The importance of cross border alliances to ensure that trafficking survivors are afforded every possible assistance- and are able to help others who they may have been held with- as your example points out- can not be overstated. The work you are doing is very important. I wonder if you could share with us how you identify- or help your partner organizations identify people in need of help. Do you reach out to them- and if so how are these people identified as people in need- or alternatively, do they reach out to you- and if so- how do they know about the services you and your partner organizations offer?
Also- there is an organization based in the UK called CHASTE UK that is also working on portable justice issues. They have done some great work in this area and may be a good resource as you continue to expand and cultivate best practices.
Laura Cardinal
Public Health and Human Trafficking Specialist
The people in need of assistance either find the organizations that we partner with or visa versa. In the USA, for example, most low-wage worker and anti-trafficking organizations have their own targeted outreach efforts. In the sending-countries, most of the partners in the Global Workers Defenders Network have some human rights outreach programs to the communities they work in. We then train and assist them to add labor and trafficking issues to their outreach. Each program is unique, again relying on our model to support initiatives already in place. So workers may hear about the local organization that now handles employment problems in the USA through a radio ad or maybe their local church (we have several church-affiliated organizations in our Defender Network).
Sometimes our work in the sending countries connects abused migrants that are still n the USA. For example, a 16-year old boy was injured in a construction accident a few weeks ago. He did not know where to turn for help so he called his mom in rural Guatemala. The mother
went to the local priest who contacted one of our Defender partners.
Through this round about way, that boy was told what services were available to him in the USA. The circuitous route amazed me, but it just underscored the need in the sending-country for resources about rights and services in the destination countries.
Thanks for information about Chaste. I just looked it up on the web.
It looks like they do very important work with trafficked women. I look forward to learning about their work in the countries of origin as well
Cathleen
----------
____________________________________
Global Workers Justice Alliance
113 University Place, 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10003
tel. +1-917-238-0979
fax: + 1-501-632-0979
See our website at www.globalworkers.org
Dear Cathleen,
Thanks for telling us about your much needed portable justice project. I would like to know how you work with organised labour and the ILO on some of these issues. I would also be interested how you advertise your services so that returning workers know that they can be in touch with your organisation if they have a legal problem.
Thanks. I look forward to hearing more about your programme.
Heather
----------
Heather Cameron
Professor
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Organized labor is definitely part of the strategy and it has been interesting how it has played out. In Guatemala, as a sending-country for example, what I quickly realized was that although the unions were generally very supportive, they were overwhelmed with incredible challenges in their own organizing efforts to take on their nationals who work outside of Guatemala. US unions see the benefit because they too have members that return home (voluntary or not) with pending legal problems. So they see portable justice as a direct benefit to their members. Moreover, one union has expressed interest in providing financial support (fingers crossed on that one).
Sending-country unions are also a potential source to identified workers who have suffered labor abuses. It could well be that a former member migrates and then goes to the union office to complain about their treatment while working abroad. Just last week, in fact, a union based in Indonesia contacted us about Indonesian workers on H-2B temporary visas that were underpaid while in the USA. We already have them in direct contact with an NGO in Texas that represents low-wage workers. Migrants, their mobility, and how creative we need to be to ensure they have access to justice never ceases to amaze me.
As for the ILO, besides speaking to some of their migration experts, I have not developed a strategy to become more engaged. Certainly, ILO complaints may be possible as we examine portable justice beyond domestic law enforcement.
As for your last question, workers do not contact us directly (the numbers would be overwhelming). Instead they contact our partner organizations who do their own outreach campaigns.
Cathleen
----------
____________________________________
Global Workers Justice Alliance
113 University Place, 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10003
tel. +1-917-238-0979
fax: + 1-501-632-0979
See our website at www.globalworkers.org
On July 16, 2008, the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Ending Global Slavery” Competition and would like to pass on the following feedback for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators who are exposing, confronting and ending modern day slavery. We wish you continued luck with your sustainable, innovative, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“This is an impressive program because it helps transnational migrant workers retain rights in their destination country, even after they have returned home. By using existing instruments, expanding them to new areas, and applying them to new initiatives, this organization has the potential for long-term success. We would like to learn more about its plans for expansion.”
