By Joanna Ewart-James, Freedom United 

From political backsliding to climate disaster, corporate abuse to mass displacement, we are witnessing rising inequality—and rising exploitation. Governments are scaling back. Anti-trafficking funding is drying up. And corporations are raking in profit while workers suffer abuse in silence.

If we want real change, we can’t wait for the powerful to act. We must be the activists!

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Tomorrow is the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. To honor those who rose up, demanded better, and changed the course of history—usually without institutional support—we’re continuing their fight. And we won’t stop. 

This work is not funded by governments or corporations—it’s possible because it’s powered by you. Now, more than ever, we need a global movement led by people—not elites. We need action, not apologies. Systemic change—not carceral band-aids. 

Brooke launched our summer appeal three weeks ago. She spoke about the importance of securing change to stop more children from being trafficked. We’re grateful to the 41 people who made a donation in response. However, it’s not enough to sustain the fight. 

We know that not everyone can, but if you’ve been thinking about donating, a gift from you powers advocacy that gets results. With your support, we can:

• Fight for systemic change—not just punish perpetrators after the fact—to stop more people from becoming victims of trafficking
• Demand legal reforms that prioritize prevention and transparency to ensure people are not being exploited
• Educate more people about the realities of modern slavery so that more victims are identified.

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Because throughout history, the most meaningful progress on modern slavery hasn’t come from those in power. It’s come from us.
 

People like you and I—survivors, workers, communities—pushed lawmakers to pass anti-trafficking legislation. Who demanded protections for domestic workers? Who exposed abuse in orphanages, in fisheries, in fields? We did!
 

Change has always been people-powered.
 

But to keep going, we need your support.

Power the movement

We can’t look away. Not now. Not when the cost of inaction is more exploitation, more suffering, and more lives lost to modern slavery.

Thank you for being part of the solution.

In solidarity,

Joanna and the team supporting the Freedom United community.

Joanna Ewart-James Executive Director, Freedom United