Get in touch: +44 (0) 1273 491423 | hello@ardeainternational.com
Member Account
Menu
  • Home
  • Consultancy
    • Modern Slavery & Supply Chains
    • Sustainable Business
    • Business & Human Rights
    • Business Training, Guides & Toolkits
    • Fees for Environmental And Human Rights Consulting
    • Packages
  • Training
    • Online learning
    • Webinars
    • Workshops
    • Ardea Academy
  • Resources
    • Toolkits
    • Guides
    • Publications
  • Projects
  • About
    • Meet the team
    • Testimonials
    • Partnerships
    • Working with Universities
    • Volunteering
    • Modern Slavery Statement
    • Our Code of Conduct
    • Sustainability Policy
    • Join us
  • Insights
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Consultancy
    • Modern Slavery & Supply Chains
    • Sustainable Business
    • Business & Human Rights
    • Business Training, Guides & Toolkits
    • Fees for Environmental And Human Rights Consulting
    • Packages
  • Training
    • Online learning
    • Webinars
    • Workshops
    • Ardea Academy
  • Resources
    • Toolkits
    • Guides
    • Publications
  • Projects
  • About
    • Meet the team
    • Testimonials
    • Partnerships
    • Working with Universities
    • Volunteering
    • Modern Slavery Statement
    • Our Code of Conduct
    • Sustainability Policy
    • Join us
  • Insights
  • Contact
Home • Insights • Sustainable Business • Could Siddharth be working for you?

Could Siddharth be working for you?

By Larissa Prevett, Ardea International
31 Mar 2014

I had been thinking recently that I needed to do more with my mid-week evenings. Working mostly from home certainly has its benefits but it also has the tendency to turn me into a bit of a hermit from Monday-Friday. I then came across the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, taking place here in London from March 18 – 28, and I thought to myself: now here is an opportunity to support a worthy cause, learn about pertinent and real issues, and, above all, leave the house on a weeknight!

For those of you who don’t know, Human Rights Watch is a global organisation dedicated to protecting, you guessed it, human rights. A series of annual film festivals around the world serve to raise awareness of the abuses which are happening right under our noses. Through both documentary and fictional story-telling, the organisation reaches out to us about the issues it seeks to tackle on a day-to-day basis.

I skimmed the listings and one film in particular caught my eye – an art house film called Siddarth, directed by a Canadian Indian and based on a true story. The movie told us about trafficking and the risks of child labour from the perspective of the family who loses their child as a result of sending him to work at a factory in another city. It takes one through the journey of the parents piecing together what happened to their son, and their growing despair as they realise that he is simply untraceable. Life goes on without a Hollywood ending.

I am not a movie critic nor am I here to give you a layman’s review of the plot, acting, and cinematography. So why did this movie catch my eye out of a whole list of interesting features and why am I telling you about it here?

Perhaps it was partly because it was set in India, a country that I recognise has so much that needs fixing and yet I fell in love with instantly whilst volunteering out there last year. Perhaps it was also because it touched on an issue which I have become increasingly exposed to through my work with CLT envirolaw and our partnership with Finance against Trafficking.

The reality is that this movie isn’t just based on a single true story. It is based on many. Over the past few months I have heard a lot about the growing crime of trafficking, modern slavery and the worst forms of child labour. But thinking about it from this perspective –that of the family and their limited options– only served to reinforce my conviction: that there is a real need for businesses to act. Particularly in countries where poverty makes children even more vulnerable to the risk of abduction and forced labour, public sector resources are limited, and families of limited means have no one to turn to for help, businesses need to step up and fill a gap.

Do you really know exactly who your business engages and transacts with the world over? It’s a question worth asking yourself – Siddharth could be working for you somewhere along the line.
To find out more about how your business can help tackle trafficking in its supply chains visit http://www.financeagainsttrafficking.org/

Contact us:

Contact us to see how we can support you.

You can opt out of hearing from us at any time using the unsubscribe link in our emails. Read our full privacy policy.

Post navigation

Last story
Next story
Ask us anything. From simple queries to complex questions, we're always ready to chat with you. Give us a call. +44 (0) 1273 491423
Ardea International
  • About
  • Join us
  • Contact us
  • Membership Account
  • Newsletter Sign up
Our Services
  • Sustainable Business – Toolkits
  • Modern Slavery in your Supply Chain
  • Training, Guides & Tools
  • Ethics and Compliance

Leading Business Beyond Compliance

T +44 (0) 1273 491423
hello@ardeainternational.com

Ardea International
Fieldview • 21 Staples Barn • Henfield • West Sussex • BN5 9PP • United Kingdom

Get social with us

© Copyright 2023

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Disclaimer

Insights & news straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Insights & news straight to your inbox

Insert/edit link

Enter the destination URL

Or link to existing content

    No search term specified. Showing recent items. Search or use up and down arrow keys to select an item.