- Changemakers “Ending Global Slavery” Judges: United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Trafficking, International Organization for Migration, Design Within Reach, Vital Voices Global Partnership, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Humanity United.
----------
The Changemakers Team
Ashoka's Changemakers
I appreciate the judges’ feedback very much. This competition was a unique opportunity to participate in a collaborative web competition and I gained much from the experience. Thank you.
As for the question to expansion, yes, we certainly plan to expand the Global Workers Defenders Network. How and when depends on demand for our services and financial support.
In the immediate term we are planning an extensive outreach campaign to US advocates after returning from upcoming trips to Mexico and Guatemala where we aim to bring the last partners formally on board. As a result of the outreach campaign, aimed at NGOS, private law firms and government entities that assist low wage migrant workers, we expect to receive many more calls for assistance for migrant workers who were exploited in the USA but have returned home. Undoubtedly, many of these new cases will be in areas where we are not yet currently working. When there seems to be enough demand in a particular geographic area, we will then undertake the discussions of formally expanding, whether in Mexico, Guatemala or a new country. As part of that process we will conduct outreach visits to start identifying potential new partners to determine the project’s viability in the new area. Unless there are organizations willing to work with us, we won’t expand into that area.
Of course, financing is an ongoing challenge and any expansion must be tempered by that reality. Although we have a revenue generating aspect to our case facilitations (which we hope to expand), we largely rely on foundation and individual support. However, in the few years since our founding (2005) I have learned that one cannot grow without taking risks. Often, expanded programmatic work--even without the financial support secured—will result in additional financing and many more opportunities. One can find inspiration in our core mission, that is to make the world more just for migrant workers who themselves take risks far greater than ours every day.
____________________________________
Global Workers Justice Alliance
113 University Place, 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10003
tel. +1-917-238-0979
fax: + 1-360-237-0979
See our website at www.globalworkers.org
I am based in Singapore and read your entry with great interest. As you know, developed countries in Asia like Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, have been bringing in migrant workers to take on jobs like domestic help, construction, sanitation service, etc. especially over the past 10 years, this has reached an all new high. Workers come from India, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Philippines, even Nepal.
In recent years the plight of workers that are getting unfair treatment has gained significant visibility - especially for those who were deceived by local agents to come to this part of the world on the promise of a job, and either were left jobless or ill-used at a different job. These cases have jumped in recent months as the economic downturn has impacted the construction industry, with the workers left behind like roadkill. I am curious if Global Workers has plans to extend their coverage to workers that are sent to this part of the world? If so, could you kindly contact me as I am keen to find out who your partners are in this region.
Thank you and I ernestly hope you will experience much success in your good work.
Thank you for your interest in our work. You are certainly correct that the situation for migrant workers worldwide is strikingly similar—workers arrive in the destination country with little to no information about their rights; are routinely exploited; then offered little mechanisms to redress those wrongs, even worse if they return (voluntarily or not) to their home countries. Portable justice issues—the right and ability of migrants to access justice even after they have departed the country of employment--the issue which we focus on, is sorely absent in the protection of migrants.
We are very interested in expanding our work to Asia. However, at this juncture, we are still only formally operating in 3 countries with our small staff. If we had the opportunity to expand, we would seriously consider it sooner than later as currently projected.
Since we are not yet working in your region, we have yet to have formal partnerships in place. I am familiar with some Asian organizations, especially the ones that participate in the international conferences on migrants rights (such as Migrant Rights International) but I am eager to make additional connections. Perhaps we can continue this discussion directly—cathleen@globalworkers.org. Thank you so much for this inquiry!
