2021 TIP Report Heroes | A Multi-Regional Project

This summer, Meridian International Center had the honor of partnering with the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to host the 2021 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Heroes. During their virtual visit to the United States, the 2021 TIP Report Heroes had the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and share current and emerging best practices from the field with their U.S. counterparts.

Before embarking on their virtual IVLP journey, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Acting Director of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Kari Johnstone honored the newest heroes at the 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report Launch Ceremony. The 2021 TIP Report Heroes come from different areas of the globe, and Secretary Blinken highlighted the importance of international exchange and collaboration in anti-trafficking work:

“We need to work together, share information, hold each other accountable. That’s how we’ll create a world where no one is exploited by trafficking and everyone is able to live in safety and indignity.”

Beginning their virtual project in Washington, D.C., the 2021 TIP Report Heroes participated in tailored U.S. Department of State and federal interagency briefings to learn more about American efforts to monitor and combat trafficking in persons both at home and abroad. They also had the opportunity to meet with representatives from Polaris Project, Freedom Network USA, The Human Trafficking Legal Center, and other non-governmental organizations engaging in anti-trafficking work in the D.C. area.

On August 5, the 2021 TIP Report Heroes met with representatives from the International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council (ISTAC) to learn more about ISTAC’s work in the anti-trafficking field.

Following their time in Washington, D.C., Global Ties U.S. member organizations virtually connected this year’s heroes with a variety of anti-trafficking professionals in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Miami, Florida. In these meetings, the Heroes discussed victim-centered approaches to human trafficking, workers’ rights and labor trafficking, and a myriad of related issues with their American counterparts.

The 2021 TIP Report Heroes ended their project with an interactive action-planning and synthesis session before returning to their home countries to further engage their communities in the fight to end trafficking.

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