HOW WE CAME ABOUT
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Although very different, Youth Underground was inspired by the youth initiatives of End Human Trafficking Now! (EHTN), a pioneering initiative created by businesses for businesses that helped bring human trafficking and modern slavery to the world’s attention at a time when these crimes were widely misunderstood and largely ignored.
End Human Trafficking Now!
In 2006, End Human Trafficking Now (EHTN) became the first global initiative to engage the private sector in the fight against human trafficking. It pioneered business engagement in anti trafficking efforts by placing companies at the center of prevention, ethical business practices, and supply chain responsibility. Launched during the Business Community against Human Trafficking Roundtable in Athens, Greece, EHTN brought together businesses, governments, international organizations, and civil society to develop solutions against modern slavery and human trafficking. Through initiatives such as the Athens Ethical Principles, EHTN established a global framework encouraging companies to prevent human trafficking, protect human rights, and take responsibility for their operations and supply chains. Its groundbreaking work helped shape today’s global conversation on business responsibility and human trafficking prevention.
Youth Against Human Trafficking
Youth Against Human Trafficking was a social media platform through which the youth were given a voice to share and organize their own activities. The youth were always an important part of EHTN’s activities since its creation in 2006. EHTN tried to include a young people’s section in all its events, which was not only a learning experience for the youth and EHTN itself, but also an opportunity to hear what young people had to say. It was in this spirit that YAHT was created, in response to the feedback received throughout the years from young people (teenagers, school/university students) wanting to become more involved in raising awareness and taking action against human trafficking. It was a platform for the youth to express themselves and share their thoughts about ending this illicit trade. YAHT became the largest global youth social platform dedicated to the voice of young people against human trafficking.