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Joel Quirk

@joelquirk

Enslavement and Abolition, Mobility and Work, Social Movements, Gender and Violence, Historical Repair, the Politics and History of Africa. Wits Politics Prof

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Latest posts by Joel Quirk @joelquirk

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Check out our new #callforpapers! This issue will highlight examples of cross-sectoral, cross-movement solidarities to fight marginalisation and oppression πŸ‘‰πŸΌhttps://antitraffickingreview.org/index.php/atrjournal/announcement/view/51
Guest editors @drellac.bsky.social and @joelquirk.bsky.social

21.01.2026 09:11 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The British Crown Enslaved Thousands at the Height of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. New Research Reveals Their Stories A leading historian examines how the monarchy not only tolerated slavery but also administered it, profited from it and sanctioned its cruelties

Here's a sneak peek at a tiny slice of the research included in my new book, THE CROWN'S SILENCE (available for pre-order now and out tomorrow, 1/27)!!! @marinerbooks.bsky.social #booksky #slaveryarchive
www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-...

26.01.2026 13:23 πŸ‘ 95 πŸ” 50 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 4
A rainy street scene viewed from directly above. A single person holds open a red umbrella on the wet sidewalk. Text over the image reads β€œInternational Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers”.

A rainy street scene viewed from directly above. A single person holds open a red umbrella on the wet sidewalk. Text over the image reads β€œInternational Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers”.

Today is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.

We stand in solidarity with sex workers. We mourn the lives lost to anti-sex work bias. We demand systemic change to create a world where sex workers are respected, supported, and safe.

Read our statement here: bit.ly/4p4WPWr

17.12.2025 15:30 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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words no longer mean anything....

'terrorist' (now used to justify attacks on boats in the Caribbean)
'refugee' (now used to justify sending privileged white South Africans to the US)
'weapon of mass destruction' (this one is so stupid it isn't clear what is going on here)

16.12.2025 12:22 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Late sharing cos was unwell, but here’s our farewell from openDemocracy’s Beyond Trafficking & Slavery.

What a privilege to have been part of the editorial team. I learnt so much from our incredible contributors & the amazing Cam Thibos, Melissa Pawson & @joelquirk.bsky.social . Thank you all ❀️

12.12.2025 09:42 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Gentle reminder that the European Union was established because the first four decades of our 20th century were mostly internecine war and genocide.

08.12.2025 14:53 πŸ‘ 471 πŸ” 103 πŸ’¬ 10 πŸ“Œ 3
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Farewell, from Beyond Trafficking and Slavery After 11 years of publishing, the team at Beyond Trafficking and Slavery is moving on to new projects. Thank you for joining us!

Our final editorial: THANK YOU to everyone who helped us make BTS a success over the past 11 years. We will forever be in your debt, and we will miss you! Take care.
www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

01.12.2025 10:56 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Beyond independence The post-colonial settlement has left Africa vulnerable to conflict, external pressure, and intellectual dependency. What comes next?

The post-colonial settlement has left Africa vulnerable to conflict, external pressure, and intellectual dependency. What comes next? africasacountry.com/2025/12/beyo...

01.12.2025 14:42 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2
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Farewell, from Beyond Trafficking and Slavery After 11 years of publishing, the team at Beyond Trafficking and Slavery is moving on to new projects. Thank you for joining us!

Beyond slavery and trafficking was supposed to be a one-year project. Our plan: public education

Eleven years later we are finally signing off

www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

01.12.2025 12:27 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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New #CallforPapers! This issue will aim to highlight cases of intersectional, intermovement alliance and solidarity building between different marginalised and oppressed groups. See call πŸ‘‰πŸΌ www.antitraffickingreview.org/index.php/at... Guest editors @drellac.bsky.social & @joelquirk.bsky.social

28.11.2025 10:07 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Will American anti-trafficking ever recover from Trump 2.0? The White House is dangerously close to making anti-trafficking what the critics always said it was: flash and fluff

Will American anti-trafficking ever recover from Trump 2.0?

27.11.2025 09:48 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

This is something we've raised since "day one" rights were first mentioned.

Farm workers here on temporary visas remain without unfair dismissal protections-even when returning every year.

Last yr we had 145 dismissal cases: used as a threat, used when people complain, used to maintain power.

28.11.2025 09:48 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Is Trump 2.0 killing off US anti-trafficking work? The White House is dangerously close to making anti-trafficking what the critics always said it was: flash and fluff

Have you been wondering what the hell is going on with US human trafficking policy under Trump 2.0?

In the link below you will find a deep dive interview I did with Ambassador Luis C.deBaca, who used to run the TIP office back in the day.

www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

27.11.2025 12:07 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Delighted to co-author this piece urging the de-silo-ing of anti-trafficking work, & genuine solidarity with grassroots movements.

