The João Alfredo Corrêa de Oliveira Counselor Medal recognizes the nonprofit’s role in combatting human trafficking in Brazil.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, UNITED STATES, June 24, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Global anti-trafficking nonprofit, The Exodus Road, was awarded the prestigious João Alfredo Corrêa de Oliveira Counselor Medal from the Regional Labor Court of the 6th Region in Brazil. The medal, awarded on May 28, 2024, as part of a night of recognition presided over by the TRT-6 president, Judge Nise Pedroso Lins de Sousa, was accepted by Brazilian Country Director Cintia Meirelles.

The award, named for famed Brazilian abolitionist João Alfredo Corrêa de Oliveira, recognizes individuals and organizations who have made a significant impact in combatting labor trafficking and exploitation in Brazil. Oliveira was a Brazilian politician and statesman best known for his pivotal role in the abolition of slavery through the passage of the Lei Áurea in 1888.

Meirelles’ acceptance of the award honors her direct leadership of groundbreaking partnerships between The Exodus Road and law enforcement agencies in nine states across Brazil. She was recognized alongside fellow honorees and peers, including Fernando Antônio Caminha Dueire (Senator of the Republic for Pernambuco), Alfredo Macedo Gomes (Rector of the Federal University of Pernambuco), Antônio de Pádua Vieira Cavalcanti (Regional Superintendent of the Federal Police), Pedro Pontes (Attorney General of Recife) and Eridson Fernandes Medeiros (President of the Regional Labor Court of the 21st Region and Coleprecor).

In the three years that The Exodus Road has operated in Brazil under Meirelles’ leadership, more than 30,000 law enforcement officers have been trained to recognize and respond to human trafficking through an online training platform. Developed in collaboration with Cellebrite, TraffickWatch Academy: Brazil features expert Brazilian voices leading high-quality, tailored, and applicable training for law enforcement. In addition to the training courses, Cellebrite and The Exodus Road gifted 11 Universal Forensic Extraction Devices (UFED – now known as Cellebrite Inseyets) to key law enforcement agencies in Brazil.

The placement of UFED (Cellebrite Inseyets) technology has dramatically accelerated law enforcement’s ability to investigate and respond to trafficking — a crime that is increasingly complicated by the challenges of data extraction and processing.

“We are inspired by the tireless work of our partners at The Exodus Road and are committed to the shared mission of protecting children,” said Marque Teegardin, President, Cellebrite Americas. “It is truly rewarding to see our solutions helping law enforcement make a measurable, real-world impact in the fight against human trafficking.”

To date, the combination of training and technology implemented by The Exodus Road and Cellebrite has led to law enforcement action resulting in freedom for nearly 400 survivors of human trafficking and the arrest of more than 40 perpetrators.

Reflecting on the significance of the award, Meirelles says, "Receiving the João Alfredo Corrêa de Oliveira Counselor Medal is of deep significance to me as it underscores the collective efforts and dedication of The Exodus Road team in our fight against human trafficking. This award not only recognizes our work in collaboration with law enforcement and technology partners but also highlights the importance of our mission. We've witnessed remarkable progress in public awareness and police training in Brazil. We've seen communities become more vigilant and proactive in identifying and reporting trafficking cases. Our work with law enforcement has led to more effective and compassionate interventions. Together, we are making a tangible difference in the lives of countless individuals in Brazil."

As Meirelles referenced, The Exodus Road’s presence in Brazil has also included targeted public awareness campaigns. Working with Brazilian Actress and Model Thaila Ayala (@ThailaAyala), The Exodus Road created a public awareness campaign drawing attention to the prevalence of exploitation in the labor sector. The video, which portrays a representative story of labor trafficking in the life of a model, has reached more than 6 million viewers to date.

Most recently, The Exodus Road partnered with renowned director Renato Barbieri on the January 2024 release of his film Servidão. The documentary takes an unflinching journey through the history of slavery in Brazil, emphasizing the role each person has to play in abolishing it.

Cintia Meirelles has served as The Exodus Road’s Country Director for more than three years. With an undergraduate degree from the Mackenzie Presbyterian University School of Business (Sao Paolo, Brazil) and a Masters in Intercultural Studies from Trinity International University (Deerfield, Illinois), she is also a wife and mother. Meirelles’ professional experiences include working alongside World Relief to help establish care for refugee families in the U.S., as well as leadership in a ground-breaking case study that led to increased inter-organizational solutions to the refugee crisis in Venezuela.

About The Exodus Road

The Exodus Road is a global nonprofit disrupting the darkness of modern-day slavery by partnering with law enforcement to fight human trafficking crime, equipping communities to protect the vulnerable, and empowering survivors as they walk into freedom. Working side-by-side with local staff, NGO partners, and law enforcement around the world, The Exodus Road fights to liberate trafficked individuals, arrest traffickers, and provide restorative care for survivors. Since its founding in 2012, the organization has assisted police in the rescue of 2,600 survivors and the arrests of more than 1,300 offenders, numbers that grow almost daily. The Exodus Road’s approach to freedom incorporates intervention, training and education, and aftercare efforts.

In training and education, The Exodus Road offers a suite of online and in-person curriculums, including: INFLUENCED, a curriculum equipping United States parents and teens to participate in the online world while avoiding the dangers of exploitation; TraffickWatch Academy: Brazil, an online training curriculum specifically designed for law enforcement partners; and Equip and Empower, a human trafficking prevention education curriculum for at-risk youth in Thailand. Cumulatively, the organization has trained more than 38,000 officers and citizens through its educational curriculums.

The Exodus Road combats human trafficking in the U.S., Thailand, the Philippines, India, Brazil, and in another undisclosed Latin American country. The nonprofit was founded in 2012 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and still calls the city home for its U.S. office.

For additional information or to make a donation to help stop human trafficking, please visit The Exodus Road’s website at https://theexodusroad.com/.

Preston Goff
The Exodus Road
+1 719-941-9755
email us here

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