An historical initiative: the Global Freedom Network

In my review of the year 2014, I mentioned the creation of the Global Freedom Network (GFN) by religious leaders, a movement that aims to eradicate the practice of slavery by 2020. This movement closely involves religions in the fight against modern slavery, a practice that would concern almost 36 million people around the world. I would like to present more precisely this historical union between the greatest religious leaders.

The origins of the project
Firs of all, it has to be noticed that the Global Freedom Network is an unprecedented alliance in the History. Indeed, that's the first time that leaders of the major religions are united in the same movement, a movement whose origins date back to just one year and a half. Precisely July, when Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury met in order to share their concerns about modern slavery. Five months later, on 12 December 2013, Pope Francis declared that "Human trafficking [was] a crime against humanity". Prior to this declaration, he sponsored an international workshop which identified 42 proposals for acting globally as a matter of urgency. The idea to create a movement was clearly on its way.
Then, consultations began with Andrew Forrest, the Australian magnate who created the Walk Free Foundation. Mr. Forrest met religious representatives and they elaborate, together, a Memorandum of Agreement. Dr. Mahmoud Azab, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar (Egypt) also expressed his interest and joined them. On 17 March 2014 the Global Freedom Network was born, around three religious leaders: Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Grand Imam.

A project that arouses enthusiasm
Under the Agreement, all parties commit to pursuing all venues to encourage global action to eradicate modern slavery under all its forms (forced labor, human trafficking...). For the first year, the signatories agreed to develop action plans to engage :

• All global faiths to modern-slavery-proof their supply chains and to take remedial action if necessary.
   
• All global faiths to mobilize their youth sections to support programs to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking.
   
• Families, schools, universities, congregations and institutions to educate on the nature of modern slavery and human trafficking, how to report it and the destructiveness of harmful social attitudes and prejudices and social systems in relation to modern slavery and human trafficking.
   
• Government leaders to modern slavery-proof public sector supply chains.
   
• 50 major multi-national businesses whose CEOs are people of faith or of goodwill to commit to modern slavery-proof their supply chains.
   
• 162 governments to publicly endorse the establishment of the Global Fund to End Slavery, with 30 heads of state publicly endorsing it by the end of 2014.
   
• The G20 to condemn modern slavery and human trafficking and adopt an anti-slavery and human trafficking initiative and support the abovementioned Global Fund.

This was the Agreement originally signed by representative of the Catholics, Muslims and Anglicans. In the following months, many other leaders join the Global Freedom Network. December 2, 2014, on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, nine other faith leaders joined the network and signed a joint declaration stating that modern slavery was a crime against humanity.

"In the eyes of God, each human is a free person"
These words are the first ones of the declaration signed on December 2, 2014. This is the first time in history that the leaders of the Christian Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox, as well as Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim faiths have come together to jointly declare one common endeavour. But the Global Free Network is not only a "religious thing" or a "wishful thinking", that's a well-organized movement, with clear objectives.

Our world must be freed of these terrible evils and crimes against humanity. Every hand and heart must be joined to bring this freedom to all those who are trapped and suffering. This agreement is a beginning and a pledge

Extract of the Joint Statement

As I said earlier, one of the founders of the GFN is not a religious leader but a magnate: Mr. Andrew Forrest. Business leader but also philanthropist, Mr. Forrest founded Walk Free Foundation four years ago in order to raise awareness about modern slavery and then fight it. As a consequence he knows pretty well of things work, how to manage a movement, which gives coherence and strength to the project. Like the majority of foundations or associations, the GFN is managed by an executive board and has a council. The executive board is composed by Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences; Sir David Moxon, the Archbishop of Canterbury's representative to the Holy See; Ms. Antonia Stampalija (CEO), an experienced woman graduated in Business Administration; Ms. Gabriella Marino, translator and webmaster at Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and the well-known Andrew Forrest.
In other words the Global Freedom Network is a movement which enjoys an unprecedented religious support (that can potentially affect billions of people) and which is well structured. Its aim is to eradicate slavery by 2020: if it seems complicated or even crazy, it is clear that the GFN has a really high potential. During his 2015 World Day of Peace message, Pope Francis will focus on slavery, with the slogan No longer slavers, but brothers and sisters. Hope it will mark the population as much as it marked the religious leaders. 

You can follow me on Twitter : @SlaveryFight

Or add me on Facebook : Guillaume Telori

Slavery : what happened in 2014 ? - Fight Slavery !

Credit to: Center Active As 2015 fast approaching, many magazines back on the highlights of the year that just ended: the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the rise of Daech, Ebola, the Bring ...

http://slaveryfight.over-blog.com/2014/12/slavery-what-happened-in-2014.html

NGOs fighting slavery : CAST, End Slavery Now and Walk Free - Fight Slavery !

After my last article about Anti-Slavery International, Polaris and Free the Slaves, I'd like to present three others NGOs working every day to abolish slavery in the world. Those NGOs are, by order

http://slaveryfight.over-blog.com/2014/12/ngos-fighting-slavery-cast-end-slavery-now-and-walk-free.html