NFN Online
The National Freedom Network
It takes a network to bring down a network.
NFN Online is the networking, collaboration, and learning space for those fighting Trafficking in Persons.
Collaboration and support for the counter-trafficking movement
If you work in a counter-trafficking space in South Africa, then your day-to-day challenges are many. Securing funding, collaborating with trauma-informed professionals, upskilling your volunteers, and providing holistic support to a survivor — these are just some of the challenges you could face in one day.
It’s easy to feel despondent about the monumental mission of counter-trafficking and you probably have days when you feel very alone in your work.
But it does not have to be that way.
It takes a network to bring down a network
The National Freedom Network brings together NGOs, academics, and individuals working in the counter-trafficking field. Our collaboration hub and home on the internet is here at NFN Online.
Our mission is to build a network of strong, funded, well-resourced, inter-connected members so that collectively, we can be more effective in our quest to eradicate human trafficking.
If that’s a mission that is aligned with your organisation, then we warmly invite you to apply to become an NFN Member and join our network on NFN Online.
[Request to Join]
Testimonials
13th April 2023 Another informative and invaluable webinar – highlighting amongst other things the value of cooperation, collaboration and need to strengthen our public-private interface. Great initiatives being undertaken in spite of current challenges. NFN Member
Free or Premium?
NFN Online has two distinct spaces: an open space that is free of charge and a premium space for NFN Members who pay an annual membership fee.
We invite concerned individuals, donors, members of the media, civil society, and other parties who need information about Trafficking in Persons to sign up for a free account.
With a free account, you’ll be able to access the following:
Events Board
Get the details of upcoming online and in-person events being hosted by the NFN.
If you’re not a member of the NFN, you may RSVP for an event and then pay the once-off attendance fee. (NFN Members in the Premium section attend events free of charge).
Friends of the Network
Spaces and resources for Media, Legal Services, and Donors and Funding.
Resource Library
An ever-expanding library of resources created or curated by the NFN, including NFN & Member newsletters, Videos & Podcasts, Press Releases & Articles, Learning Opportunities, as well as Research & Reports.
What’s inside NFN Online (Premium)?
NFN Online Premium is available to NFN Members who have gone through a vetting process and who have paid their annual membership fee.
In the Premium section of NFN Online, members will have access to the following:
Collaboration Spaces
Collaboration Spaces are the heartbeat of NFN Online. This is where you’ll be able to ask a question, seek advice or a specialised service, or share your organisation’s initiatives. From there, the conversation can continue — just like in a Facebook post or a WhatsApp group (but without distractions!).
Collaboration Spaces are grouped by areas of interest or themes e.g. Cybercrime and TIP, Case Management, Labour TIP, etc. You can request to join the Collaboration Spaces that are relevant, helpful and appropriate to your organisation’s mandate.
Online Events
NFN Members may attend all Events free of charge, as part of their membership. Online events include training sessions, workshops, and weekly coffee catchups.
Our training sessions will be presented by experts in the field to share specialised knowledge with NFN members.
Workshops will be more interactive and aimed at building skills and encouraging collaboration.
There will be regular Coffee Catch-up sessions with opportunities to connect with other NFN Members, discuss developments in the field, and talk through your current challenges.
NFN Member Case Studies
These sessions will keep you in the loop with the work of other members. You’ll learn about what’s working (and not working), and the successes they have had with their approaches.
A safe space to collaborate.
Safety and security have been our top priorities as we’ve designed and built NFN Online.
We’ve built NFN Online on the Mighty Networks platform, which follows strict protocols in terms of data protection and online security.
Members of the public can access our open content by creating a free account after a brief screening process. The free section of NFN Online contains no sensitive or personal information. The resources available in this section are intended for public education and awareness in the field of TIP.
To become an NFN Member and access the NFN Online Premium, the organisation’s key representative will have to go through a vetting process. They will also have to agree to abide by the Community Guidelines.
Once the organisation has been vetted and has paid the membership fee, they may request to join relevant Collaboration Spaces.
NFN Online is managed and moderated by a Community Manager, who will facilitate connections, keep the community organised, and ensure that the Community Guidelines (as stipulated in the NFN Membership Agreement) are being followed.
For topics of a more sensitive nature, a Moderated Collaboration Space will be created. This means that the Community Manager will have to approve requests to join the space.
If any member feels unsafe or feels the conduct of another member goes against the NFN Membership Agreement, they must raise their concern with the Community Manager.
