Collaborating with corporates in the fight against trafficking

The private sector as partners by Helen Sworn

Knowing our areas of core competency and influence have always been a foundational ethos and practice for us at Chab Dai. A decade ago when Chab Dai was set up as a coalition, there were few partners in the movement outside the NGO sector. 

However, during these years we have seen a new generation of stakeholders who previously had only been seen as the problem and not part of the solution. These partners are from the business sector and, although there is still a level of suspicion between the NGOs and businesses, there is also a growing collaboration emerging internationally.

Businesses supporting human rights

Monique Villa

This was evident at the recent Thomson Reuters Trust Forum conference in Hong Kong, which I was privileged to attend. Among the 200 attendees, more than 70% were corporate businesses - law firms, the banking industry, PR and communications companies, as well as government figures and journalists who are, at last, interested in reporting on the more complex, emerging and in-depth issues beyond the sensationalized media.

During the conference, these corporate representatives were put on the spot by the Thomson Reuters CEO, Monique Villa who had some innovative grassroots organisations present their needs. There ensued an open floor request for pledges of support from the attendees. I was fascinated and encouraged to see lawyers, design companies and others publicly commit their expertise to these causes. 

Stopping exploitation with multi-sector collaboration

Andrew Forrest

One of the keynote speakers was Andrew Forrest, an Australian mining magnate who stepped back from his corporate position four years ago to dedicate his time, energy and significant resources and influence to the anti slavery cause.  An interesting observation was how he started with his own corporation, carrying out a supply chain audit and calling out others to do the same.

Of course, we still have a long way to go but I think that we are beginning to take hold of the vision and need for multi-sector collaboration, which is the only way we will ever see an end to the exploitation of human lives.

Hong Kong image by Shizhao, used under Creative Comms licence. Other images courtesy of © Thomson Reuters.

Celebrating 10 years of collaboration

It was Thursday May 7^th 2015 and almost exactly 10 years since the very first Chab Dai member meeting took place in June 2005. 

Chab Dai staff were assembling, dressed in their finest traditional sampot, and attendees from many of our 53 member organisations were arriving at the ICF conference rooms in Phnom Penh.

Here at Chab Dai, we wanted our first Bi-Annual Member Meeting of 2015 to be as joyful an occasion as possible, so there was a photo booth on hand, ready with sequins and all manner of fun props to pose with.

The day’s sessions began with a warm welcome from founder and International Director, Helen, who also presented a 10-year timeline of Chab Dai’s history, staff and national/international events over the last decade (available to view here).

“It’s exciting to see the expansion of Chab Dai. At the beginning it was mainly expats but today’s meeting has many Khmer participants, which is great to see.” 

Sheila Reid, Advisor for EFC

Next, Sue Taylor from Hagar shared her take on collaboration - everything from building professionalism together to thinking about long-term, trauma-informed care - while Christa Sharpe of IJM counselled on the importance of stopping to celebrate our achievements, despite the ongoing struggles we may face in the anti-trafficking field.

Members were invited to add their thoughts to our hand-themed comments board, while those who made it upstairs promptly for the coffee break got first pick of the fantastic spread of Bloom cupcakes, complete with a Chab Dai twist. Of course, networking is what Chab Dai is all about so we couldn’t pass the opportunity for a session of speed-networking before lunch as well.

“I love the sense of community and working as part of a larger team,” Ruth Larwill, Bloom

The afternoon began with a strong performance from theatrical group EPIC Arts, delivering a powerful message for society to see ability, not disability.

The theme for this part of the day was looking to the future. Vutha Hing from Cambodia Development Resource Institute gave an update on the forthcoming ASEAN Economic Community, while Helen took the floor once more to talk about what economic integration will mean for the Greater Mekong Sub-Region – and the trafficking issue. Many of our partners and members also gave updates on a diverse range of subjects, from LGBT-Christian dialogues to new research on youth access to pornography.

Reconvening for Day 2 of the Member Meeting, participants were given a choice of workshops. I spent an informative few sessions learning about the great migration-prevention training schemes run by Samaritan’s Purse, insightful research on attitudes towards trafficking from within the church community by Sophorn Phong, Hannah Sworn and Love 146’s Glenn Miles, and a look at the nuanced level of care delivered to special needs survivors by ARM.

“The more we share education and resources, the more we are effective…there are so many unique gifts here that I don’t have to be an expert on everything,” Judy Norman, Mercy Medical Clinic

The two-day event managed to cover a good deal of lessons learned from the past, with equal weight placed on what we’re looking forward to and need to be ready for in the future – and a healthy dose of celebration. So a big thank you to everyone who attended and here’s to the next ten years…!

