“The 2021 Survivor Alliance World Congress marked a pivotal moment for survivor leadership in the international fight against modern-day slavery and human trafficking. For the first time, survivor leaders outnumbered our allied colleagues as planning committee members, speakers, and participants at an anti-trafficking conference. Survivor leaders included adults over 18, people of all genders, and survivors of any type of human trafficking or slavery.

The Congress was conceived with the deep knowledge and recognition of the power of the collective. Survivor Alliance believes that international unity among survivors of human trafficking can bring about real and lasting freedom for all. It was also designed to fulfill the need for strengthened survivor-ally relationships. Facilitated online during the global Covid-19 pandemic, the Congress objectives included: uniting survivor leaders across the globe; fostering transnational collaboration within survivor networks; and with our allied colleagues, building survivor leadership capacity and strengthening survivor-centered approaches to allyship.

This report details how the Congress planned to achieve these objectives, analyzes the discussions held during the Congress within the broader context of the international anti-trafficking community, shares key lessons learned, and maps out Survivor Alliance’s plan for maintaining the momentum of change generated by this catalyzing event.”

– Survivor Alliance, Extract from the World Congress 2021 Report