20.11.2025 10:27 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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A bizarre new alliance is coming after sexual freedoms Radical feminists and religious groups teamed up against sex work. Now they’re going after broader reproductive freedoms

Our Human Trafficking Lead @mayal-n.bsky.social has written about the growing attack on sexual freedoms, the (mis)use of anti-trafficking frameworks to do so, + the opportunity it has given us to join an incredible alliance of feminist LGBTI rights activists: www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

24.11.2025 11:00 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Latest in our solidarities series: fascinating reflections on striking workers in South Africa finding common ground with Palestine solidarity activists. I like that this series doesn’t shy away from tensions & challenges, as well as benefits.

By Maya Bhardwaj for @beyondslavery.bsky.social .

25.11.2025 14:11 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The time workers’ rights teamed up with Palestine solidarity When dairy workers made common cause with Palestine solidarity activists, the result was radical love in the public square

When dairy workers made common cause with Palestine solidarity activists, the result was radical love in the public square
www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

25.11.2025 16:43 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Solidarity beyond silos is our best bet to end exploitation Far-right bullies are on the rise, and exploitation will likely rise with them. Cross-movement organising is the only way out

Our final feature is rolling out! We wanted to end on a positive note, so asked a bunch of amazing people to write about their experiences with cross-movement solidarity and organising. We're very excited to share it with you. Enjoy! www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

17.11.2025 08:49 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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A bizarre new alliance is coming after sexual freedoms Radical feminists and religious groups teamed up against sex work. Now they’re going after broader reproductive freedoms

Radical feminists and religious groups got into bed together once. Now they're broadening the affair, says @gaatw.bsky.social www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

24.11.2025 12:53 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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β€˜An indictment of the trade union movement’: Why no one is organising seasonal workers Farm workers go on unofficial strikes as their temporary visas create barriers to union membership

β€˜An indictment of the trade union movement’: Why no one is organising seasonal workers

12.11.2025 07:02 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
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Why can't anti-trafficking be more radical? Anti-trafficking has always been the handmaiden of Global North power, never its rebellious daughter. Let’s change that

Why can't anti-trafficking be more radical?

19.11.2025 08:30 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Humanitarian Borders, Safe Passage Campaigns, and the (Re)Production of Unequal Mobility Abstract. This article revisits the scholarly debates and activist actions around what have become known as β€˜humanitarian borders’. The article shows how h

🚨Publication Alert🚨

Just out, the final argument in my decades plus long research on humanitarian borders.

"Humanitarian Borders, Safe Passage Campaigns, and the (Re)Production of Unequal Mobility"

doi.org/10.1093/9780...

19.11.2025 17:09 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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Evaluating Anti-Trafficking Interventions Explore the complexities of trafficking and the importance of effective evaluation in anti-trafficking interventions and measures.

Despite huge sums spent on anti-trafficking, there are staggeringly few evaluations of interventions & growing evidence of harms caused.

This new edited book with @uclpress.bsky.social is our attempt to help change that. 1/

Open access with free digital downloads: uclpress.co.uk/book/evaluat...

19.11.2025 09:13 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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In the fight for sex workers’ rights, this is solidarity Over 300 migrant sex workers took on city hall to keep their businesses, showing the power of collective organising

Kicking us off is a fantastic piece about solidarities in action by Elene Lam & @chanellegallant.bsky.social .

Lots to learn here from Butterfly about how Asian migrant sex workers have organised across silos in Canada and the US.

www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

10.11.2025 13:51 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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How Wages for Housework sparked an international movement The 1970s movement paved the way for queer, Black, trans and sex working feminist organising across the world today

Next out in our final @beyondslavery.bsky.social feature is this brilliant piece by Jake Hall about Wages for Housework.

An important historical lens on solidarities beyond silos on the global stage, and the legacies of this trailblazing movement.

www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

11.11.2025 09:46 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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How one case made unlikely allies of police and sex workers We have every reason to mistrust police, but the case against Joey the Player briefly showed us something different

Next up in our solidarities series is this brilliant piece on an unlikely tactical alliance.

Unsettling and important look at the tensions involved and lessons from it.

By Alex Andrews of @swopbehindbars.bsky.social for @beyondslavery.bsky.social

www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

17.11.2025 13:33 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 9 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2
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Solidarity beyond silos is our best bet for fighting exploitation Far-right bullies are on the rise, and exploitation will likely rise with them. Cross-movement organising is the only way out

Solidarity beyond silos is our best bet for fighting exploitation

10.11.2025 09:09 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Why no one is organising seasonal workers Farm workers go on unofficial strikes as their temporary visas create barriers to union membership

Farm workers go on unofficial strikes as their temporary visas create barriers to union membership

Read our investigation with @tbij.bsky.social here ‡️
www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

12.11.2025 14:13 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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How one case made unlikely allies of police and sex workers We have every reason to mistrust police, but the case against Joey the Player briefly showed us something different

How one case made unlikely allies of police and sex workers

17.11.2025 08:33 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Supporting the Epstein survivors is important, but please don’t support World Without Exploitation. They advocate for policies that are really harmful to sex workers, like the Nordic Model, which puts sex workers at greater risk of violence and poverty by criminalizing their clients.

17.11.2025 00:39 πŸ‘ 159 πŸ” 56 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 1