Andrew Wallis is CEO at Unseen UK, a charity dedicated to eradicating modern slavery wherever it is found, and bringing safety, hope, and choice to the survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery. Andrew is a member of several boards for organizations that seek to end labor abuse, advocate for human rights and social justice, and enforce ESG. He discusses how Unseen is fighting modern slavery, and how leaders can do their part.
Unseen works with all the major statutory agencies to assist victims of human trafficking and slavery that are identified within the UK. They help paramedics and local government develop a more victim-based approach, tackle forced labor within business’ supply chains, and run the UK’s modern slavery helpline, which is a fully manned, 24/7 operation. The helpline receives calls from victims, concerned members of the public, police officers, and businesses. It’s critical that the call handlers understand the need for the victims’ confidentiality, as well as the legislation necessary to extricate them from their circumstances.
“There isn’t an industry sector or country that isn’t impacted by the issue of human trafficking,” Andrew claims. “I’ve stood in many conferences and told them that I wasn’t there to make them feel guilty; we’re all guilty. [We need to] get over [the guilt], and start thinking about how we’re going to get out of the mess we’ve built.”
Resources
Andrew Wallis on LinkedIn | Twitter
UnseenUK.org
ModernSlaveryHelpline.org
