Global Freedom Network is proud to announce the launch of an online training course for faith leaders
Global Freedom Network’s Government Engagement Workshop for faith leaders is now available online. The workshop is designed to teach faith leaders how to work with governments to eradicate modern slavery and includes an introduction to modern slavery concepts, an overview of government and civil society, and methods and tools for effective government engagement.
The Government Engagement Workshop was originally delivered in person in October 2022, when Global Freedom Network team members visited Kenya (Nairobi and Mombasa), South Africa and Ghana. These workshops brought together almost 200 faith and community leaders, who received training on how to build on their public policy skills and engage with state actors on human rights issues.
“Global Freedom Network’s Government Engagement Workshop provides valuable tools to faith leaders and equips them to advocate more effectively for human rights issues. We are proud to launch this online version, which will allow even more faith leaders to take part and build on their skills in engaging with government and policy makers,” said Ms Franca Pellegrini, the Director of Global Freedom Network.
The workshop is the latest in a series of activities designed to equip faith leaders to tackle modern slavery. Global Freedom Network recognises that faith can play a vital role in fighting modern slavery because faith leaders are in a unique position to see into the hearts of their communities. As such, it has developed a philosophy built on interfaith collaboration and providing resources and opportunities for faith leaders to learn more about modern slavery and how to address it in their communities and countries.
Global Freedom Network started working in Africa in 2019, with a signing ceremony of the Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery in Ghana taking place in August 2021. At that event, Global Freedom Network presented its Faith For Freedom app, a mobile app developed for and with faith leaders, which they can use to learn more about modern slavery and access resources to address their issues in their congregations and communities. This regional engagement continued throughout 2022, with similar signing ceremonies in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa. In Kenya, GFN formalised a partnership with the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya in July 2022 to continue developing activities.
The online version of the workshop is an interactive resource with videos from faith leaders and activities for participants to test their understanding of the content. The Government Engagement Workshop is a free resource that is now available to anyone via the Global Freedom Network website.