Retracing the Vision

I am still learning that the journey of life and vision passes in seasons.. Sometimes the sun shines and other times it's hard to see a way through the darkness.

My most recent season has certainly consisted of more darkness than sunshine and a friend reminded me the importance of reflecting on the beginning of the vision to remember the start of the journey and why I took this path.

Last month we had the delight of having our daughter visit from university.  While she was here we had a sort out (one of the things my kids dread about me entering their rooms!) and she decided to clear out some of her childhood soft toys. While she was sorting them, she was explaining to me the ones that she would never get rid of as they had significant emotional memories and attachment.

As she was pulling them out of the bag, she set aside the ones she wanted to keep and among them I saw a familiar small doll hand made out of pink wool.  I asked her why she kept that doll and she explained that she wanted to keep it because the girl gave it to me for her and she always wanted to remember how a little girl who had nothing but this doll and had gone through so much wanted to give it to her. Seeing the doll took me back to an event more than 15 years ago that was a catalyst for the beginning of a vision and the work I am now doing.

The event involved both a physical and metaphorical journey that was instrumental in the immediate project work I was involved in and unknown to me at the time, planted the vision for founding Chab Dai.

The physical journey involved a few hopeful (and naive) expats and Cambodians who were disturbed by the increasing events and stories of children being traded and transited through the Cambodia/Thai border in Poipet.  At the time we didn't understand that this was indeed trafficking but knew that this was something that could not be ignored and so set out to research the issues and to see if other organisations were seeing the same as us and were trying to address it.

The more than ten hour journey (which today would take about two!) on roads that had potholes the depth of a car, in an old Toyota land cruiser with very little in the way of suspension was pretty brutal to say the least!  On more than one occasion did I wonder what I was doing on this journey!

During our time in Poipet I met a young girl of about five years old who had been trafficked to Bangkok with her baby brother to beg on the streets.  She had been separated from her family and had no idea where they were or where her home village was.  I talked to her and explained that I had a daughter her age and a son her brothers age.  As we talked she showed me a doll she had made out of wool in the shelter she was in.. And as I was about to leave, she gave me the doll and asked me to give it as a gift of friendship to my daughter.  I was deeply touched by her generosity and selflessness.  This was my first interaction with a survivor and one I have never forgot.

I have no idea where that girl or her brother are today, which is one of the agonies of working with survivors.

However, that meeting forever changed the course of my vision and of my life journey and my hope is that in turn it has touched and changed the lives of many others.

A fellow pilgrim,

Helen

Cambodian Inspiration Leads to a Global Model of Collaboration

I am sitting in a hot dilapidated meeting room with our local team right now in Cambodia. I am listening to the amazing hopes and plans that they have committed themselves to, in order to see the vision of collaboration and working together become a reality. I can also see their passion for partnership and how critical it is to addressing trafficking and abuse.  These young Cambodians are setting an example for the rest of us right now, and here is why...

Most NGOs in Cambodia (as well as in other developing nations, no doubt) are used to being the recipients of external assistance in the form of monetary aid, foreign experts as well as in program frameworks and development theories from ‘westerners’ and other developed nations. 

Of course, these elements have assisted Cambodian society move on from its post-civil war environment and have helped established both frameworks and infrastructure for many aspects of the nation’s growth. However, the result of this has been two-fold in brief: those bringing to Cambodia, although with good intentions, develop a sense of entitlement and superiority with little true accountability and collaboration with others. Secondly, Cambodians are now saying that they are through with being regarded as a ‘victim’ nation, viewed as having little capability to become responsible for the future of their society.

This makes the scaling up of a locally ran coalition to a global learning community, even more than just a replication of a successful model.

It means that Cambodians are now innovators. When they export their grassroots practice of collaboration to the developed world, it empowers and encourages their national population to see themselves as more than just recipients and more as contributing counterparts within the international anti-human trafficking movement.

Sometimes I wonder if I am too optimistic in thinking that we can make a difference through partnership, even though I have been committed to this for more than ten years. But as I listen to our team, I believe the dream is still alive and worth pursuing.

One hopeful pilgrim....

Has Somaly Mam's Story Exposed Some Deeper Issues of Fame & Fortune in the Anti-Trafficking Movement?

Somaly Mam has resigned from her self-named foundation following the recent Newsweek expose article concerning her fabrications and dishonesty - I certainly agree that she has made the right decision to step down, which demonstrates that there are consequences to her actions.

