Human trafficking is often described as the new form of slavery for the 21st century. Despite difficulties in collecting data, recent analyses confirm that it is a serious and ongoing problem in many areas and much still needs to be done to prevent it, protect victims and ultimately eradicate it. In recent years, work has been carried out on the impact of counter trafficking, but more is needed on counter trafficking itself.
This online course is going to examine the programmes, practices and activities of counter trafficking by analysing aspects such as raids and rescues, litigation, organising, education. In particular, it will do so by looking at the specific case of South-East Asia (SEA).
The course is going to speak to experts in this area from trade unions, NGOs, international organisations and ask them how counter trafficking is done, what kind of organisations are involved, what the successes, challenges and failures are and what the role of research is, with the aim to equip participants with valuable insights, knowledge and skills.
This online course will study the programmes, practices and activities of counter trafficking. It will do so by speaking to experts from Trade Unions, NGOs and International Organisations who will examine case studies from their work and will debate the efficacy of actions in this area.
The course is structured in five Classes. The first Class provides an overview of trafficking, including definitions, laws, mechanisms and tools, with a specific focus on Southeast Asia. Class 2 examines advocacy around law and policy, including the importance of harmonisation. Class 3 discusses research on trafficking and some challenges, such as determining numbers and agreeing upon a definition. Class 4 debates the role of trade unions, which is crucial in ensuring that workers are informed and their rights are respected. Class 5 examines the challenges, strengths and weaknesses of current programming in countering child trafficking.
The course is self-paced and consists of interviews, case-studies and quizzes.
The course has been developed under the leadership of the Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Asia Pacific (APMA) coordinated by Institute for Human Rights and Peace Studies at Mahidol University, Thailand, which is one of the seven regional programmes of the Global Campus of Human Rights. In line with the Global Campus approach to teaching, the course includes inputs by the following lecturers and experts, drawn from a cross-section of constituencies, enabling participants to benefit from rich and varied competences, experiences and knowledge (read bios here):
Simon Baker
Trafficking Expert
Sebastian Boll
Regional Research Specialist, UN Action for Cooperation against Trafficking in Persons (UN-ACT)
Mark Capaldi
ECPAT Head of Research; Lecturer, Institute for Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University
Borislav Gerasimov
Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW); Editor of The Anti-Trafficking Review
Ussarin Kaewpradap
Program Officer at Solidarity Center
Anna Olsen
Independent expert on trafficking
The course is coordinated by Mike Hayes, Programme Director of the Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Asia Pacific (APMA).
Mike Hayes
Programme Director, Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Asia Pacific
Upon completion of the course participants will be able to:
You can start the enrolment process by clicking the "enrol" button.
The course is an Open Online Course, which means we do not select participants on any basis. Rather, we welcome anyone who is interested in learning more about the topic to enrol and study for free.
Our course is an Open Online Course, which means all components are open and totally free for anyone. A Certificate of Completion is available upon request and payment of a small fee for all those who successfully complete the Final Quiz.
There are no registration or tuition fees if you audit the course. If you wish to receive a certificate of completion, feel free to request it upon successful completion of the Final Quiz and the payment of a small fee.
We want all participants in our courses to enjoy a great learning experience and we strive to always improve accessibility. Each week of the course includes one or two video lectures with accompanying transcripts and reading materials. The texts are in PDF format, work at low bandwidths, are printable and can be zoomed to the desired size. Some readings may include pages from accessible websites. This makes all of them accessible to those who use assistive technology software such as screen readers. Likewise, weekly discussions and module quizzes can be completed through our platform which is accessible, for example, to people who use speech input, keyboard accessible controls or text to speech tools. For more details please visit EdX Website Accessibility Policy.
The course is self-paced so participants can study in their own time.
Progress checks are foreseen throughout the course in order for you to check your understanding and progress. They consist of different types of questions (true/false; yes/no; multiple choice; multiple answer; dropdown; drag and drop…). You can have unlimited attempts and can see what answers you got wrong/right. However, for a more effective and satisfactory learning experience we warmly encourage you to take the quizzes after having prepared for them properly and not at random. Also, remember to press the "Submit" button in each question to make sure the answers are recorded in our system.
To complete the course you must pass all the progress checks. If you complete the course as auditor, you will not receive a certificate. If you wish to receive an official Certificate of Completion and Transcript of Records, you will have to pass the Final Quiz. Once you have done that, you can then request the Certificate upon payment of a small fee.
If you so wish, at the end of the course - and if you have successfully passed the Final Quiz and paid a small fee - you will receive an official certificate confirming the completion of the course and your records. Before submitting your request in the certificate page, please make sure you have submitted the Welcome Survey and the User Experience Survey.
If you plan to use your course for job applications, promotions, or school applications, you may prefer to have a certificate that is officially signed. It is also a great way to give yourself an incentive to complete the course and celebrate your success.
Yes. All our courses can be audited for free. If you audit a course, you can participate in any or all activities and quizzes and complete them, but you will not receive a certificate. Do you still want some proof of participation? You can simply print the progress chart that you will find in your course page.