Season 2, Episode 1: In consideration of the UN’s World Day Against Child Labour this month, our special episode welcomes Purva Gupta, the Global Coordinator for the Global March Against Child Labour, and Victor Ochen, the Founder and Executive Director of African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET), to talk with Dr. Tina Davis about challenges to the work of ending child labour, about focusing on local needs, and suggestions for solutions.

NB! Due to internet connectivity the audio quality is slightly impacted, but it doesn’t take away from the valuable conversation with Purva Gupta in India and Victor Ochen in Uganda.

BIOS

Purva Gupta is a human rights advocate, with a decade of experience in child rights, particularly child labour. She holds the position of the Global Coordinator at the Global March Against Child Labour, and has a range of experience in leading and supporting advocacy, research, capacity building, and community participatory interventions across countries on child labour in economic exploitation. Her thematic areas of interest include intersection of child labour with education and informal sector. She has an MSc in International Development from the London School of Economics and a Master’s Degree in Commerce from University of Delhi.

Victor Ochen is the Director and Founder of African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET), a victims-led peace movement that he established in 2005 in Northern Uganda. Victor founded AYINET in the trail of destruction experienced by victims of mass atrocities during the 20-years armed conflict in Uganda. His organization has developed an approach to peacebuilding where notions of peace and justice are not just by proxy, but have been applied practically, tangibly, and meaningfully to restore the dignity of thousands of war victims. Through his leadership, over 21,000 victims have been provided intensive reconstructive medical/surgical rehabilitation, tens of thousands provided trauma healing and communities resettled and reconciled.

EPISODE 15: Dr. Tina Davis and Giulia Laganà discuss the situation for migrant farm workers in Europe. Migrant workers in the agriculture sector are particularly vulnerable and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened their conditions.

Giulia leads the Open Society Foundation’s European Policy Institute, analysis and advocacy on EU policies on migration and asylum. A migration expert with 15 years of experience, Laganà was a senior adviser on migration, human rights, EU and international affairs to the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome from 2013 to 2016. Previously, she spent four years with the United Nations, working for UNHCR and UNDP in Italy and Brussels, respectively. While she was with the United Nations Development Programme, Laganà oversaw migration and development projects in Western and North Africa. Her work experience also includes stints with NGOs such as SOLIDAR and with the European Commission.

EPISODE 14: In this episode, Tomoya Obokata, UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, speaks with Dr. Tina Davis about the global COVID-19 pandemic and how this impacts the area of modern slavery. We are experiencing unprecedented challenges to global and local economies due to the pandemic, which has negative ramifications for persons who were already in exploitative situations, as well as the population who were vulnerable to modern slavery prior to this crisis, such as migrant workers. We will also most likely see this group increase due to the changing economic circumstances. Evidence and facts are still emerging around the world as we are trying to create a clearer picture of what the consequences of the pandemic will be. What are some of the impacts and best responses? And what is needed going forward?
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Slavery/SRSlavery/Pages/SRSlaveryIndex.aspx

EPISODE 13: Dr. Tina Davis and Brynn O’Brien discuss climate change, and how climate change is linked to human rights issues, such as modern forms of slavery and severe exploitation, and what shareholder activism is, and how this can influence better performance on environmental, social and governance issues. Brynn is a lawyer and strategist, and the Executive Director of the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR). ACCR promotes better performance of Australian and global companies on climate, environmental and governance issues. As an ‘activist shareholder’ organisation, ACCR engages with companies and their investors on these issues, including through filing shareholder resolutions.

EPISODE 12: Terry Collingsworth is the founder and Executive Director of the International Rights Advocates. He has been practicing law in the United States for over 35 years, and for the last 25, has specialized in international human rights litigation. He has worked all over the world, from India and West Africa to most countries in South America, addressing a wide range of human rights issues. He has recently focussed on cases preventing multinational companies from violating the human rights of children who are forced by poverty and other factors to work in global supply chains. Recently, Collingsworth filed a class action in U.S. federal court in the District of Columbia (Case No. CV 1:19-cv-03737) on behalf of 14 Doe Plaintiffs who are either guardians of children killed in tunnel or wall collapses while mining cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (“DRC”) or children who were maimed in such accidents. The suit names Apple, Alphabet (Google), Dell, Microsoft, and Tesla as Defendants. The suit alleges these companies in particular aided and abetted the mines that abused and profited from forcing the Doe Plaintiffs and other children to mine cobalt under dangerous conditions that led to their deaths or serious, crippling injuries. Rather than deny the facts of the horrific conditions facing child cobalt miners in the DRC, the Defendant companies issued statements claiming they have “policies” against child labor. This case was filed in December 2019 and has the potential to establish supply chain liability when companies are knowingly benefiting from deaths and serious injuries to child workers. Collingsworth attended Duke University School of Law and has taught at numerous law schools in the United States.

