Freedom Makers: The academy that educates on modern slavery and supply chains
It is estimated that 17.3 million people are victims of modern slavery in the supply chains of multiple industries in the formal and informal economies worldwide. Additionally, many companies in Latin America do not report specific information about modern slavery risk management nor provide consumers with the necessary data or tools to ensure that they are acquiring goods and services free of exploitation.
That is why Pasos Libres created Freedom Makers Academy, a program that seeks to educate Latin American youth, companies, and suppliers about the global phenomenon of modern slavery, emphasizing supply chains, due diligence, and corporate social responsibility. The academy aims to create alternative learning scenarios to educate the next generation of citizens capable of stopping human trafficking and forced labor through innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology.
Within the Freedom Makers Academy framework, Pasos Libres, in partnership with The Future Society, with funding from the Australian Embassy in Colombia, created the course Modern Slavery and Supply Chains: The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science. The course aims to educate university students in Colombia about the problem of modern slavery in global supply chains and the alternatives to face it with technology-based solutions. The course addresses the importance of promoting transparent supply chains through formulating, publishing, and analyzing modern slavery statements by local and foreign companies operating in Colombia.
The first edition of the course impacted 205 students from 22 undergraduate and postgraduate programs at 17 universities, including Universidad Externado de Colombia, Universidad de La Salle, Universidad El Bosque, Universidad Icesi, Universidad Santo Tomás, Universidad Popular del Cesar, Universidad del Cauca, and Universidad del Quindío.
Based on the experience and results of the Modern Slavery and Supply Chains course, Pasos Libres will launch a Trainers Program for undergraduate students in 2023. The program’s objective will be to train young facilitators to replicate educational activities on the issue of modern slavery and accelerate the Freedom Makers community growth in Colombia.
For more information, visit: https://fundacionpasoslibres.org/english/freedommakersacademy/