April 05, 2021

247 – Perspectives on Transformation in Labor Trafficking, with Ben Skinner

31 minutes

Dr. Sandie Morgan and Ben Skinner discuss the nonprofit Transparentem. Ben describes the role Transparentem plays in combating human trafficking and creating better opportunities for those being exploited. They discuss the standards that must be put in place to combat labor abuse in global supply chains.

Ben Skinner

Ben Skinner is the Founder & Principal of Transparentem, a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance the well-being of workers and communities by exposing hard truths to those with the power to transform industries. Previously, as a journalist, he reported on diverse topics from five continents for Time, Newsweek International, Travel + Leisure, and others. His first book, A Crime So Monstrous, was awarded the 2009 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for nonfiction, as well as a citation from the Overseas Press Club in its book category for 2008. He was named an Adventurer of the Year 2008 by National Geographic Adventure.

Key Points

Transparentem adheres to the highest ethical standards of investigative journalism. They seek to document and expose hard truths while doing no harm in the process.

Transparentem investigates evidence of endemic problems that affect the health and welfare of a substantial number of workers and communities, including human trafficking and other forms of forced labor. Once documented, they bring their findings to the attention of companies with the leverage to address the problems, not only with their own supplier groups but also with the industry as a whole.

Holding companies accountable for their actions is very important but pressuring companies to cut ties with worksites where evidence of abuses are found too often leaves workers in worse places.

When signs of child labor or forced labor are found, Transparentem provides detailed reports to involved companies and engages with companies on remediation, providing recommendations on best practices to address these issues.

Many individuals that find themselves in an environment with forced labor were originally promised good jobs with fair pay. Transparentem works with companies in an effort to fix the jobs to be more in line with those that were promised to workers and to create good opportunities for those that are being exploited.

Resouces

Transparentem Website

Sweat and Toil App

A Crime So Monstrous

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Transcript

Dave [00:00:00] You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast; this is episode number 247 Perspectives on Transformation in Labor Trafficking with Ben Skinner.

Production Credits [00:00:11] Produced by Innovate Learning, Maximizing Human Potential.

Dave [00:00:31] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. My name is Dave Stachowiak

Sandie [00:00:37] And my name is Sandie Morgan.

Dave [00:00:39] And this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking, Sandie. Today we have with us someone who is an expert voice on human trafficking. They are going to help us in so many ways with perspective. And I’m really excited about this conversation. I’m so pleased to welcome Ben Skinner to our show today. He is the founder and principal of Transparentem to a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the well-being of workers and communities by exposing hard truths to those in power to transform industries. Previously, as a journalist, he reported on diverse topics from five continents, four Time, Newsweek, International Travel and Leisure, and others. His first book, A Crime So Monstrous, was awarded the two thousand nine Dayton Literary Prize for nonfiction, as well as a citation from the Overseas Press Club in its book category. For 2008, he was named An Adventure of the Year in 2008 by National Geographic Adventure. Ben, we’re so glad to welcome you to the show.

Ben [00:01:44] Thanks so much, Dave. Good to be with you and Sandie.

Sandie [00:01:46] All right. So, let’s dove in. I read a crime so monstrous a decade ago and then I pulled it out and read it again this year during January, National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. And even in your early work, you were focused on why things were happening. And so, thinking about that, I have this sense that being an investigative journalist made your approach to this a little different. Can you tell us what it means to you to be an investigative journalist?

Ben [00:02:27] Sure. So, the first two principles of journalism, ethical principles are seek the truth and tell it and do no harm in the process. And the code of Ethics for the Society of Professional Journalists has a long list of ethical principles which we here at Transparentem to seek to adhere to when we build our own ethical code around that. But for me personally, it was extraordinarily important when we’re talking about survivors when we’re talking about those that are currently suffering from slavery, forced labor, human trafficking, that that do no harm principle is put forward very strongly. Everything that I’ve done as a journalist and everything that we do as an organization, we go to great, great lengths to not only seek the truth and tell it, but to make sure that what we’re doing makes the lives better. For those that we are writing that we are writing about, that we’re reporting on, and at the very least doesn’t make their life any worse.

Sandie [00:03:35] So, Ben, how does your book, A Crime So Monstrous, fit your perspective now more than a decade later?

Ben [00:03:44] It’s a very good question. And first of all, I appreciate you picking it up again. I’ve been doing the same not only in anticipation of this but to touch base with myself from ten years ago and to see what’s changed. I think fundamentally, the definitions remain. Slaves are those forced to work, held through fraud, under threat of violence for no pay beyond existence. In our work today, we use the term slavery sparingly. We talk much more about forced labor. We talk about human trafficking. And that’s primarily because we seek to engage with...

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