What is Break the Chain?
Break the Chain is an intensive online programme that will bring together young leaders and changemakers from across ASEAN and Australia to better understand modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labour, and work together to find regional solutions.
Running from January 30th to February 28th 2021, 2021’s digital programme was held over 5 sessions, delivered on the weekends, with further training and activities delivered alongside this.
The exclusive programme was co-delivered with partners and provide opportunities for collaboration, knowledge-sharing and skill-building through workshops and masterclasses with leaders in the field. The aim of the programme was to create an energised, capable, and dynamic network of young people to become the next thought leaders and innovators on the topic of modern slavery and human trafficking.
The programme’s focus on building connections and promoting thought leadership amongst engaged, informed and capable youth culminated in our Communique highlighting youth perspectives on policy and business solutions, opportunities for collaboration and the prominence of these issues in a post-COVID region.
The Break the Chain Programme applications are currently closed.
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Why is now the time for multilateral collaboration?
In the wake of COVID-19, youth-led regional collaboration on issues of modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labour is more important than ever.
Economic instability from COVID-19 is leading to a predicted increase in labour exploitation. School closures have left young people vulnerable to early marriage, forced labour and sexual exploitation. UNDODC has warned of increased enforcement measures from lockdown further driving transnational crime underground, whilst impacting on state’s ability to provide essential services to victims of crime. Non-essential services such as on-site police and labour inspections have also been affected, and some justice systems are limited in the services they can provide.
All of these factors mean that modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labour are set to significantly increase. Already, there are currently an estimated 45.8 million people living in slave-like conditions throughout the world. As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to unfold, it is critical that we accelerate regional collaboration to combat these issues.
Australia and ASEAN remain at the forefront of the global trend in addressing these issues. In passing the Modern Slavery Act 2018, Australia joined the forefront of the global trend in seeking to address this issue on both a global and regional scale. Now more than ever, there is an appetite for international co-operation on this issue.
Now is the time to harness this attention to highlight innovative solutions and feature young voices on an issue that disproportionately affects young people in the Indo-Pacific.
Break the Chain Programme
What is the Break the Chain Programme?
The 2021 programme consisted of a series of exclusive webinars, workshops, and networking events led by the Break the Chain team, the delegates’ own experiences, experts, and leading organisations working on modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labour in the region.
The programme focused on:
- Developing and building knowledge about the nature of modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labour in the region in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Upskilling young leaders in the field in important skills such as policy pitching, design thinking, and project planning
- Creating a regional network of young people engaged in modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labour and promoting Australian and ASEAN people-to-people relationships
- Promoting and amplifying the voices of youth across the ASEAN region and Australia in the modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labour space
The programme provided delegates with the opportunity to share their own unique experiences within workshops and sessions, as well as facilitating the production of an Op-ed on the most prominent and emerging issues about modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labour in the region. This Op-ed will soon be published on the AASYP Horizons blog.
Delegates also contributed to the production of a youth voices communique that will, with the help of regional partners, be utilised to advocate for increased youth representation on a broader platform.
Our Sponsors
Break the Chain is proudly sponsored by
SD Strategies is a boutique consultancy who is passionate about helping businesses turn corporate aspirations into tangible action. They support businesses to understand modern slavery, identify gaps in systems and processes and implement practical actions to manage operational and supply chain risks. SD Strategies helps companies shape policy, advance practice and strengthen accountability to integrate respect for human rights and environmental sustainability into their business decision making processes.
Founded by Fran Baxter and Marcela Lapertosa, Value Learning Pty Ltd is a consulting business committed to advancing global competence and fostering intercultural understanding. Value Learning provides consultation, facilitation, and program design and development to education, non-profit, and government organisations.
Partners
Break the Chain is proud to partner with:
Walk Free, powered by Minderoo Foundation, is an is an anti-slavery organisation headquartered in Australia. The Foundation focuses on a multi-faceted approach to engage a number of stakeholders, including governments, businesses, academics, civil society, and faiths, in global initiatives to drive change and build awareness around the complex and often hidden nature of modern slavery.