However, I see this as only half of a much bigger story.

Since the early 2000's, when the issues of human trafficking hit the media spotlight, journalists, governments, celebrities and donors have been looking for ‘heroes’ to endorse the cause and increase their credibility, status and in general, to justify their own actions and agendas.

What ensued for the next decade was the manifestation of these new 'rules' to the anti-trafficking movement. Competition for funding and fame was characterised by anti-trafficking organisations and individuals compromising the dignity of clients and consistently pursuing a sensationalised approach to the issue. By and large, it was those organisations who were able to secure the most funding for their programs and gain the most accolade both personally and organisationally. In contrast, those who did not exploit the faces and identities of clients to elevate their own image as ‘saviours’ are ironically the ones, to this day, who struggle to keep their professional programs operational.


How easy is it to 'celebritise' someone when there are various agendas in the mix - not just Somaly's. And how easy to bring her down and see this as an isolated incident of lies and deception rather than a sign of a more systemic issue within the anti-human trafficking movement.


What a skewed playing field it has become.
As a coalition of 58 organisations working on this issue in Cambodia for more than 9 years, we have had numerous conversations about the tension this has caused.  Many NGO workers on the ground did not want to compromise the dignity and fuel the sensationalised approach to the issue.

However, all of them felt pressured to do so and many, compelled by their overseas offices, did so in order to raise funds. At that time, I predicted that if we were to take a more dignified and educated approach that sought to engage donors and others, we would find it much harder to secure funds and fame.

Unfortunately, I was correct, and that has been exactly what has happened.

So who else should be responsible?

In a similar parallel, I have witnessed incidents of small local development NGO entrepreneurs here in Cambodia who quickly rocket to fame when it suits their 'promoters' - whether they be donors, government or others. Within a short timeframe, huge amounts of funds and attention are poured out on them, often with no thought to the impact of doing so. These local development entrepreneurs are flattered by the attention and jump through the hoops of those promoting them. However, it is quite a different story when that same heroic entrepreneur begins to syphon off funds, treat their staff badly, stop listening to voices of reason around them and eventually become dictatorial and unaccountable. Of course, responsibility sits at the feet of such people, but it is easy to forget who helped to elevate them to that position and predicament.

So before we simplify the case of Somaly, let us acknowledge that no-one exists in isolation - just as her actions impacted those closest to her, the influencers in her life, whose own agenda was endorsed by her rise and fall, should now take responsibility for their part.

Let's see who does.

The True Celebrities of the Movement

By Helen Sworn

With the vast amount of media coverage on celebrities in relation to issues on human trafficking, poverty and human rights, I thought it was time to raise the profile of the true celebrities of the movement. However, it is unlikely you have ever heard of them. They have never written a book or been featured in a glossy magazine, attended a Hollywood award ceremony or had the paparazzi follow them. Their work is not glamorous, and in most cases, it is undertaken in dirty and humid communities and sometimes hostile situations. It is in these situations where they believe they can have the most impact on the most vulnerable. They do not see themselves as heroes or deserving of features and ceremonies highlighting their work, nor does the public see them as such - but I do.  I am talking about the true heroes of the movement, our Khmer Leaders.

While raising funds for organizations are important, their impact goes beyond the organization. In their current projects and communities, our leaders are explaining the need for protection and valuing of a child's dignity and ways in which to protect these rights. Some of our leaders are traveling the dirt roads of Cambodian provinces to listen to the experiences of 128 survivors of sex trafficking. This way we can understand how to assist survivors more efficiently within our programs and help support them in the reintegration process with their families and communities. Our leaders have been doing this for almost 5 years now and are committed to these amazing participants for a total of 10 years.

Many of our Khmer Leaders are supporting counselors and social workers that are often overwhelmed by the daily stories and trauma they hear from survivors. They work tirelessly with the Cambodian anti-human trafficking police to help close cases and find justice for these survivors. Others are meeting key community officials, such as teachers, village chiefs and religious leaders to show them how in their positions of influence, they can protect the most vulnerable populations within their communities. Last year alone they educated more than 11,000 people.

I could go on and on about the true dedication and efforts of our Khmer Leaders but I hope I have proved my point. Let's not forget who the true celebrities of the movement are!

From Small Beginnings

Richard Branson said that it is amazing how long it takes to become an overnight success..

I was stood in the Chab Dai member meeting two weeks ago, looking out at more than 160 participants from more than 50 member organizations, remembering our small beginnings.

I am always inspired and encouraged by our member meetings but at this one, our fourteenth, I found myself reflecting on the past and how we got here.

