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Humanity United and Changemakers are launching a global competition to identify innovative approaches to exposing, confronting, and ending modern-day slavery. The online competition will help raise awareness of the hidden problem of forced labor and provide a collaborative forum for those working to battle it.
Today over 27 million children and adults are in slavery or bonded labor around the world—more than any other period in human history. One of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world, modern-day slavery is largely hidden from the public eye and thrives on the rising global demand for inexpensive, unskilled labor and commercial sex.
“While this problem is disturbing and growing at an alarming rate, it is also solvable,” says Randy Newcomb, president of Humanity United. “Inventive, passionate entrepreneurs are bringing new ideas to bear against this crime against humanity every day. We’re committed to discovering those individuals and helping to bring their solutions to scale.”
Ending Global Slavery: Everyday Heroes Leading the Way aims to find holistic solutions to modern-day slavery by recognizing individuals and organizations that have raised awareness of the issue’s root causes, liberated those in bonded labor, and successfully reintegrated former slaves into communities. This one-of-a-kind competition celebrates and welcomes innovations on policy, research and grassroots levels.
“Humanity United is committed to supporting the most sustainable, long-term solutions to the problem of modern-day slavery. By using Changemakers’ groundbreaking social solutions platform, they will be able to convene a network of innovators, stimulate dialogue and raise awareness of this obscured and complex issue,” notes Charlie Brown, executive director of Ashoka’s Changemakers.
The competition will accept applications on the Ashoka’s Changemakers website at Changemakers.net through June 11, 2008. During this time, applications will be available for review, comment and discussion on the website. Once the competition has closed, a panel of judges will select approximately 12 finalists and three winners. The winners will receive $5,000 in funding to pursue and expand their work.
About Humanity United
Humanity United is an independent grantmaking organization committed to building a world where modern-day slavery and mass atrocities are no longer possible. Established in 2005, Humanity United supports efforts that empower affected communities and address the root causes of conflict and modern-day slavery to build lasting peace. The organization invests in the power of ideas and individuals, bringing together the best in research, policy, and public pressure to activate local and global solutions.
About Ashoka’s Changemakers
Changemakers is building the world’s first global online “open source” community that competes to surface the best social solutions to the world’s most pressing issues. Changemakers focuses on thematic, collaborative competitions, inviting innovators from around the world to profile and collaborate with a global community of investors, thought leaders and enthusiasts. To date, Changemakers competitions have attracted thousands of high-impact solutions from more than 125 countries. Changemakers builds on Ashoka’s 27-year history identifying and selecting leading social entrepreneurs and its belief in an “Everyone a Changemaker” global society.
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dsylvester[.]ashoka.org 
