Podcast: The Fight Against Forced Labor in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan with the Cotton Campaign
Podcast hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Originally published at https://www.csis.org/node/65776
In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde is joined by Bennett Freeman and Allison Gill from the Cotton Campaign, a coalition of human rights NGOs, independent trade unions, brand associations, responsible investors, and academics, united to end forced labor in cotton production. Bennett and Allison share key elements to the Cotton Campaigns' success, and the critical steps necessary to fight against forced and child labor in countries such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
“There were many years where we couldn’t feel or see the progress on Uzbekistan. People told us it was impossible. People told us it was entrenched. People kind of told us to give up. I think the approach really proved itself: working together with civil society partners, particularly civil society partners on the ground together with a broad coalition of other stakeholders. And really not giving up is a way to make progress.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and I am confident that we will see progress on Turkmenistan as well.”
