WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today at Pepperdine University, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah announced the Campus Challenge to Counter Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) - a competition that seeks new and innovative ways to end modern slavery.

Across three phases and through the website ChallengeSlavery.org, the CTIP Campus Challenge is designed to increase global awareness about trafficking, inspire activism among students and scholars at colleges and universities worldwide and generate new, creative ideas and solutions to stop human trafficking and help the 20.9 million people around the world are enslaved in sex or labor exploitation. 

During the first phase from October 11th to November 28th at ChallengeSlavery.org, students will have the opportunity to participate in discussion groups on various trafficking subtopics, host online conversations, and crowd source issues that will frame the problems to be addressed in the next phase.

The contest phase, from November 28th to January 8th, will be open for applications from U.S. and international students proposing innovative technological solutions to advance TIP prevention and protection.  From January 9th to 30th, the ChallengeSlavery.org community will be invited to rate the proposals and provide suggestions on how submissions can be improved.  On February 1st, USAID will announce the semi-finalists and in the following three weeks, semi-finalist proposals will be judged by an expert CTIP and technologist panel.  The winners will be announced at the end of February and will be invited to share their proposals with donors, CTIP and technology professionals.

Included in the implementation of the USAID’s 2012 C-TIP Policy, and building on President Obama’s speech at the Clinton Global Initiative, USAID policy and programs place a heightened emphasis on innovation, technology, and empirical research to help prevent trafficking and provide assistance to victims. 

USAID is partnering with Not for Sale, Slavery Footprint, Free the Slaves and MTV Exit on this project to maximize our efforts and inspire millions of people already working on this issue and invite new activists to the cause, ultimately, strengthening the movement to return freedom to the millions of people robbed of their dignity every day. 

For complete details visit: http://challengeslavery.org/