Why We Exist
We live in a rapidly changing and complex world where millions of people have been forced to migrate due to war and climate change. Without any resources available, these global challenges put people at risk of slavery and make them easy prey for traffickers. Taking these circumstances under consideration, we may perceive modern-day slavery as a foreign issue when in truth, we as part of a consumer-driven society have contributed to the rise of this problem. Our work is to bring modern-day slavery into the context of our lives by becoming educated consumers better equipped to influence the course of this Human Right’s violation.
We believe that education is at the core of healing and empowerment. If we can support survivors by providing resources to get the education and skills training they need to expand their future possibilities and to live freely and with dignity, then we will be there. This is why we exist.
What We do
Part of our credo is to keep things simple while preserving an optimistic and open-minded attitude, despite the severity of this issue. So, everything we do is guided by these principles.
Our activities are centred in four areas:
Education Engagement Fundraising Collaboration
EDUCATION
We work in conjunction with high schools and integrate our educational material with their social studies curriculum. We give presentations to their students on the topic of modern-day slavery, human trafficking and how climate change is driving the proliferation of this illegal practice that generates $150 billion US dollars per year.
ENGAGEMENT
Our Awareness Hand Photography Campaign, the trademark of our organization, was designed to bring the difficult issue of minders-day slavery into public space. Every year, we walk on the streets of Chicago and ask the public to write on the palm of their hands what they believe they bring to the world to make it a better place. Then we invite them to share their thoughts as we photograph their hands and it is their curiosity that initiates the conversation about the campaign and its purpose. The Campaign has had hundreds of exchanges with people from all over the world. It has been particularly moving to see how young people have responded to this creative effort. Their enthusiasm and loving attitude has provided us with the emotional fuel to keep going. We started this campaign in 2013, before TSWLB was ever created. We intend to continue with it for as long as we can.
COLLABORATION
Collaboration is fundamental as part of our strategic plan to tackle the complexity of this global issue.
We have collaborated with, ApneAap Women Worldwide, www.apneaap.org , a nonprofit organization dedicated to increase choices for at-risk girls and women in order to ensure access to their rights, and to deter the purchase of sex through policy and social change.
We were pleased to have Ruchira Gupta, Founder and President of ApneAap Women Worldwide as the keynote speaker at our What do you Bring to This World event in 2018.
FUNDRAISING
What Do You Bring to This World Photography Installation is a new initiative inspired by the Hand Photo Campaign. It serves two purposes: 1- to recognize extraordinary women and girls from the Chicago area whose lives and work are transforming their communities, 2- to raise funds to support educational programs for children and life skills training for adults rescued from modern-day slavery. Proceeds from this event were shared with our partner NGO, ApneAap Women Worldwide.