EPISODE 11: In this episode Dr Tina Davis speaks with Cindy Berman about the important topic of remedy. Remedy is the third pillar of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), and it is part of the ‘protect, respect, remedy’ UNGP framework to ensure greater access by workers to effective judicial and non-judicial remedy. Until recently, Cindy Berman served as the Head of Modern Slavery Strategy at the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) where she was working closely in multi-stakeholder partnerships with business, trade unions, civil society organisations and governments to find the most sustainable and effective ways to tackle labour exploitation, forced labour and child labour in global supply chains. Cindy Berman and the ETI have done crucial work to promote and highlight the importance of effective remedy, especially for workers who are at risk of modern slavery. Cindy has recently transitioned to a new role as a freelance Senior Consultant where she provides strategic advice and thought leadership on issues related to business and human rights in sectors and countries with a high risk of discrimination, exploitation and more severe labour violations.

EPISODE 10: Kieran Guilbert is the London-based Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Editor for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, leading a global team of nine journalists reporting on the topics. He has written several exclusives on the UK deporting survivors of modern slavery despite fears over re-trafficking, a rising numbers of former child slaves being denied refugee status in Britain, and labour exploitation on Indian tea plantations stamped slavery free by ethical certification schemes. Kieran has also produced a nine-part series on the links between modern technology and human trafficking, and a five-part package “Life After Slavery” – visually portraying the challenges survivors face when rebuilding their lives. His work has seen him invited to speak at Yale University’s flagship anti-slavery conference, host a panel at Anti-Slavery International’s AGM, and was recognised with two awards at the 2019 UK Anti-Slavery Day Media Awards. The British-Irish journalist previously held the post of West Africa correspondent, based in Senegal, and has covered post-Ebola recovery in Liberia, the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria and economic migration from Senegal to Europe, for which he was awarded winner of the ILO’s Global Media Competition “Breaking Stereotypes on Labour Migration”. Thomson-Reuters 2020 Stop Slavery Award

EPISODE 9:  Leonardo Sakamoto is a Brazilian journalist with an unwavering commitment to the protection of fundamental freedoms in Brazil. In 2001, he established Repórter Brasil, an NGO dedicated to monitoring and combating forced labor in Brazil. Repórter Brasil’s pioneering investigative journalism has helped leaders in the public and private sectors, as well as in civil society, use research and educational programs as tools to combat human trafficking, especially forced labor.

EPISODE 5: In this episode, Heather Moore, Managing Director for the Monash University Trafficking and Slavery Research Group, and a Member of the Journal of Modern Slavery Advisory Board, talks with Dr. Tina Davis about Australia’s Modern Slavery legislation — its strengths and challenges — and contextualizes it among other global legislation to address modern slavery.

EPISODE 4: In this episode, Dr. Tina Davis interviews Kevin Hyland, former UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and current Chair of the Leadership Group for Responsible Recruitment with the Institute for Human Rights and Business. Mr. Hyland authored SDG 8.7 and led efforts for its inclusion in the UN’s 15-year global goals for sustainable development. In 2018, Mr Hyland was elected as Ireland’s representative to the Council of Europe Independent Group of Experts for Trafficking. He is currently a senior advisor for the Santa Marta Group.

EPISODE 3:  Dr. Tina Davis interviews Dr. Ina Hut. Dr. Hut discusses “Open Your Eyes”, an exhibition that is an initiative of CoMensha, which is the national coordination centre against human trafficking in the Netherlands that works to improve the lives of victims of human trafficking. Applying the utmost care and attention, CoMensha, together with the Open Mind foundation, found 30 people who were willing to tell their stories and allow a look into their eyes. These are 30 people whose trust and faith got them trapped into slavery, now sharing their moving stories. Stories of being forced into prostitution, of being forced into crime, of being subjected to harrowing types of threats and violence, about unrelenting cruelty, about rape resulting in pregnancy, and about not wanting to go on anymore. These are 30 compelling and courageous individuals crossing the barriers of fear and shame to claim recognition, both for themselves as human beings and for the issue of human trafficking. READ SHOW NOTES, VIEW SOME PHOTOS FROM THE EXHIBITION

EPISODE 2: Dr. Tina Davis interviews Victor Ochen, Director and Founder of African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET, at africanyouthinitiative.org), a victims-led peace movement that he established in 2005 in Northern Uganda. Victor founded AYINET in the trail of destruction experienced by victims of mass atrocities during the 20-years armed conflict in Uganda.

His organization has developed an approach to peacebuilding where notions of peace and justice are not just by proxy, but have been applied practically, tangibly, and meaningfully to restore the dignity of thousands of war victims.

Through his leadership, over 21,000 victims have been provided intensive reconstructive medical/surgical rehabilitation, tens of thousands provided trauma healing and communities resettled and reconciled. Victor is also a member of the Journal of Modern Slavery Advisory Board.