Global Action for Freedom Summit Press Briefing

The Press Briefing was organised by Ms Seema Naidoo, Founder and CEO of the Hope to Heal Foundation.

The press Briefing to officially announce the Global Action for Freedom Summit that takes place in February 2022. The Summit will address two serious pandemics that is affecting the entire world, Human Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence. The reason for the Summit is to bring together Global Stakeholders from across the Globe on one Platform to devise an International strategic plan to abolish Human Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence Globally. We intend to raise awareness by making the Global Action for Freedom Summit available to the public at large.

Therefore, the purpose for this press briefing is to make it known Globally that Hope to Heal Foundation has taken their stand in the fight against Human Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence and to call upon Government entities, the private sector, and the public sector to step up the Fight against Human Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence by joining and playing their part in the Global Action for Freedom Summit.

Currently there are more slaves in the world than ever before in history.

Covid 19 has had a devasting impact on Victims of Human Trafficking and has resulted in the increase of Child Exploitation, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has stated their concern as children are being trafficked for Sexual Exploitation, Forced Marriage, Forced Labour, Forced Begging and Forced Criminality. Traffickers have taken advantage of the Global crisis as more people have lost their jobs resulting in them being more vulnerable to being trafficked. There has also been an increase in online Child exploitation due to lockdown restrictions as more children are confined to their homes spending more time online.

Not only has Covid 19 caused further exploitation of victims but Climate change as well, according to a recent report from Anti-Slavery International whereby they found that the two are connected as it is having a serious impact on vulnerable communities as they migrate to secure employment and better living conditions making them more vulnerable to being trafficked. Therefore, new Anti-Human trafficking strategies need to be devised to Combat Human Trafficking effectively and this is the main objective of the Summit.     

According to the February report from the United Nations, it has been detected that trafficking victim tripled and male victims, has increased five times in the past 15 years. Girls are mainly trafficking for sexual exploitation and boys for forced labour. The Summit is vital given the current state of the world which is Bleeding from these crimes against humanity.

Below are some of the topics that will be discussed at the global Summit

• Child Exploitation
• Economics sectors that profit the most
• Organ Harvesting

• Migrant and smuggled people
• Effects of human trafficking on the economy
• What the obligations of sates with respect to human trafficking

The Press Briefing took place on the 29 September 2021 at The Tryst Sandton

There will be a National Campaign (Hope for Freedom Campaign) that will lead up to the summit, to create awareness and compile research and statistics for the summit.

To achieve all the above and to make an impact we need financial support, and we are calling upon all Corporate South Africa and individuals to assist us in achieving our goals. You can give Victims of Human trafficking Hope for Freedom.     

Quote from Seema Naidoo

“Every person has the Right to Freedom of Life, Free from violence, abuse and exploitation”