Human Trafficking Awareness Day arrives at a powerful moment: right at the beginning of 2026, when many of us are setting intentions, making promises, and imagining what kind of year we want to create. It is an urgent reminder that while the calendar turns, exploitation does not pause. Human trafficking is not a distant or abstract issue—it happens in our communities, our cities, and along the routes of our everyday lives, here in the United States, and across the globe. It affects children and adults, people of every background, and often thrives in silence. We are seeking to end that silence and address it with purpose this year, in Cambodia, Haiti, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Philippines.

Marking this day at the start of the year matters. It asks us to carry awareness forward, not treat it as a single moment of reflection. Remembering is an act of resistance against invisibility. When we name human trafficking, we affirm that those who are exploited are seen, valued, and worthy of protection. Awareness fuels action: learning the signs, supporting survivors, advocating for stronger protections, and refusing to look away when something feels wrong in our own communities.

A new year should not only be about personal goals, but about collective responsibility. Remembering Human Trafficking Awareness Day is a commitment—to compassion, to vigilance, and to the belief that freedom and dignity are not optional, but fundamental human rights.

As we begin 2026, let this issue stay at the forefront of our minds. I hope that you will reach out to us, letting us know what you are engaged in, to collaborate, and also to follow along as we bring new initiatives to bear in our areas of work this year!