About SAFE
SAFE Coalition of Human Rights (SAFECHR) was founded in 2014 by clinical psychologist, Dr Kalyani Gopal with the vision “to enhance global and national collaborative partnerships that support accountability and impact public policy reform.” The mission is to support trafficked persons globally. In 2017, SAFECHR received accreditation to provide Continuing Education training CPDs) internationally, by the Professional Development Consortium based in the UK.
In 2021, SAFECHR was awarded as an accredited NGO with special status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations in recognition of our work on rehabilitation of survivors and training to reduce the prevalence of human trafficking. For more information visit www.safechr.org
Early History:
SAFECHR was born when a group of 4 survivors presented at a professional conference in November 2013 at the Oakbrook Marriot, in Illinois, USA. They arrived dressed professionally to speak to doctors and share their lives. Instead, there were only 6 attendees, and the rest were attending a standing room only session in the next room – on patient protections. Devastated and in tears, they looked crestfallen and felt completely marginalized, unheard and worse; retraumatized. Dr Kalyani Gopal, Founder, SAFECHR and her colleague who co-chaired the session took them to lunch and requested the very kind management to provide space. We were given a separate lunchroom and began to debrief. They shared their heartbreaking stories, creating an impetus that their experiences and lack of wrap-around services needed to fuel debate and discussion on how we can create a bridge from victim to survivor, from insensitivity to creative awareness, and from successful trafficker to incarcerated criminal. Four months later, on March 5, 2014, their voices led to the birth of SAFECHR. A brief bio of the Founder is attached to this document (See Appendix A).
SAFE Conferences: There have been FOUR prior international conferences hosted by SAFECHR bringing together stakeholders from 10 countries during SAFE 2014, to 35 in SAFE 2016 and 73 in SAFE 2018, and SAFE 2019. These conferences were all held in person in the USA.
SAFECHR Foundation
In 2025, SAFECHR Foundation was established on August 2, 2025, as a Section 8 Society in India.
SAFECHR Foundation is focused on developing training on human trafficking and seeking to establish a therapeutic residence for trafficked children, in Dehi/NCR in India. The President is Delhi-based, Shri Girdhar Joshi, Treasurer is Delhi-based Shri Prasanta Kanungo, and Vice-President/Secretary is USA-based, Dr Kalyani Gopal. Board members involved in SAFE2027 Conference include Chennai-based Dr PM Nair (Chair Professor TISS, Former DG NDRF), Delhi-based Dr Jaganath Pati, former CARA Director), and Advocate Bhavya Sethi (Delhi High Court).