Each week the Freedom Fund curates the most insightful and timely news stories about modern slavery. Check out what we’re reading among this week’s top slavery articles.

Brazil ordered to pay $5m to workers formerly enslaved on cattle ranch
The Guardian, 9 January 2017
In a landmark case, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that Brazil failed to prevent modern slavery over workers rescued in official raids between 1988 and 2000. The Court ordered Brazil to pay $5m to 128 former workers who were enslaved on a Brazilian farm. Read the Freedom Fund’s coverage of the case here.

Child slavery claims against Nestle, Cargill get one more chance
Bloomberg, 9 January 2017
Six men from Mali forced into slavery as boys to harvest cocoa pods have a second chance to go after some of the world’s biggest chocolate companies in U.S. court, saying the companies should have known their suppliers used forced labour. The companies are seeking to keep the lawsuit out of U.S. courts.

Investigation: Slavery at sea
Tempo, 8 January 2017
Thousands of Indonesian sailors have been trafficked and enslaved on Taiwanese vessels on the open seas, according to an investigation by Tempo magazine. The investigation finds that most of the sailors lack working visas and are not registered as migrant workers, making them especially vulnerable to exploitation.

Banbury lads to circumnavigate the globe on a moped and sidecar
Banbury Guardian, 6 January 2017
Two English men have set out to be the first people to circumnavigate the globe on a scooter with a sidecar to support the fight against modern slavery and raise awareness. Their 40,000 mile journey will take two years to complete and cover some 50 countries. The pair, who have been friends since childhood, will team up with Walk Free.

Poverty, trauma and early marriage affecting academic performance of Syrian refugee students
The Jordan Times, 4 January 2017
Jordan’s educators say many Syrian refugee students have been performing poorly in school due to psychological, cultural and financial pressures. Many refugee students have witnessed traumatic events and extreme violence, a counsellor said. Find out more about the plight of Syrian refugees in Jordan in the Freedom Fund’s report.

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Photo credit: UN Photo / Tobin Jones