Global leaders from the Christian, Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox religions, as well as Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim faiths signed the Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders Against Modern Slavery at Casina Pio IV in Vatican City. This world-first event marked the beginning of the Global Freedom Network.

Eight Indian religious and spiritual leaders signed from the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Jain, Baha’i and Jewish religions — representing more than 95 per cent of the Indian population — signed the declaration. Religious leaders and modern slavery experts discussed the eradication of bonded and forced labour in India.

In Buenos Aires, ten religious leaders from the major faiths in Argentina, including the Catholic Church, the Armenian Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Anglican Church, the Evangelical faith, the Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish communities, the Sikh Dharma Community and the Argentinean Islamic Community, came together alongside the national government to pledge their opposition to modern slavery.

HRH Queen Nanasipau’u of Tonga, together with senior church leaders from 12 Pacific islands gathered in Auckland to sign the declaration and mark the launching of the Pacific Freedom Network. The event occurred alongside the Pacific Conference of Churches’ General Assembly, a gathering of leaders and key representatives from across the Pacific.

A coalition of 14 faith leaders from many of the world’s biggest religions united for the first African signing of the declaration. The location, in the Ghanaian capital Accra, was poignant because it was the site of such inhumanity during the Transatlantic slave trade hundreds of years earlier. The event was attended by religious leaders from Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria, as well as government and law enforcement officials.

We collaborated with University of Notre Dame Australia who created curriculum on modern slavery for their students. The Graduate Diploma and Certificate on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking is based on the belief that every student should learn about human rights and modern slavery and be empowered to put an end to the exploitation of vulnerable people.

GFN partnered with The Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome for a special two-day conference on the role of religion in eradicating modern slavery. This partnership examined international and local perspectives and practices and brought together leading academics, faith leaders and civil society members to discuss modern slavery and how religious groups can help prevent it.

Faith leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo gathered in Kinshasa where they committed to fighting modern slavery in their country. It was acknowledged that extreme challenges faced many DRC citizens who may feel like submitting to extreme exploitation such as modern slavery was their only option. However, the positive and powerful influence of faith and faith leaders was a vital force that could protect congregations from modern slavery, especially with support and cooperation.

GFN collaborated with Ghana’s Anti Human Trafficking Unit and a national transport union to roll out a poster campaign across Ghana. The posters were placed on public buses that run across Ghana and went to destinations in neighbouring countries and in stations to inform travellers of the police phone number to report suspicions of human trafficking, encouraging people to call if they or someone they knew were a potential victim of this crime.

In Kenya (Nairobi and Mombasa) South Africa and Ghana, GFN delivered four Government Engagement Workshops for faith leaders to build on their public policy skills and teach them how to engage with state actors on human rights issues.

The Head of GFN, Franca Pellegrini, was invited by the African Union Youth Envoy to participate on a forum on the Sidelines of African Union Summit, where she presented on the work of GFN and the role youth play in ending modern slavery.