It has been four years since Pasos Libres implemented the first DataJam Pasos Libres in partnership with IBM and the support of the United Nations guided for the vision of creating an innovation competition where young people and experts from diverse domains could learn, collaborate and develop tech-based solutions to eradicate modern slavery. This year, in close collaboration with the International Labour Organization, Walk Free, Traffik Analysis Hub, Verité, the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, The Responsible and Ethical Private Sector Coalition against Trafficking (RESPECT), The Future Society and Platzi, the DataJam Pasos Libres 2021 opened a new chapter of the competition by assuming the challenge to improve, scale, and expand existing tech tools to combat forced labour in the supply chains, a severe violation of fundamental human rights and a barrier for inclusive and equitable economic development.
The competition took place online from the 10th to the 19th of September. The ten-day competition included three days of intensive training in Spanish and English, divided into twenty talks, workshops, and networking sessions and seven days for development with the support of mentors. A total of 201 participants and 22 experts from 16 countries as well as 12 data-based solutions to disrupt forced labour through blockchain and artificial intelligence are part of the results of the successful fourth version of DataJam Pasos Libres. Judges from Pasos Libres, International Labour Organization, IBM, Traffik Analysis Hub, and Verité selected 3 winning and 2 outstanding teams based on the solution’s potential to tackle the proposed challenges, positively impact forced labour, and be developed after the competition.
To date, Pasos Libres has run four competitions bringing together 525 participants, 78 experts, and 19 partners, creating 12 exceptional winning solutions and 77 prototypes. With the support of global partners, the DataJam Pasos Libres has evolved through the years, consolidating as the first international technological competition against modern slavery and an alternative learning scenario about human trafficking and forced labour. Pasos Libres thanks all who contributed this year at the DataJam Pasos Libres. We are deeply grateful to our partners and look forward to many more years of positive impact to come with our future global competitions. Pasos Libres will continue advancing to expand its innovation competition’s format and provide new generations with the knowledge, skills, and power to disrupt modern slavery.