The very first 'official' Chab Dai member meeting was held less than a week after we began in June 2005.

In many ways that was the most daunting meeting of all.. Not only was I organizing everything from logistics to food, chairing and note taking but this was the real test to see how much commitment and support there would be from these first twelve member organizations to the vision and goal of working together to end sexual abuse and trafficking.

We have experienced many successes and failures in the time between that first meeting and this month's fourteenth meeting. We have embarked on many ambitious projects - the most recent one being the Chab Dai Charter which in many ways epitomizes everything we have been working towards during these years - committing ourselves to excellence in all we do.

I am not only encouraged by the increase in participant and member numbers but more in hearing them share their commitment to excellence within their projects and organizations makes the vision more of a reality to those who we are committed to.. The care and long term healing for survivors and beyond that to inspiring new advocates among these survivors and their communities.

..the path to success is often marked by many failures and numerous lessons learned but as long as we keep the goal in sight, and are able to see how far we have come, it helps us keep going on this journey.

Still working - still hopeful

Helen

Follow Helen on Twitter @helen_chabdai

The Paradox of the Leadership Lens

Chab Dai Cambodia Leadership Team
(Left to Right: Dara, Muylen, Sithy, Helen, Yeng)

One of the greatest privileges of my life has been to lead the amazing team and work of Chab Dai.

It has been a source of some of my life's greatest highs and most extreme lows, it has inspired me with the many amazing people I have come to know and admire, and broken my heart by showing me the impact of those who perpetrate horrendous crimes against the vulnerable.

I have to admit that reflection has never been one of my strengths - it is something that, for me, requires discipline and space; neither of which i have a lot of! My leadership preference has always been in the vision, future possibilities and strategies of the organisation, but I have had to learn how to balance the extremes of many other aspects within the leadership experience.

I remember when I first entered a leadership role and was told that 'it is lonely at the top'. At the time it seemed strange when I was surrounded by so many people for much of the time. However, I soon realised that it was apparent that decision-making and holding ultimate responsibility for the organisation can in fact be - well - lonely.

Another interesting extreme is the tension and partnership of being focused on the strategy and vision of the organisation and at the same time, keeping myself informed of its activities, challenges and successes, the new ideas being discussed, and how the team are doing.

Perhaps some of the greatest extremes exist in my mind - the need to look at a situation or issue through three mindsets simultaneously. The first is looking and assessing the facts of the present situation. The second, to reflect on past experiences to see if there are any lessons I have learned to apply to the present situation, and finally to look at the implications and inspirations from the present, on the future.

I see leadership as a journey rather than as a destination which means I still have a lot to learn even after many miles of travelling!

A fellow traveller,

Helen

Partnerships – really, what are they?

I love my drive into work - even in the chaos of Phnom Penh traffic, it gives me time to think about my day, what is possible, what didn't work, why I think what I think and numerous other random thoughts that pass through my mind!

                            

My latest discovery in the car is my voice memo app on my iPhone. I know that many people have been using this app for years but I am a little behind technology in general. The great thing about this app is that I can now record these random thoughts rather than risk injury to my fellow road companions!

This week my thoughts, among other things, have been around 'What is Partnership?'

This phrase has become a part of the politically correct terminology we are expected to use in our work, church and communities. My worry is that it has become so normal in our vocabulary that we may have missed the point of it entirely or not even considered it's challenges and possibilities.

The US State Department, Trafficking in Persons office have even added the word to the existing 3 P's of Prevention, Protection and Prosecution - so we now officially have 4 P's to include Partnership. I guess my worry is that we often drift into partnerships knowing that this is how we should work rather than being deliberate and strategic and asking 'why'.

We all have our own frameworks for the word - for some it provokes a nice, warm feeling of how great it is to work in partnership - for some there is tension in how to balance this with the natural competitiveness among organisations and individuals?

If we become more deliberate and 'purpose driven' (to coin the phrase from Rick Warren's bestseller) in partnerships, looking at how we can, dare I say it, 'measure' them, are we degrading the relational essence of partnership and collaboration. Does this make them less desirable if we are focusing on outputs and not just our input?

Chab Dai is an organisation whose very soul and ethos is about collaboration and partnership. We are not immune to these issues and need to challenge ourselves at every level of our partnerships..

I guess for me, as I wrestle with this, it comes down to a basic question that I need to continually consider - What is the most effective way to develop deliberate partnerships to end global trafficking and abuse - and how do I measure them?

I think I need a few more car journeys for this one..

A fellow pilgrim,

Helen