John Schultz, COO at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and advocate against modern slavery, discusses the alarming prevalence of forced labor today, affecting 50 million people globally. He highlights how data and AI can uncover hidden injustices within supply chains, transforming insights into actionable strategies. Schultz emphasizes the crucial role of business leaders in fostering transparency and ethical practices, urging them to dig deeper into their companies to combat these issues. A call to action resonates throughout, underlining the importance of collective collaboration against modern slavery.
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insights INSIGHT
Modern Slavery's Hidden Scale
There are more slaves in the world today than at any other point in history.
Modern slavery takes many hidden forms that don't fit classic images of slavery.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Slavery Hidden in McDonald's Workers
In the UK, trafficked workers at McDonald's had their wages siphoned to a criminal gang.
These enslaved workers served customers unaware of their exploitation.
insights INSIGHT
Causes of Modern Slavery
Wars and disruptions increase refugee populations, making them vulnerable to slavery.
Exploiters profit from enslaving people while consumers may unknowingly support it.
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Set in Czechoslovakia during the 1968 Prague Spring and its aftermath, 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' follows the lives of Tomáš, a surgeon and serial adulterer; Tereza, his wife; Sabina, Tomáš's mistress and an artist; and Franz, Sabina's lover. The novel delves into philosophical themes such as the concept of 'lightness' versus 'heaviness', drawing from the ideas of Nietzsche and Parmenides. It explores the characters' experiences with love, sex, loyalty, and betrayal, all set against the political turmoil of the time. The story examines the human condition, the search for meaning and happiness, and the consequences of the choices made by the characters[2][3][5].
Slavery is not a problem cast to the annals of history. Modern slavery and forced labour are hidden in plain sight, found everywhere from nail salons to pristine factories, impacting 50 million people worldwide. Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s John Schultz explains more about this worsening problem and how it impacts economies and communities. He also explains how data and artificial intelligence are being leveraged in new ways to draw insights from sources such as from shipping reports, photos, supply chain data and victim impact statements to tackle this issue in a way that’s never been possible before. He shares the collaborations in place that are broadening data pools and the simple question business leaders must ask to dig deeper into their own firms to make real change possible. This interview was recorded in at the Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland, January 2025. About this episode: HPE: About the World Economic Forum’s Global Data Partnership Against Forced Labour: Photographer Lisa Kristine: About this podcast:Transcript: Related Podcasts:What most people get wrong about progress: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker: Understanding the housing affordability crisis - and what’s needed to fix it: Habitat for Humanity CEO:
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