Netherlands
Dutch
knowledge - awareness - network - collaboration

Multidisciplinary education on Modern Slavery

MetaStory Institute Foundation specializes in education on socially relevant themes, focusing on modern slavery and human trafficking. We aim for the most significant possible impact in the fight against injustice by sharing knowledge and creating professional networks. As an independent institute, we also want to stimulate multidisciplinary collaboration and form a bridge between victim support, investigative authorities and other professional groups.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela

Introduction

Since 2000, founders Tamme de Leur and Oscar Pathuis have been involved in various ways in the fight against MSHT (Modern Slavery / Human Trafficking).

Over the years, they expanded their expertise and created a vast network of professionals. Along the way, they discovered an enormous lack of knowledge about modern slavery in all fields, from law enforcement to social work and NGOs.

Inspired by their regular meetings with the Dutch National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings, Tamme decided to get a master’s degree in Modern Slavery at Nottingham University.
Their educational institute now offers 15 EC minor courses for universities, multi-disciplinary post-grad courses, and advanced specialised courses for professionals.

Education and training

To date, 900 bachelor students have been trained, and more than 200 professionals have followed the post-grad course Combatting Modern Slavery. This course facilitates professionals actively working in victim care, government, law enforcement, business and NGOs: police officers, volunteers, nurses, bank employees, HRM managers, defence specialists and labour inspectors.

The staff of MetaStory Institute are also involved in advisory work and count among their network partners ICMPD, OSCE, the European Salvation Army, GRETA, Dutch national and regional politicians, Dutch law enforcement and the Dutch Ministry of Defence.

CURRICULUM

  • Introduction MSHT (definitions, international law, smuggling, human rights, data and black numbers, history of slavery, important stakeholders)

  • Sexual exploitation (theories and perspectives on victimisation, traumas, the sex industry)

  • Labour exploitation (methods, perspectives, labour regulations, international law, supply chain)

  • Organ trade (international law, causes, the HOTT-project, future perspectives)

  • Politics, law, culture and religion (international prostitution regulations, theoretical and empirical perspectives on justice, cultural factors in modern slavery, gender issues)

  • The fight against MSHT (international models, Twelve Challenges Framework, barrier model, signals and prevention, roles of law enforcement and NGOs)

  • Media and technology (victim blaming, semantics, press coverage, new technology for tracking down perpetrators and victims)

  • Ethical issues (best practices/bad practices, human rights, conflicts of interest, victim care)

Tamme de Leur

Founder, lecturer and international adviser on modern slavery. Work experience with ICMPD, Dutch National Police, OSCE, European Salvation Army, Organised Crime Field Lab, Dutch parliament, Wageningen University, University of Nottingham

Oscar Pathuis

Co-founder of MetaStory Institute, e-learning developer, video specialist with a background in journalism and public relations

Esther Vlot

Project leader, lecturer with a background in social work providing assistance to women and children who are victims of human trafficking