What We Do

In working to abolish modern-day slavery and provide support and empowerment to survivors, the AASG’s programs are geared toward promoting awareness, engaging in advocacy and activism, and providing direct aid for victims.

National Speakers Bureau

Slavery survivor Francis Bok receives the Suze Orman First Book Award

The first step to abolishing contemporary slavery is to educate the public that it still exists. Through our Speakers Bureau, former slaves, slavery experts, and activists working in the field tour the country teaching about modern-day slavery and what the public can do to help eradicate it. AASG speakers address churches, synagogues, universities, businesses, community groups, and civic gatherings throughout the United States and the world.

Direct Aid

Photojournalist on the ground in southern Sudan, documenting a direct aid mission

Through partnerships with organizations on-the-ground, the AASG provides much needed support to victims of slavery. This includes food, shelter, jobs and job training, rehabilitation, education, and even enables slave rescue missions. Some of the organizations we work with include Christian Solidarity International in Sudan, SOS Slaves in Mauritania, South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude in India, and Digital Divide Data in Cambodia.

Bearing Witness Program

Our Bearing Witness Program supports the work of survivors of slavery to become activists in the modern abolitionist movement. AASG recruits and provides support for survivors who are willing and able to serve as public advocates for their cause. This program also organizes trips to Sudan for community leaders and the media to witness redemption work. Our survivor associates have addressed the United States Congress, been invited to the White House, toured the country sharing their stories and message of abolition, and published autobiographies and memoirs of their experiences, including an anthology of modern-day slave narratives due to come out in fall 2006.

Divestment

In the 1980s, divestment was used as an effective tool in ending apartheid in South Africa. The same model of divestment has been revived to pressure the Sudanese government to stop its campaign of slavery and genocide. The AASG is at the center of this movement, setting up online divestment petitions for state and university campaigns, co-founding the Divest Sudan Coalition, providing divestment workshops at national conferences, and even testifying to the Massachusetts state legislature in support of a statewide bill for divestment.

Public Events

In an effort to boost public awareness, the AASG organizes events every year, primarily in New York, Washington D.C., and Boston. Through rallies, candlelight vigils, and national conferences, the AASG brings media attention and community awareness to the issue of contemporary slavery.

Internship Program

Dedicated activists sign up for the Freedom Action Network

The AASG Internship Program fosters activism and empowers young people to be the voices of change in the abolitionist community. This program offers students a unique opportunity to become leading activists worldwide. Find out more about how to get involved in our internship program.

San Diego Chapter

The AASG’s San Diego chapter is led by a core group of dedicated volunteers who work to spread our message of abolition. Through anti-slavery events, information sessions, and fundraising events, the San Diego chapter supports the work of AASG and enables us to connect with activists on the west coast. Most recently, the San Diego chapter organized a matching funds campaign, raising over $20,000 to support the AASG/CSI program to provide aid to Darfuri refugees living in Southern Sudan.

Who We Are

Associates

• Simon Deng
• Beatrice Fernando
• Daowd Salih
• Micheline Slattery
• Jay Williams
• Mohamed Yahya
• Abdel Nasser Ould Yessa

Staff

• Krista Basis, Communications Director
• Chris Beaman, IT Manager

Board of Directors

• Dr. Charles Jacobs (President, Founder)
• Rev. Gerald E. Bell
• Carey D'Avino, Esq.
• Dr. John Eibner
• Elizabeth Gordon, Esq.
• George Lewis, Jr.
• Rick Mann, Esq.
• David A. Ross
• Steven M. Rothstein
• Jesse Sage