Anti-Slavery International

Who is Anti-Slavery International?

Anti-Slavery International, founded in 1839, is the world's oldest international human rights organisation. They work at local, national and international levels to eliminate the system of slavery around the world by:
• Urging governments of countries with slavery to develop and implement measures to end it;
• Lobbying governments and intergovernmental agencies to make slavery a priority issue;
• Supporting research to assess the scale of slavery in order to identify measures to end it;
• Working with local organisations to raise public awareness of slavery;
• Educating the public about the realities of slavery and campaigning for its end.

Forced Child Begging Project:
In the last few years Anti-Slavery International have received reports from around the world concerning forced child begging. "We met one such boy - he was tiny, being only 6 years old. He was sent from his home in Guinea-Bissau at the age of 4 and has been learning the Koran and begging for his schoolmasters ever since. He took us to meet other child beggars. In truth, much of his education seemed to be learning how to get by on the streets.

Some local organisations try to help the children, but they can only offer services to a few of them.

What have we done to help?

21st Century Leaders funding will help Anti-Slavery International support key partners that work closely with the children; to draw attention to the abuse, those who benefit and the reasons it continues to be allowed. They will develop advocacy & actions aimed directly at governments, child beggars & their families, in order to protect & rescue children & to end the practice.

Supported by:
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York
Sir Michael & Lady Shakira Caine
Laurence Fishburne