Our research
“Wilberforce ended slavery in Britain 200 years ago.” Wrong. “All victims of human trafficking become sex workers.” Wrong. “It doesn't happen here – it’s a developing world thing”. Wrong. And the wrongest, most gut-wrenching thing of all is that no-one’s doing enough to stop it. Because they don’t know enough about it. That’s where we come in.
*The Home Office.
**Businesses with a turnover of £36 million or above – ‘UK Modern Slavery Act: Analysis of Early Company Statements’.
But modern-day slavery is only a symptom of the problem, not the cause. Ongoing wars and economic inequality have brought about the biggest displacement of people since the Second World War. And that's being exploited for profit – because of ignorance. Our ignorance of the situation; and people's naivety about the routes that lead to a life of slavery. We can do something about that, through the power of knowledge. The power of education.
Of course, in this breathless world of the 21st century, more people want more things, more quickly. So the way that the world's products and services are manufactured and supplied needs to pay more than lip service to ethical and environmental issues. Our experts are revolutionising the way that goods and people are moved around the world, and working to tackle the horrors of war and forced labour.
We team up with governments and agencies worldwide - winning major research grants, helping to draft new laws and trying to make the world a better place. For the many, not just the few.
Here’s what we’re working on now. If you think you can help, we’d love to hear from you.