capital to drive change in those countries and industries bearing the greatest responsibility for modern slavery today. To learn more, please visit www.walkfreefoundation.org.
About The Freedom Fund
The Freedom Fund is the world’s first private donor fund dedicated to identifying and investing in the most effective frontline efforts to end slavery. With an expert team and global perspective, the Freedom Fund aims to raise $100 million for smart anti-slavery investments in the countries and sectors where it is most needed.
