ABOUT US
The Journey of Be Slavery Free
Be Slavery Free started in 2007, inspired by a poignant anniversary: the bicentenary of the end of the transatlantic slave trade in 1808. Initially launched as STOP THE TRAFFIK in Australia, the campaign began as a one-year collaboration between the Salvation Army and World Vision. However, it quickly became apparent that the problem of slavery had not been relegated to history. Astonishingly, there were more people enslaved today than during the 400 years of the transatlantic slave trade. This realisation led a coalition of organisations to start working together to create an impactful movement to tackle modern slavery.
Early efforts focused on chocolate — a product everyone recognises and enjoys. At the time, it had just been revealed that children were trafficked to harvest cocoa for the chocolate industry. The team began raising awareness, hosting chocolate fondue parties and speaking at any venue that would listen, urging chocolate brands to reform their practices. This approach helped connect a global issue with something tangible and relatable for consumers.
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At the heart of Be Slavery Free lies a belief in the power of partnerships. “No single person, organisation, or strategy can end modern slavery—it must be done together” Fuzz and Carolyn explain. This principle has shaped every aspect of their work, from forming coalitions to fostering collaboration across governments, businesses, and communities.
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After years of advocacy, companies began to change. Businesses started reaching out, asking for advice and guidance on improving their practices. Today, Be Slavery Free operates on a “name and fame” approach, working alongside companies to identify solutions, implement change, and celebrating their progress. This shift has deepened the organisation’s impact and expanded its reach.
Modern slavery advocacy comes with its challenges. As a relatively new human rights issue, funding is limited, and progress can feel slow. Government engagement often involves lengthy consultations and inquiries, while businesses must be convinced to act quickly and decisively. Despite these hurdles, Be Slavery Free has found ways to adapt. By fostering collaboration and focusing on measurable impacts, they’ve shown that persistence can lead to meaningful change.
Defining Wins
Throughout their history, several victories have stood out as milestones:
The Modern Slavery Act (2018): After years of advocacy, the Australian government passed this landmark legislation with cross-party support. It was a testament to the power of bringing diverse groups together to find common ground.
The Chocolate Scorecard’s Global Reach: Achieving a print media reach of 1 billion people demonstrated that Be Slavery Free was being taken seriously and driving widespread change.
The Cotton Campaign: Be Slavery Free joined global efforts urging fashion companies not to purchase cotton from Uzbekistan, where forced labour was rampant. Over 300 companies signed the pledge, including 100 from Australia. After 11 years of sustained pressure, the campaign concluded in 2022 when significant reforms were made.
Fuzz and Carolyn dream of a world where modern slavery no longer exists, and Be Slavery Free is no longer needed. But their legacy is not just about ending slavery - it’s also about inspiring a collaborative approach to solving some of the world’s most complex problems. Every time a business takes responsibility for its supply chains, a consumer chooses a product because the brand is transparent and responsible for the workers in the supply chain, or a conversation about modern slavery sparks awareness, the Kitto’s vision moves closer to reality.
Meet the Team
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Carolyn Kitto
Co-Director
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Fuzz Kitto
Co-Director
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Anna Jun
Campaigns
WHAT WE DO (formatting tbd)
Be Slavery Free is seeking to solve this global problem of modern slavery by preventing it from occurring in the first place.
We work with industry to employ practices that will eliminate slavery.
We educate consumers with the knowledge that they need to choose slavery-free products.
We network civil society to work together to end this heinous crime.
We lobby governments for better regulations and guidelines to stop slavery.
We live by the saying
“it’s better to build a fence at the top of the cliff, than run ambulances at the bottom”.
Your passion, interest, concern over this issue can have a huge impact to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking before there are victims to rescue. We invite you to explore our website, join our mailing list, sign our petitions and donate! We can solve this 50 million person problem, together.
EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN ENDING THE DEMAND AND SUPPLY OF SLAVERY. OUR ADVOCACY AND RESOURCES EMPOWER OTHERS TO HELP THE WORLD BE SLAVERY FREE.
HOW WE DO IT
Meet the board
BE SLAVERY FREE is a coalition of civil society organisations with on-the-ground experience in preventing, disrupting and remediating modern slavery.
THE GOVERNANCE OF BE SLAVERY FREE IS UNDERTAKEN THROUGH THE MEMBERS AND AN ELECTED BOARD.
