Freedom for humanity

Online Summit 2023

Modern Slavery,
a global Challenge,
Local Solutions

  • 00Days
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50 million

people are victims of modern slavery

1 out of 4

victims are children

71%

are woman

8 million

people in forced sexual exploitation

why you should join

This theme highlights the global nature of modern slavery and how it affects businesses locally. It emphasizes the need for a coordinated effort to combat modern slavery and the importance of businesses taking a leadership role in this effort.

Key Purpose:

  1. To educate and influence consumers; professionals in CSR, legal and HR positions; politicians; and other influential people in Western countries, i.e. the USA, to take a stand against Modern Slavery.
  2. To be a self-funding event with all profits going to support rescuing victims and providing study grants for survivors of modern slavery in USA and Australia.
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event speakers

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Melissa Monteiro

Melissa Monteiro

Melissa Monteiro is the Chief Executive Officer of the Community Migrant Resource Centre, Parramatta. Having a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work, Melissa has extensive experience of over 27 years within the community Sector.

Melissa Monteiro

Blake Loaney

Blake Loaney

Reach Manager of A21 in Australia, leading a team of dedicated staff and volunteers in A21's Reach strategy to educate and equip everyone to understand, identify, and reduce the risk of human trafficking. 

Blake Loaney

Paul Mergard

CEO at Destiny Rescue. has a Graduate Diploma in International Development and spent many years in the developing world, working with people who lived in extreme poverty or had been sold into slavery.

Paul Mergard

Dr. Hannah Thinyane

Director of Supply Chain Technology Research & Development at Diginex, an impact technology company that creates accessible and intelligent products to democratize sustainability. She has over 18 years’ experience working within and with government, business, academia, and UN; developing tools to identify and address power imbalances and vulnerabilities.

Dr. Hannah Thinyane

Nicholas Bernhardt

CEO and co-founder of Australian ESG tech company Informed 365. Informed 365 is an ESG (Environment Social Governance) platform that provides data transparency and drives efficiency in collecting, analysing, and reporting through advanced technology and automation.

Nicholas Bernhardt

Alexander Coward

Alexander Coward

Alexander is a Director at Pillar Two, a specialist business and human rights advisory firm. He is leading expert on modern slavery, supply chain transparency and stakeholder engagement. Drawing on eight years’ experience working for the Australian Government to shape Australia’s national response to modern slavery.

Alexander Coward

Matt Friedman

Matt Friedman is an international human trafficking expert with more than 30 years’ experience. He is CEO of The Mekong Club, an organization of Hong Kong’s leading businesses which have joined forces to help end all forms of modern slavery.

Matt Friedman

Dr. Ian Oppermann

Dr. Ian Oppermann is the NSW Government’s Chief Data Scientist working within the Department of Customer Service. He is also an Industry Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He heads the NSW government’s AI Review Committee and Smart Places Advisory Council.

Ian Oppermann

Freya Dinshaw

Freya Dinshaw joined the Human Rights Law Centre as a Senior Lawyer in 2018, and has over a decade of experience specialising in business and human rights. Freya’s work focuses on exploring opportunities for deploying advocacy, strategic litigation and international mechanisms to challenge the treatment of marginalised communities by governments and companies.

Freya Dinshaw

Dr. Stephen Morse

CEO of Unchained Solutions Pty Ltd, a Sydney-based consultancy that equips Australian organisations to comply with the Australian Modern Slavery Act. Stephen has over 25 years’ experience in entrepreneurial leadership in the not-for-profit and private sectors, both in Australia and overseas.

Dr. Stephen Morse

Fiona McGaughey

An Associate Professor of international human rights law at the University of Western Australia (‘UWA’) where she teaches in the Master of International Law. She has published widely on a range of human rights topics including modern slavery.

Fiona McGaughey

Dr. Katherine Christ

Christ is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting in UniSA Business. She is an expert in accounting for modern slavery risk in business operations and supply chains and recently founded the South Australian Modern Slavery Research and Practitioner Network. 