----------
____________________________________
Global Workers Justice Alliance
113 University Place, 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10003
tel. +1-917-238-0979
fax: + 1-501-632-0979
See our website at www.globalworkers.org
Comments
Dear Cathleen Caron;
The importance of cross border alliances to ensure that trafficking survivors are afforded every possible assistance- and are able to help others who they may have been held with- as your example points out- can not be overstated. The work you are doing is very important. I wonder if you could share with us how you identify- or help your partner organizations identify people in need of help. Do you reach out to them- and if so how are these people identified as people in need- or alternatively, do they reach out to you- and if so- how do they know about the services you and your partner organizations offer?
Also- there is an organization based in the UK called CHASTE UK that is also working on portable justice issues. They have done some great work in this area and may be a good resource as you continue to expand and cultivate best practices.
Laura Cardinal
Public Health and Human Trafficking Specialist
Dear Laura,
Thanks for the question and encouragement.
The people in need of assistance either find the organizations that we partner with or visa versa. In the USA, for example, most low-wage worker and anti-trafficking organizations have their own targeted outreach efforts. In the sending-countries, most of the partners in the Global Workers Defenders Network have some human rights outreach programs to the communities they work in. We then train and assist them to add labor and trafficking issues to their outreach. Each program is unique, again relying on our model to support initiatives already in place. So workers may hear about the local organization that now handles employment problems in the USA through a radio ad or maybe their local church (we have several church-affiliated organizations in our Defender Network).
Sometimes our work in the sending countries connects abused migrants that are still n the USA. For example, a 16-year old boy was injured in a construction accident a few weeks ago. He did not know where to turn for help so he called his mom in rural Guatemala. The mother
went to the local priest who contacted one of our Defender partners.
Through this round about way, that boy was told what services were available to him in the USA. The circuitous route amazed me, but it just underscored the need in the sending-country for resources about rights and services in the destination countries.
Thanks for information about Chaste. I just looked it up on the web.
It looks like they do very important work with trafficked women. I look forward to learning about their work in the countries of origin as well
Cathleen
----------
____________________________________
Global Workers Justice Alliance
113 University Place, 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10003
tel. +1-917-238-0979
fax: + 1-501-632-0979
See our website at www.globalworkers.org
Dear Cathleen,
Thanks for telling us about your much needed portable justice project. I would like to know how you work with organised labour and the ILO on some of these issues. I would also be interested how you advertise your services so that returning workers know that they can be in touch with your organisation if they have a legal problem.
Thanks. I look forward to hearing more about your programme.
Heather
----------
Heather Cameron
Professor
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Dear Heather,
Organized labor is definitely part of the strategy and it has been interesting how it has played out. In Guatemala, as a sending-country for example, what I quickly realized was that although the unions were generally very supportive, they were overwhelmed with incredible challenges in their own organizing efforts to take on their nationals who work outside of Guatemala. US unions see the benefit because they too have members that return home (voluntary or not) with pending legal problems. So they see portable justice as a direct benefit to their members. Moreover, one union has expressed interest in providing financial support (fingers crossed on that one).
Sending-country unions are also a potential source to identified workers who have suffered labor abuses. It could well be that a former member migrates and then goes to the union office to complain about their treatment while working abroad. Just last week, in fact, a union based in Indonesia contacted us about Indonesian workers on H-2B temporary visas that were underpaid while in the USA. We already have them in direct contact with an NGO in Texas that represents low-wage workers. Migrants, their mobility, and how creative we need to be to ensure they have access to justice never ceases to amaze me.
As for the ILO, besides speaking to some of their migration experts, I have not developed a strategy to become more engaged. Certainly, ILO complaints may be possible as we examine portable justice beyond domestic law enforcement.
As for your last question, workers do not contact us directly (the numbers would be overwhelming). Instead they contact our partner organizations who do their own outreach campaigns.
Cathleen
----------
____________________________________
Global Workers Justice Alliance
113 University Place, 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10003
tel. +1-917-238-0979
fax: + 1-501-632-0979
See our website at www.globalworkers.org
On July 16, 2008, the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Ending Global Slavery” Competition and would like to pass on the following feedback for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators who are exposing, confronting and ending modern day slavery. We wish you continued luck with your sustainable, innovative, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“This is an impressive program because it helps transnational migrant workers retain rights in their destination country, even after they have returned home. By using existing instruments, expanding them to new areas, and applying them to new initiatives, this organization has the potential for long-term success. We would like to learn more about its plans for expansion.”
