Memorandum
Honoring a Lifetime of Advocacy and the Fight Against Child Labor in the Chocolate Industry
Terrence (Terry) Collingsworth dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice for those whose voices were too often ignored, particularly children exploited by forced labor and human trafficking.
As the founder and director of International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates), Terry took on some of the world's most powerful corporations, challenging the systems that allowed human rights abuses to persist within global supply chains. His work brought legal accountability, public attention, and renewed urgency to the fight against corporate complicity in exploitation.
A Champion for Children in the Cocoa Supply Chain
For SlaveFreeChocolate.org, Terry's contribution was particularly significant. He understood that the exploitation of children in West Africa's cocoa-growing regions was not simply a matter of poverty or inadequate oversight. It was a systemic human rights failure that demanded accountability from the corporations profiting from the industry.
Terry was willing to confront the major chocolate manufacturers directly. Through IRAdvocates, he helped bring legal actions on behalf of individuals who had been trafficked as children from Mali into Côte d'Ivoire and forced to work on cocoa farms. His work helped bring the experiences of these survivors into courtrooms and into public discussions that the chocolate industry could no longer easily ignore.
His advocacy extended beyond individual lawsuits. He worked to challenge corporate assurances, investigate conditions on cocoa farms, and press governments to enforce laws prohibiting the importation of goods produced through forced labor. His efforts included working with other human rights organizations to document child labor and trafficking and seek meaningful accountability.
Terry also understood the importance of consumer awareness. He recognized that people could not make ethical purchasing decisions without knowing what was happening behind the products they bought. His support for the work of SlaveFreeChocolate.org reflected a shared belief: consumers deserve transparency, companies must be held to their promises, and no child's childhood should be sacrificed to produce chocolate.
A Legacy of Courage and Commitment
Terry's work was not easy. Taking on multinational corporations with enormous financial and legal resources required persistence, conviction, and an unwavering belief that the rights of vulnerable people mattered more than corporate interests.
He brought those qualities to the fight for decades. His work with the International Labor Rights Forum, followed by his founding of IRAdvocates in 2007, helped establish a path for using litigation as a tool to confront human rights abuses in the global economy.
His passing is an enormous loss to the human rights community, to the movement against child labor, and to all those who believed that the chocolate industry could and must change.
At SlaveFreeChocolate.org, we recognize that the fight Terry devoted so much of his life to is far from over. The children who continue to labor in cocoa fields deserve more than promises, corporate initiatives, and another generation of postponed deadlines. They deserve freedom, protection, education, and the opportunity to enjoy their childhoods.
Terry helped give that fight a legal voice. He challenged powerful interests, stood alongside survivors, and refused to accept that exploitation was simply the cost of doing business.
We honor Terry Collingsworth not only for what he accomplished, but for what he stood for. His determination, courage, and commitment to justice leave a legacy that we must carry forward.
May his work continue to inspire all of us to demand a chocolate industry that is truly free of child slavery and forced labor.
With gratitude and profound respect,
Ayn Riggs
Director
SlaveFreeChocolate.org