Salvos continue fight against human trafficking and slavery
Salvos continue fight against human trafficking and slavery
25 September 2022
The Salvation Army has been part of the fight against human trafficking and slavery since its beginning in London in the 1880s.
Today, Salvos around the world, including Australia, continue these efforts through a range of programs and initiatives, awareness-raising, research, collaboration, advocacy and the development and evaluation of evidence-based practice. The Salvos also hold an annual International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking on the fourth Sunday in September.
In Australia, the Salvos have established a Modern Slavery Community of Practice (COP). The COP will strengthen anti-slavery programs by leveraging organisational expertise through a national peer and leaders network, and increase the Salvos’ capacity to respond to potential cases of modern slavery nationally.
Slavery in Australia
Modern slavery in Australia presents itself in several forms, including human trafficking, slavery, forced labour, forced marriage, domestic servitude, debt bondage and extreme cases of child labour. According to the Global Slavery Index, there could be as many as 15,000 men, women and children held in modern slavery at any given time in Australia.
“These numbers are really profound when we are thinking about the lived experience of the individual,” says Sonali Correi, The Salvation Army’s Family Violence Team Leader in north-west Victoria. “And it’s important that Australian society is made aware of its prevalence.
“I joined the Salvos around a year and a half ago and was introduced to the amazing work they are committed to around modern slavery. I was keenly interested to join the community of practice because I saw it as an opportunity to enhance my understanding, awareness, knowledge and skills in supporting victim-survivors of modern slavery as an individual.”
Sue Hodges, the Salvos Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Coordinator in NSW/ACT, is also part of the COP.
“We discuss serious issues of human rights and social justice in the COP, and work towards solutions,” she explains.
“In the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team, we fight for human rights all the time. I can talk about being allies for those experiencing human trafficking and modern slavery. We’ll do our best to stand united against actions that perpetrate and condone such despicable behaviour.”
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