The Bali Process Regional Support Office (RSO) provides technical support to the Bali Process and to strengthen regional cooperation on refugee protection and international migration, including people smuggling and trafficking in persons.
Rumah Faye has a vision of a world where every child’s right to live, be protected, grow up, and participate is met. To see that vision come to life, we have a mission to raise awareness in our community about child trafficking and hopefully create a home for survivors of trafficking.
Anti-Slavery Australia is the only specialist legal practice, research and policy centre committed to the abolition of modern slavery in Australia.
World Vision is a community of change makers – generous Australian donors, community members, staff and valued partners who mobilise to make a real and lasting difference in lives around the world.
Migrant CARE works to strengthen the protection of women migrant workers from exploitation and discrimination by improving the protection and services provided by the government.
The Ethical Trade Alliance has been established to simply leverage innovative technology to enable consumers to make informed choices about the products they purchase.
The Indonesian Child Welfare Foundation was founded 41 years ago, in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. The quality society should be built since childhood, by ensuring the fulfilment of basic rights and needs, physically, mentally and spiritually.
Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics [“H.O.M.E.] is a Singapore-based charity founded in 2004. HOME is dedicated to empowering and supporting migrant workers who find themselves victims of human rights violations and suffer abuse and exploitation.
The Pacific Links Foundation invests comprehensively in at-risk women and youth to prevent trafficking, and in survivors to help them build new lives.
Unchained Business Services is a social enterprise that inspires Australian organisations to be leaders in making an impact on modern slavery through the Australian Modern Slavery Act.
Voice of the Free is a Philippine-based hybrid organization that combines social care, social entrepreneurship, and mobilization of social movements to achieve lasting social change.
Village Focus International is based in Laos and dedicated to ending trafficking through integrated action linking care (shelter, health care, counseling) to cause (land and food security).
The Australia Indonesia Business Council (AIBC) is the peak, non-profit business association involved with the promotion and facilitation of trade and investment between Australia and Indonesia.
Resources
Learn more about Modern Slavery,
Human Trafficking and Forced Labour
Walk Free’s Global Slavery Index measures the extent of modern slavery country by country, and the steps governments are taking to respond to this issue, to objectively measure progress toward ending modern slavery. The Index draws together findings from across estimates of prevalence, measurement of vulnerability, and assessment of government responses, alongside an analysis of trade flows and data on specific products.
Start learning today with Australia’s first-of-its-kind, free online training program on modern slavery.
The course is comprehensive, covering all forms of slavery and human trafficking, including international conventions, Australian legislation and specific content on trafficking, slavery, servitude, forced labour, forced marriage, debt bondage, child labour and organ trafficking. The course includes case-studies, quizzes and best practice standards for working with vulnerable people.
The power we have as consumers is greater than you might think. No company will continue a practice or product that you the consumer will not buy. If we can demand greater transparency in supply chains and encourage companies to know exactly who is making their products we can help put an end to child labour.
The Bali Process Regional Support Office (RSO) provides technical support to the Bali Process and to strengthen regional cooperation on refugee protection and international migration, including people smuggling and trafficking in persons.
IMPORT EXPORT Show
AASYP’s Mikaylie Page spoke with Lawrence Christoffelsz live on the IMPORT EXPORT Show hosted by TickerTV and the Ethical Trade Alliance. IMPORT EXPORT discusses the latest bi-lateral trade opportunities and innovations across every aspect of international trade, logistics and supply chain.
Modern Slavery Reporting for Importers and Exporters
AASYP Modern Slavery Youth Project representative Mikaylie Page discussed how business action on modern slavery is tied to consumers increased desire for ethical products with Michael Milnes (Supplied Legal), David Brightling (Australian Border Force), Serena Grant (Walk Free Initiative), and Lawrence Christoffelsz (Ethical Trade Alliance).
Our 2021 Team
Dana Throssell
Lee Bing Tan
Irfan Rahdian
Natasha Kuswanto
Michelle Lam
Hanh Tran
Nivedita Shankar
