| Abbreviation | FTS |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2000 |
| Type | NGO |
| Purpose | Combathuman trafficking andslavery |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Location |
|
Main organ | Board of Directors[1] |
| Website | www |
Free the Slaves (FTS) is an internationalnon-governmental organization and lobby group, established to campaign against the modern practice ofslavery around the world.[2] It was formed as the sister organization ofAnti-Slavery International[3] but has since become a separate entity and has no relationship with it.[4] The organization was created as a result of research done byKevin Bales in his book,Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy.[citation needed]
Free the Slaves currently operates inIndia,Nepal,Ghana, theDemocratic Republic of the Congo,Haiti,Senegal, theDominican Republic, andBrazil.[2] The countries are targeted based on the prevalence of slavery. The organization gives "Freedom Awards" to honor people and organizations fighting to end slavery. Winners have includedVeeru Kohli (2009) andTimea Nagy, 2012.[5]
Free the Slaves has worked with musicians such asJason Mraz and Grammy Award winnerEsperanza Spalding. Spalding performed a benefit concert for FTS in December 2012, featuringBobby McFerrin,Gretchen Parlato, and a special guest appearance byPaul Simon.[6] Spalding also raised money for the organization during her summer tour.[7]
Other supporters over the years have includedCarla Gugino,Vincent Kartheiser,Camilla Belle,Forest Whitaker,Demi Moore, andAshton Kutcher.[8][9]
In response to Kevin Bales's interview withDemocracy Now! about Free The Slaves,[10] investigative journalistChristian Parenti wrote a criticism of Bales claiming he had made false claims about thechocolate industry. Specifically, Parenti argues that
Bales goes around fund raising, flogging his book and promoting himself on the basis that he has successfully reformed the chocolate industry and largely halted its use ofchild labor in West Africa. But no such thing has happened ... Bales' organization FTS defended the chocolate industry when the Department of Labor sought to list cocoa as a product tainted by slave and child labor.[11]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
