Photo by Milorad Drča. Creative Commons BY-NC-ND.

On Monday the 9th of October, Beyond Slavery and Trafficking launched a virtual round table on the future of work. Produced in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, this project brought together 12 leading experts to explore 1) how and why work has changed, 2) the impact of programmes to encourage ethical consumption and investment, 3) ways of encouraging business leaders and policy makers to prioritise working conditions, 4) strategies for effectively responding to the global 'race to the bottom’, and 5) practical suggestions for how existing regulations and organisations can keep up with global changes.

The round table is not yet complete. To help continue this important conversation, we are now circulating this open call for a second round of contributions which respond to specific issues and challenges from the round table. It is on this basis that we are encouraging submissions which take the following form:

1. Responses to the individual questions and accompanying answers that featured in the round table. The five questions from the round table are summarized above (1-5), and can be found in full here.
   
   
2. Responses to the joint funders statement which was produced by the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, and the Sage Fund. This statement speaks to fundamental questions regarding philanthropy and funding, so we are keen to feature responses that address its specific conclusions.
   
   
3. Responses to the original Ford Foundation report – Quality Work Worldwide – which identified a number of strategies for improving protections against labour exploitation and vulnerability, and for enabling workers to more effectively participate in shaping their terms of employment.

Since the round table covers so much ground, we are chiefly looking for contributions which focus upon specific issues and questions. Not everything can be covered within a single response.

If you are interested in participating, we would welcome a written paper of between 500-800 words. Your paper should be in an accessible, op-ed-style and specifically focus upon one of the three core topics which have been listed above. The round table conveners, Joel Quirk and Cameron Thibos, will be primarily responsible for selecting submissions for publication. As per our standard editorial practice, all potential contributions will be edited for language, clarity and structure (which authors then sign off on prior to final publication). Submissions which engage in personal attacks will not be accepted.  

We welcome submissions from now until the end of October, 2018. Given the nature of the topic, we are keen to feature contributions from many different perspectives, including journalists, activists, officials, funders, and researchers. Papers should be sent via email to [email protected]. You can also consult our submission guidelines. For further information or questions please contact [email protected] or [email protected].