Overall, you have our assurance that we are working to create and cultivate a supportive, safe, and secure online space for serendipitous connections to happen. By collaborating in this safe space, we are confident that we will advance our mission to eradicate trafficking in persons.
I’d like to join NFN Online. What’s the next step?
Wonderful! We’d love to welcome you into the community. Start by registering for a free account; then, if you’d like to become an NFN Member and join the Premium Collaboration Spaces, continue the process with a membership application.
Step 1: Sign up for a free account on NFN Online;
Step 2: Complete the NFN Membership Application Process on the platform and comply with the required Vetting;
Step 3: Upon approval Members are required to complete the Organisation NFN Profile Google Form or the Individual NFN Profile Google Form; and
NFN Membership Process Document
NFN Membership Agreement document
Step 4: Pay your membership fee (on receipt of invoice).
Is NFN Online (Premium) the right fit for my organisation?
The NFN Premium Membership Community has been designed to serve the following groups:
- Those working directly in Trafficking in Persons (TIP).
- Those not working directly in TIP, but who often need the assistance and expertise of specialists in the TIP field.
- Academics and researchers specialising in the field of TIP. Academics can follow the TIP Research Requirement for Southern Africa to obtain access to survivors and counter-trafficking organisations, as well as share their findings.
- Survivors of trafficking. In addition to having fully sponsored access to the platform as a whole, survivors will also have access to a survivors-only collaboration space. The aim is for survivors to find encouragement, accountability, and support within this community.
- Civil Society Organisations working directly in TIP. The NFN Premium Community will facilitate stronger connections between Civil Society and NGOs.
- Individuals who would like to contribute their time or skills to the work of counter-trafficking.
If you fall into any of the above groups, then we believe you will get excellent value for the investment of R1,047 per annum (for an organisation) or R627 per annum (for an individual).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of membership?
Membership of the NFN is R1,047 per annum for organisations; or R627 for individuals.
NFN Members will get access to the Premium section of NFN Online, which includes limited-access Collaboration Spaces.
Certain parts of NFN Online are available for free, however, you must create an account to access the content.
How can I join NFN Online?
Start by registering for a free account; then, if you’d like to become an NFN Member and join the Premium Collaboration Spaces, continue the process with a membership application.
How can I (or my organisation) become a member of the NFN and access the Premium Collaboration Spaces?
Step 1: Sign up for a free account on NFN Online;
Step 2: Complete the NFN Membership Application Process on the platform and comply with the required Vetting;
Step 3: Upon approval Members are required to complete the Organisation NFN Profile Google Form or the Individual NFN Profile Google Form; and
NFN Membership Process Document
NFN Membership Agreement document
Step 4: Pay your membership fee of R1,047 (on receipt of invoice).
How will I be able to access the community?
You can access NFN Online on your desktop or laptop computer, through the Mighty Networks website. You might like to bookmark our website address, which is: https://national-freedom-network.mn.co/.
There is also a smartphone app, which you can download and use to access NFN Online on your mobile device.
What if I (or my organisation) cannot afford the membership fee?
We understand that some organisations or individuals might like to join the NFN, but will not be able to find the membership fee in their budgets.
While we cannot waive the fee, we have a funding request letter template in the “Read These First” space on the platform, which is readily available to you. The idea is that you copy and paste the letter, customise and personalise it as appropriate, and then send it to a select few of your donors/supporters. The letter gives the donor some background about the NFN and then asks them to sponsor your organisation’s membership fee.
Will survivors be expected to pay the membership fee?
No, survivors get sponsored membership.
What is the access control process to ensure security and safety?
For the free section of the NFN Online, there are 5 preliminary vetting questions to gain access to the NFN Online, and all new participants join with an email and password which is verified by the community manager.
There will be no confidential or sensitive information in this section of NFN Online. This is effectively an extension of the public information-sharing we’ve been doing on our website to date.
For the Premium section, there is a membership process to follow if you are not an official member organisation or an individual already known to the NFN.
Members who apply will be asked for the following before gaining access to the NFN Members space:
- Vetting documents, as outlined in the member application process, such as a police clearance certificate (individuals) and registration certificates (organisations).
- References (required for both organisations and individuals).
- Interviews will be conducted at the discretion of the NFN.
Can member organisations share their own newsletters and invitations to events on the platform?
Yes, members are welcome to share news and information by simply creating a post for all to see.
Events have to be scheduled on the platform by an NFN host. So if you have an event you’d like to promote, you can get in touch with the Community Manager (through the platform) and discuss this with them.
I have other questions.
Please feel free to ask if there’s a question we haven’t covered here. You can email .