Be Inspired: Living slavery-free
Who are the people tackling slavery and exploitation issues here in Australia and around the world?
> click the pic for main talk, and links below for more
Nick Savaidis (AUS) - Etiko
Nick started Etiko in 2005 providing exploitation-free sportsballs, clothing and footwear in Australia. Etiko works with worker-owned co-operatives in Argentina, and has helped fund the creation of more than 300 micro businesses in Pakistan. Fairtrade certified and winner of multiple sustainability and justice awards.
Website » Interview » Production »
Jacqueline Arias (AUS) - Republica
"I realised that the beautiful coffee grown on the lush high altitude mountains of Colombia were being shipped overseas and manufactured into instant coffee by multinationals, then shipped back to Colombia and sold to the locals at hugely inflated prices". Jacqueline Arias is founder of Australia's Republica coffee, well known for its commitment to and advocacy for Fairtrade and organic ingredients. Since 2011 it has also been 100% carbon-neutral.
Website » Interview » Inspiring Women »
Bas van Abel (EU) - Fairphone
Six years ago the Amsterdam based company Fairphone started their campaign to create the world’s first “completely fair” smartphone - a product that does not contain conflict minerals (typically gold, tin, tantalum and tungsten) and has fair labour conditions for the workforce along its supply chain. Fairphone 2, now available, is the first modular smartphone - designed to be easily repaired and upgraded. In this talk CEO Bas van Abel asks "Why can’t we open up our products?"
Website » Background » An honest product review »
Greg Valerio (UK)
Fairtrade jeweller and activist Greg Valerio won the Global Campaigner award in 2011, and has travelled all over the world to investigate the mining industry and expose the murky business of the trade in gems and precious metals. Co-founder of the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM).
Blog » Website » Guardian Ethical Award Winner »Carolyn Kitto (AUS) - Stop the Traffik
Carolyn Kitto is the co-director of the Australian arm of 'Stop the Traffik' a charity that campaigns against human trafficking and slave labour in the extended supply chain. Here she talks on labour rights in the garment industry (with Josh Cullinan from the Australia Bangladesh Solidarity Network).
Website » ABC audio interview » Making fashion traffic-free »More...
Kevin Bales (USA) - How to combat modern slavery
In this moving yet pragmatic talk, Kevin Bales explains the business of modern slavery, a multi-billion dollar economy that underpins some of the worst industries on earth. He shares stats and personal stories from his on-the-ground research - and names the price of freeing every slave on earth right now.
Lisa Kristine (US) - Photos that bear witness to modern slavery
For the past two years, photographer Lisa Kristine has traveled the world, documenting the unbearably harsh realities of modern-day slavery. She shares hauntingly beautiful images -- miners in the Congo, brick layers in Nepal -- illuminating the plight of the 27 million souls enslaved worldwide.