Facing up to slavery ‘‘You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.’’ William Wilberforce 1787 A RACSRAG presentation to RC Luton North by Stephen Sypula

We define a slave as... Controlled by violence or the threat of violence Forced to work for little or no pay Likely to have been abducted and have no retained formal identity Unable, or fearful of leaving

The Global perspective  There are some 35.8 million slaves – Source: Walk Free Foundation  That’s 3x those taken from Africa in 350 years of the Slave Trade  Slavery generates some $150bn in illegal profits – 2nd only to drug smuggling – Source: Walk Free  Modern slaves are cheaper, have fewer rights, and are more disposable than ever

Where are the enslaved? Source: Global Slavery Index Report

Sectors where slavery is evident Hotels and catering, domestic service, sex industry Industry, construction, agriculture & fishing Factories and garment manufacture

Where does RACSRAG fit in?

Working together - building partnerships and alliances Free the Slaves Stop the Traffik WalkFree Anti-Slavery International The Human Trafficking Foundation International Justice Mission The Mekong Club

RACSRAG working with others Matt Friedman, CEO Mekong Business Club (Hong Kong) working with RACSRAG “Coming together is the beginning, Keeping together is progress, Working together is success.”

RACSRAG’s - objectives Create awareness: That millions of children are held captive for illegal gain Take action: Support and work in partnership with Rotary Clubs Promote Club & partner based projects that help rehabilitate and protect children from slavery and its consequences

RACSRAG’s global development HQ and principal officers in UK Formed in 2009, RI endorsed 2013 Membership in over 65 countries Network of Coordinators in Africa, USA, India, Italy, Australia & New Zealand + Supporting projects - £185k Developing RI Foundation Fund

A quick review of RACSRAG’s activites Informing Influencing Developing projects Funding vocational initiatives... and... IT support

RACSRAG – influencing RACS Italy Coordinator Laura being greeted by Pope Francis at the Vatican Workshop on Human Trafficking in Nov 2013 RACS’s US Coordinator Dave McCleary organises Summit on Human Trafficking in 2015 with former US President Jimmy Carter

... informing Past RI President represents RI at the UK Government’s global Conference on Modern Slavery in London, hosted by Teressa May, December 2014, together with RACSRAG’s Chair Mark Little & Board Member Judith Diment

developing projects Rescue Mission for Children Centre, Mae Suai, Thailand Mukti Ashram, India – studying hard Mukti Ashram, IndiaWomens refuge, Nepal

funding vocational courses

... information & technology Polaris – National Helpline in the USA Developing smart phone App to help identify victims Asha Nepal – PC’s and Usborne Dictionaries

A focus on the UK

UK Slavery is on the increase Walk Free’s Global Slavery Index suggest the UK has 8,300 cases Let’s put the UK in context... Spain (6,100), Jamaica (4,200), Australia (3,000), Portugal (1,400), and Ireland Home Office – Modern Slavery Unit suggest it’s 13,000 The Human Trafficking Foundation suggests 20,000

Source of UK enslavement

National Referrals to 2013

Referrals data Q/E March 2015 ReferralsMaleFemaleAdultsMinors Countries of origin6435 The top 10 account for70%78%

Referrals data Q/E March 2015 t Top Countries of origin AdultsMinors Albania14241 Vietnam8339 Nigeria7211 UK4830 Slovakia446

Referrals data Q/E March 2015 t Trafficked intoAdultsMinors Sexual exploitation 43%45% Forced labour34%42% Domestic servitude 17%12%

The media is bringing the message home

UK National Helpline –

Recent BBC case studies Jane was just 13 when she was groomed and then abused, before being trafficked across the UK by groups of men for sex. Bilkisu was sent from Nigeria to the UK under false pretences. From the age of 15 she was kept as a domestic slave - working long hours for no pay for almost 10 years.

Watford – 20 th November 2015

Here in Luton 13:35 Monday 03 August 2015 Bedfordshire Police has urged the public to be vigilant and spot the signs of modern slavery after a new law came into force on Friday. Sentencing at Luton Crown Court, Judge Michael Kay QC said: “The way they brutally manipulated and exploited men is pure evil.” Police believe they made millions in block-paving and scrap-metal Victims were made to work for 19 hours a day for little or no money They slept in horse boxes and caravans on Greenacres site in Beds Workers had broken ribs, scars & wounds, and one even had scurvy Det Chief Insp Cestaro who leads Beds Police on human trafficking said: “This is very much a hidden crime, and one that is hard to gauge in terms of its size.

Why we do this! “There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from want and fear...” Kofi Annan, Secretary General,

We’re ending polio Next BIG Rotary challenge Let’s work together to...  Educate & inform public opinion  Support & promote projects, and  Develop partnerships and alliances and...

Thank you

What we can do...

Referrals data Q/E March 2015 t Source of referrals Home Office258 Police151 NGO’s106 Local Authorities10 UK Border Force6

Modern slavery HELPLINE