Dr. Katherine Christ

Samson Selladurai

Co-founded the "I'm Safe" app, a tech solution designed to prevent trafficking and abuse against women using live tracking and blockchain technology. He has a Master's in International Business from the University of South Australia and is also the director of Ruah Tech, a company specialising in Artificial Intelligence, VR, XR, and Web3 software projects

Samson Selladurai

Prof John McMillan

John has held the statutory positions of Commonwealth Ombudsman, Integrity Commissioner (Acting) for the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, Australian Information Commissioner, NSW Ombudsman (Acting), and member of the Australian Copyright Tribunal. John is an Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University, where he taught administrative and constitutional law from 1983-2003.

Prof John McMillan

Leanne Melnyk

Head of Impact & Partnerships at Quizrr, a Swedish-based company that empowers workers in global supply chains through digital training on their rights. She has a Juris Doctor with a specialization in Labour Law and spent close to a decade at the International Labor Organization Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour and the ILO/IFC Better Work Programme.

Leanne Melnyk

EVENT SCHEDULE

Time AEDTPresenterDiscussion

10.00am – 10.20am

Anna Ruth, Founder and
CEO, Freedom for Humanity

Welcome to Summit
Acknowledgement to Country - Introduction of Freedom for Humanity - How FFH Activities contribute to the advancement of Sustainable Development 2030 Goals.

Summit overview and introduction of Keynote speaker

10.20am – 10.45am

Professor John McMillan

Keynote address 

Prof John McMillan, Emeritus Professor at ANU, 

Integrity Commissioner (Acting), Australian Information Commissioner, NSW Ombudsman (Acting).
Reviewed Australian Modern Slavery Act

10.45am – 11.50am

Moderator:

Adriana Bora

AI Ethics researcher, Applied AI specialist, AI and Human Trafficking

PANEL 1: Supply Chain - Unfair and Unsafe Work Practices 

Panelists:

  • Leanne Melynk (Quizzr) – Head of Global Supply Chain 
  • Dr. Hannah Thinyane - Director of Supply Chain Technology Research & Development at Diginex
  • Alexander Coward – Director at Pillar Two

11:50am to 12.05pm

Anna Ruth

Highlight – FFH Partnerships

Part 1 Wrap up and Part 2 overview.

12:05pm to 12.20pm

Break – 15 mins

Break

12.20pm to 12:45pm

Dr. Ian Oppermann

Keynote Address 

Dr. Ian Oppermann,

NSW Chief Data Scientist and Industry Professor, UTS

12.45pm to 1:05pm

Freya Dinshaw

Keynote Address 

Freya Dinshaw

Senior Lawyer at Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC)

1.05pm to 2.15pm

Moderator: 

Fiona McGaughey

Associate Professor of international human rights law at the University of Western Australia (‘UWA’)

PANEL 2: The human impacts of modern slavery. 

        Panellists:

  • A21 – Blake Loaney, Reach Manager at A21 
  • Destiny Rescue – Paul Mergard – CEO of Destiny Rescue
  • CMRC - Melissa Monteiro – CEO at CMRC
  • Samson Selladurai – Cofounder of “I’m Safe” App, Director at Ruah Tech

2.15pm to 2.20pm

Anna Ruth

Highlight – FFH Partnerships

Part 2 Wrap up and Part 3 overview.

2.20pm to 2.40pm

Break – 20 mins

Break

2.40pm to 3.15pm

Bruno Roche

Keynote address 

Bruno Roche

Economist, Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker — Book Author: “Purpose into Practice, the Economics of Mutuality” Oxford University Press — Founder, the Economics of Mutuality — Former Chief Economist, Mars incorporated

3.15pm – 4.05pm

Moderator:

Fiona McGaughey

Associate Professor of international human rights law at the University of Western Australia (‘UWA’)

PANEL3: Business and Modern Slavery Statements – Preparation and Obligations  

     Panelists:

  • Dr. Stephen Morse – Founder and CEO of Unchained Solutions, Modern Day Slavery consultant
  • Dr. Katherine Christ – Senior Lecturer in Accounting at UniSA Business

4.05pm to 4.30pm

Matthew Friedman

Keynote address

Matthew Friedman 

CEO of Mekong Club

4.30pm to 5.00pm

Nicholas Bernhard

Keynote address 

Nicholas Bernhardt 

Co-Founder and CEO of Informed 365

5.00pm – 5.15pm

Anna Ruth

Summit Wrap up, replay, and contact information.

Close Online Summit