- Changemakers “Ending Global Slavery” Judges: United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Trafficking, International Organization for Migration, Design Within Reach, Vital Voices Global Partnership, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Humanity United.
----------
The Changemakers Team
Ashoka's Changemakers
I appreciate the judges’ feedback very much. This competition was a unique opportunity to participate in a collaborative web competition and I gained much from the experience. Thank you.
As for the question to expansion, yes, we certainly plan to expand the Global Workers Defenders Network. How and when depends on demand for our services and financial support.
In the immediate term we are planning an extensive outreach campaign to US advocates after returning from upcoming trips to Mexico and Guatemala where we aim to bring the last partners formally on board. As a result of the outreach campaign, aimed at NGOS, private law firms and government entities that assist low wage migrant workers, we expect to receive many more calls for assistance for migrant workers who were exploited in the USA but have returned home. Undoubtedly, many of these new cases will be in areas where we are not yet currently working. When there seems to be enough demand in a particular geographic area, we will then undertake the discussions of formally expanding, whether in Mexico, Guatemala or a new country. As part of that process we will conduct outreach visits to start identifying potential new partners to determine the project’s viability in the new area. Unless there are organizations willing to work with us, we won’t expand into that area.
Of course, financing is an ongoing challenge and any expansion must be tempered by that reality. Although we have a revenue generating aspect to our case facilitations (which we hope to expand), we largely rely on foundation and individual support. However, in the few years since our founding (2005) I have learned that one cannot grow without taking risks. Often, expanded programmatic work--even without the financial support secured—will result in additional financing and many more opportunities. One can find inspiration in our core mission, that is to make the world more just for migrant workers who themselves take risks far greater than ours every day.
____________________________________
Global Workers Justice Alliance
113 University Place, 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10003
tel. +1-917-238-0979
fax: + 1-360-237-0979
See our website at www.globalworkers.org
Dear Cathleen:
I am based in Singapore and read your entry with great interest. As you know, developed countries in Asia like Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, have been bringing in migrant workers to take on jobs like domestic help, construction, sanitation service, etc. especially over the past 10 years, this has reached an all new high. Workers come from India, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Philippines, even Nepal.
In recent years the plight of workers that are getting unfair treatment has gained significant visibility - especially for those who were deceived by local agents to come to this part of the world on the promise of a job, and either were left jobless or ill-used at a different job. These cases have jumped in recent months as the economic downturn has impacted the construction industry, with the workers left behind like roadkill. I am curious if Global Workers has plans to extend their coverage to workers that are sent to this part of the world? If so, could you kindly contact me as I am keen to find out who your partners are in this region.
Thank you and I ernestly hope you will experience much success in your good work.
Regards,
Patsian Low (Ms)
Partner
Serenity Associates LLP
Dear Ms. Patsian Low,
Thank you for your interest in our work. You are certainly correct that the situation for migrant workers worldwide is strikingly similar—workers arrive in the destination country with little to no information about their rights; are routinely exploited; then offered little mechanisms to redress those wrongs, even worse if they return (voluntarily or not) to their home countries. Portable justice issues—the right and ability of migrants to access justice even after they have departed the country of employment--the issue which we focus on, is sorely absent in the protection of migrants.
We are very interested in expanding our work to Asia. However, at this juncture, we are still only formally operating in 3 countries with our small staff. If we had the opportunity to expand, we would seriously consider it sooner than later as currently projected.
Since we are not yet working in your region, we have yet to have formal partnerships in place. I am familiar with some Asian organizations, especially the ones that participate in the international conferences on migrants rights (such as Migrant Rights International) but I am eager to make additional connections. Perhaps we can continue this discussion directly—cathleen@globalworkers.org. Thank you so much for this inquiry!
----------
____________________________________
Global Workers Justice Alliance
113 University Place, 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10003
tel. +1-917-238-0979
fax: + 1-501-632-0979
See our website at www.globalworkers.org
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