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ODID Alumni Create New Open Access 'Beyond Trafficking and Slavery' E-Syllabus

Two ODID alumni, Neil Howard and Cameron Thibos, have created the world's first free, open access e-syllabus on forced labour, trafficking and slavery as a resource for activists, academics, trade unions, governments and NGOs at a time when efforts to understand and address these issues are intensifying.

The European Union has recently adopted a new strategy, to be overseen by the EU’s Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, which has led to a wave of new initiatives. However, according to Neil and Cameron, the frequently poor track record of past efforts in this area means that there is an urgent need for both additional research and further conversations regarding the best pathways forward. With labour exploitation and inequality on the rise, and debates over migration intensifying, high-level policy debates regarding forced labour, trafficking, and slavery can be expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

The 'Beyond Trafficking and Slavery' Short Course seeks to influence these debates by bringing together the best available research, and by both formulating and evaluating the merits of competing proposals for reform, the creators say. It also aims to inform a new wave of scholars, policy-makers, and practitioners who are currently making their way through school systems and universities around the world.

The e-syllabus brings together 167 contributions from 150 top academics and practitioners into a 900-page, eight-volume set. The resource is free to download, as well as print and classroom ready, with the goal of reaching not only practitioners and students in the global north, but also readers working in organisations and institutions unable to pay for academic journal and subscription services.

Find out more.