Humanity United

The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST) is a non-partisan coalition of prominent U.S.-based anti-slavery organizations dedicated to developing and advancing a national policy agenda for abolishing slavery and human trafficking.

In February 2007 Humanity United organized the group, which consists of 10 prominent member organizations from the non-governmental, philanthropic, and corporate sectors. The group is reinforced by more than 20 allied and advising organizations that lead anti-slavery efforts throughout the world.

ATEST’s work to date has focused largely on the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000. Congress passed the TVPRA in late 2008, and included more than 90 percent of the group’s proposed amendments. Additional projects include work through the appropriations process to increase the total amount of federal funding available for anti-slavery work, and a public opinion research project to determine the level of understanding and engagement of the U.S. public on the issue of slavery. ATEST members, working with allies and advisors from leading anti-trafficking and abolitionist organizations, recently completed a memorandum for the Obama administration that outlines recommendations for improving the U.S. government’s response to slavery. Find out more in Partner News.

Current member organizations include the Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking, Carlson Companies, Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking, Free the Slaves, International Justice Mission, Not for Sale, Polaris Project, Ricky Martin Foundation, Solidarity Center, and Vital Voices.

About This Photo

Maria Suarez came to the United States when she was just 15 with a dream to make money and care for her parents. She thought she was getting a housekeeping job. Instead, Maria was enslaved for five years inside a house on a busy street in Los Angeles suburb. Today she is free. (Free the Slaves/Peggy Callahan)

http://www.endslaveryandtrafficking.org