Meet the Heroes

As the Ambassador from Colombia to Japan, the Honorable Francisco Sierra was able to address a unique problem: people who were being trafficked from Colombia to Japan.

A government official,Irén Ádámné Dunai has diligently networked between agencies to provide shelter, open a crisis hotline, and set up a shelter referral service.

The OSCE Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro has transformed their efforts.

A victim of labor trafficking, Prum has spread awareness of this issue through his paintings.

As the Northwest Regional Coordinator for the Justice and Peace Service in Cameroon, Laura Anyola Tufon has targeted child and forced labor.

A high-ranking Police Officer in the South of Mongolia, Major Tumenbayar has been crucial to the fight against cross-border human trafficking.

After she completed several successful Senate terms, Nancy Kassebaum accompanied her husband to Japan, where he served as the United States Ambassador.

An officer with the International Organization for Migration in Iraq, Mohammed Bassam Al-Nasseri has shaped policy and advocate for victims.

A Lawyer for an Australian charity, Van Ngoc Tan works in Vietnam and China to free victims of forced labor and sex trafficking.

After retiring from the Airline industry, Marietta Dias devoted her life to helping fight for the rights of migrant workers in Bahrain.

Working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Laura Germino began fighting against modern-day slavery in the Tomato picking industry.

Ippei Torii, the Secretary General of the Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan, has provided assistance to thousands of workers.

A District Court Judge in Nepal, Tek Narayan Kunwar has pioneered the implementation of the Nepalese anti-trafficking law, while maintaining a victim centered approach.

An international superstar, Ricky Martin and his foundation, created in 2000, have been extensively involved in anti-trafficking work.

Peter Nguyen Van Hung came to Taiwan first in 1988 as a missionary, and now fights for Vietnamese women and workers who have been trafficked.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Kailash Satyarthi has freed an estimated 83,000 children from forced and bonded labor since the 1980s.

In 2000, Wahyu Susilo began championing the cause he still stands for: the rights of the estimated 4.5 million Indonesians who work overseas.

Founder and president of an NGO, Susan Ople provides assistance to Filipino workers who have moved overseas for work.

Specializing in spreading awareness, Natalia Abdullayeva works to make sure the labor force of Uzbekistan remains informed about trafficking.

Thailand exports a large amount of the world’s seafood, and Sompong Srakaew has set out to make sure they do this without using slave labor.

An ex-miner herself, Simona Broomes fights for the rights of women in the mining profession in Guyana.

As a journalist in Tajikistan, Adiba Umarova was able to re-open a cold case which led to the arrest of a trafficking ringleader.

Over 60,000 migrant women work in Jordan, primarily as domestics, and Aida Abu Ras founded the first NGO to help them.

Aida Mbodj is a powerful politician in Senegal, well-respected and admired, who used her political power to combat human trafficking in the early part of the millennium.

While working on her PhD Thesis, Alice Nah saw the plight of migrant workers in Malaysia.

Angelina Atyam’s fight to combat human trafficking was personal: the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) abducted her daughter.

The Esther Benjamin’s Memorial Foundation Rescue Team have liberated many Nepali girls from circus slavery in South Asia.

Ms. Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews is the Director of Trinidad and Tobago's anti-trafficking body, and has shaped policy and legislation at a high level.

Chief Togbega Hadjor is chief over the region which includes the infamous Lake Volta, where young boys are sold as slaves to fishermen.

Elisabeth Sioufi, a lawyer, was incredibly influential in forming and drafting Lebanon’s anti-trafficking policy and legislation, and provides training on the laws of human trafficking.

After a horrific ordeal at the hands of a fraudulent recruitment company in Iraq, Elly Anita joined the NGO Migrant Care.

The founder of the Mongolian Gender Equality Center, Ganbayasgakh Geleg has been helping victims of trafficking since 2002.

When Gary Haugen created IJM in 1997, he was one of the first to recognize a world-wide problem: human trafficking.

Major George Vanikiotis of the Hellenic Police has been an incredible asset to anti-trafficking activists in Greece.

Brother Xavier Plassat, a friar of the Dominican order, first came across forced labor practices after coming to Brazil in the 1980s.

The late Irene Fernandez was a well-known activist and advocate in Malaysia, supporting the rights of women, and the rights of Migrant workers, for decades.

After retiring from a successful soccer (football) career, Jean Claude Mbvoumin made it his mission to help African victims of fraudulent football recruiting.

Norotiana Jeannoda is an incredible civil society advocate in Madagascar, helping victims and changing policy.

Parosha Chandran is a human rights lawyer who operates out the UK. Both a cutting edge policymaker, and a practicing attorney, she has helped victims to seek justice in the courts.

Parosha Chandran is a human rights lawyer who operates out the UK. Both a cutting edge policymaker, and a practicing attorney, she has helped victims to seek justice in the courts.

Rahel Gershuni, Israel's National Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator, began coordinating government efforts informally, and then was given her present position.

Tony Maddox, a journalist-executive, founded the CNN Freedom Project, the greatest awareness project in anti-human trafficking.

Tony Maddox, a journalist-executive, founded the CNN Freedom Project, the greatest awareness project in anti-human trafficking.

Kim Jong-chul is the founder and former Director of the Advocates for Public Interest Law.

Josue Ango is a driving force behind Burkina Faso’s efforts to combat human trafficking.

Yanira Violeta Olivares Pineda leads a team of prosecutors dedicated to holding human traffickers accountable and delivering justice to victims.

Ausamah AlAbsi has played an instrumental role in increasing protections for trafficking victims and significantly reducing the vulnerability of migrant workers to human trafficking in Bahrain.

Holding human traffickers criminally accountable and assisting victims in attaining justice in Cabo Verde

Mohammed al-Obaidly is one of the most important Qatari figures advocating for labor and human trafficking reforms in Qatar.

Ibusuki has sought justice on behalf of countless foreign workers by providing legal representation for those who are taking action against former employees for labor law violations.

Ms. Apinya is the Deputy Director of the Stella Maris Seafarer’s Center, an NGO in Thailand.

Pureza Lopes Loyola is a respected activist whose three-year quest to find her son led the Government of Brazil to create the Mobile Inspection Group in 1995.

Eumelis Moya Goitte has drawn international attention to human trafficking crimes in the mining sector and provided support for international efforts to prevent human trafficking of vulnerable populations.

Maria Werlau has been a key advocate against Cuba's labor export program since 2009