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Dr Darian McBain
CHAIR OF THE BOARD
Dr Darian is a globally experienced Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), advisor and board member. She is a world recognised expert, speaker and author on sustainability, ESG, supply chains, business human rights and sustainable finance. She is a UN SDG Pioneer for a Sustainable Ocean Economy 2021, a Fast Company Most Creative People in Business 2020, and was named one of Asia's Top Sustainability Superwomen.
Darian was the inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer for the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the first CSO for a central bank globally. Prior to this, she was Global Director of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Thai Union Group, a multi-billion dollar listed FMCG company operating globally and headquartered in Asia.
Darian is the founder and CEO of Outsourced Chief Sustainability Officer Asia.
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Karen Dickinson
BOARD MEMBER & COMPANY SECRETARY
Karen Dickinson is General Manager, TAFE Queensland Gold Coast, joining the TAFE Queensland Executive team in May 2017. Prior to this Karen was Managing Director, Kimberley Training Institute (KTI), part of the TAFE network in Western Australia, a position she held for over 7 years.
Karen has a Masters in Health Services Management, Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety and Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing). Karen is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
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Irene Crowther
BOARD MEMBER
Irene is a lawyer and specialist in business and human rights. As a lawyer Irene worked predominantly in the community legal sector, using her skills to promote access to justice for her clients in a variety of practice areas. In this work Irene became familiar with the challenges facing survivors and pursued legal and other solutions, often partnering with other experts, to access remedy.
Irene’s prioritisation of rights-holders in her career and experience working with companies as a researcher gives her a unique lens in her human rights consulting. She has helped businesses find pragmatic solutions to amplify the voice of the rights-holder and embed human rights due diligence norms within their policies and processes.
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Nick Dexter
BOARD MEMBER
Nick Dexter has over over fifteen years of project and operational management experience in chemistry and data science organisations in New Zealand and Australia.
Nick is the Principal Consultant at Edge Environment. His previous work at Oritain had taken him to many countries and these experiences have left an indelible impact - to envisage a world where all people are free.
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Peter Loone
BOARD MEMBER
Peter Loone loves what technology can do to change the world almost as much as what people can do to change it. He started out as a Youth Minister in the Uniting Church before moving to Lao PDR for 7 years, where he helped set up the internet for the country and ran some tech companies along the way. Since 2002 he has been working in government or with the government in Canberra to deliver better technology solutions while trying to be a great Dad to two girls.
He believes there is a solution to every problem, including modern slavery. Peter serves on the Board as Chief Technology Officer.
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Rob Shelton
BOARD MEMBER
Like many of the businesses he advises, Robert Shelton has expanded his role at DFK Everalls since starting at the firm in 1993. Rob had been fascinated by business practice and structures since his early days and saw accounting as a natural path to follow his passion. Now the Managing Director since 2008, Rob has focused on keeping DFK Everalls' core values intact and embracing change as the business grows and new clients continue to partner with the firm.
Robert is Be Slavery Free’s Treasurer and his qualifications and memberships in this area include: Master of Taxation (UNSW), Bachelor of Commerce (ANU), Grad Dip Financial Planning. Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA), Chartered Taxation Adviser (CTA), Grad Member Aust Institute of Company Directors (GAICD)
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Skye Kakoschke-Moore
BOARD MEMBER
Skye served as a Senator for South Australia in the 45th Parliament where she was a passionate advocate for the advancement of human rights, the elimination of gender discrimination and the protection of children from sexual exploitation.
She currently is a team leader at JFA Purple Orange social-profit organisation that advocates for policy reforms to improve the life chances of people living with disability.
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Kyla Raby
BOARD MEMBER
Kyla Raby is an antislavery specialist with experience as a practitioner, researcher, and educator. Kyla has worked with survivors of modern slavery in several domestic and international settings where she has designed, implemented, and managed survivor support services. She is undertaking a PhD at the University of South Australia, exploring the role of consumers and lived experience in state based legislative responses to modern slavery in global supply chains. Kyla is a delegate with the International Red Cross and Red Cresent Movement which has seen her deployed to migration crisis’ in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, and Northern Greece. Kyla recently founded Everyday Slavery, an education-based initiative funded by the Australian Government which aims to enable the public to play a greater role in preventing and addressing modern slavery, both in global supply chains and the Australian community.
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