RACE LAB is being launched in Samvedna. Samvedna is a Bhopal-based non-profit organisation, which is steadily engaged with the issue of exploitation and Human Trafficking for the last 15 years, specifically in the Bedia community of rural Madhya Pradesh.

The organisation is currently working in 60 villages in six districts i.e. Bhopal, Rajgarh, Guna, Raisen, Vidisha and Sagar. This organisation is one of a kind in the country with the knowledge, technical know-how and patterns of trafficking in the Bedia community. The organisation works on the prevention of human trafficking and rehabilitation of women, adolescents and children survivors. For prevention, the organisation uses access and connect to education as means of transformation whereas rehabilitation works with adult men and women for skill building and promotion of alternative forms of livelihood.

RACE LAB (Research, Advocacy and Capacity building against Exploitation Lab) is being launched as India’s first anti-human trafficking lab. There will be three verticals in the lab, such as, Research, Advocacy and Capacity building of stakeholders. Programmes would be run in the lab under each vertical. Its mandate is to end/combat Human Trafficking, and be the country’s leading think tank.

This RACE Lab will endorse United Nations Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) to end Human Trafficking, address issues of vulnerability and plan rehabilitation of victims, mainly by focusing on the goals set under SDG’s 4, 5, 8, 10 and 16.

Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, National Commission for Women has been a pioneer for establishing an anti-human trafficking cell in the NCW.

The launch of RACE, India’s first lab on human trafficking and support from NCW is an endeavour in the same direction. The event will include signing of three MoUs in multiple areas of cooperation. Tripartite MoU between Samvedna, Gujarat University (GU) and NCW will be signed.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (CCI INDIA) under its CSR) has been working closely with Samvedna.