2026 PSA SUBMISSIONS
Survivors Get Tired Last
“My name is Alfred Quansah, and I am a survivor of trafficking and child slavery on Lake Volta in Ghana. In 2011, I was rescued by the very men you see in this video. I was 10 years old, and slavery was the only life I'd ever known. I was malnourished and sick. My body was covered in scars from years of abuse. I'd never been to school. I didn't even know what school was. The day I was rescued, I thought I was being re-trafficked. I was so scared. I was brought to the recovery center you see in this video. I started school - I didn't know how to write my name that first day. I slept on a mattress for the first time in my life. I got stronger. Stephen and other staff encouraged me with my education, and I took extra classes to catch up academically. I was the first person in my family to graduate from primary school. I went on to secondary school and then university. While in university, I worked alongside Stephen, Mr. Edu, and the rescue team on missions to free other children. Today, I am studying in the United States at Missouri Baptist University and will graduate with an MBA in April. When we join together and support survivors to end child slavery and trafficking, miraculous things can happen. I’m living proof of that. When submitting this video, I wanted to share about the issue of trafficking in Ghana, but more importantly, share the solution. The solution is in the survivors - because survivors get tired last. Thank you for watching.
Submitted by: Alfred Quensah
Studio Samuel Girls Academy
“We are honored to share a short PSA created with artwork by girls from Studio Samuel Girls Academy in Ethiopia which reflects our belief that education is one of the strongest forms of protection.
I founded Studio Samuel Girls Academy after befriending a young girl who had been trafficked by her parents—an experience that revealed how quietly vulnerability can emerge when opportunity disappears.”
Submitted by: Tamara Horton
Addressing Human Trafficking – Noel Thomas
“In this PSA, Mr. Thomas highlights the urgent global crisis of human trafficking, which affects 50 million people worldwide and generates an estimated $230 billion annually, funding criminal networks, violence, and terrorism. He emphasizes the economic incentives driving exploitation: victims can be sold up to 20 times per day, far surpassing profits from drugs or firearms. Criminal groups are increasingly engaging in sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and organ trafficking because of its profitability.
Mr. Thomas underscores that addressing human trafficking requires focusing on the business and financial structures that enable it. He shares how technology-driven interventions have already resulted in the arrest of traffickers and the rescue of a 17-year-old girl, demonstrating that innovative tools can directly disrupt criminal networks and save lives.”
Submitted by: Christy Robertson
MIGUTI - Verguenza
“While organizing anti-human trafficking conferences with GSN, I had the honour to witness the testimonials of now-freed women like Paty, Karla and Neli.
But one time, at the UN, they asked me to translate their story of how being lured by false promises of love led them to forced sex labour.
Word for word, I felt a jarring pain in my soul as I wasn't just a vessel. I was now reliving their screams of silence. I was now also part of the story... and they, part of mine: a conscious storytelling rapper.
So, I wrote a song about them, word for word, as if I were them.
They loved it and asked about the musicvideo and if they could join.
Filmed at the Vatican, Dubai and mainly in Mexico at their new home-shelters, provided by Rosi Orozco, it featured them lip-syncing parts of my performance of their true story, showcasing how intertwined we all are.
Not just me and them, but the world. And we should all be ashamed that we allow children to be trafficked and abused. Not only our children, but theirs as well. All children are our children. Aren't we ashamed that this happens? Aren't YOU ashamed?”
Submitted by: Miguel Gutierrez
Not Statistics. Our Children.
“This public service announcement from Ho‘ōla Nā Pua confronts one of the most misunderstood crimes affecting children today: sex trafficking. While many assume trafficking happens somewhere else, to someone else, this PSA reminds viewers that it is happening in our own communities. The visual concept places the message within the cultural landscape of Hawai‘i, grounding the issue in a place widely associated with beauty and hospitality. Against this backdrop, the PSA reveals difficult truths: many victims know their trafficker, exploitation often begins in early adolescence, and Native Hawaiian youth are disproportionately impacted. By presenting these facts in a stark, concise format, the piece challenges viewers to reconsider what trafficking really looks like and who it affects. The PSA draws urgency from a real event in January 2026, when eight missing children were recovered on O‘ahu after being gone for more than a year. Their discovery serves as a powerful reminder that behind every statistic is a child whose life has been interrupted by exploitation—and whose journey toward healing is only beginning. Ultimately, the message is both sobering and hopeful. These youth are not numbers or headlines—they are our children. Awareness is the first step toward change. By shining a light on the realities of exploitation, Ho‘ōla Nā Pua invites communities to recognize the signs, respond with compassion, and become part of the collective effort to protect and restore vulnerable youth.”
Submitted by: Andrew Aguirre
Human Trafficking is a Crime Against Humanity
“This short film seeks to highlight the harsh reality of human trafficking and modern-day slavery within our communities, while emphasizing the urgent need for awareness, accountability, and collective action. Through visual storytelling, the PSA aims to remind audiences that human trafficking is not a distant issue, but a crime that continues to affect vulnerable people across the world. The PSA was produced by acclaimed South African filmmaker Anant Singh and veteran actress Leleti Khumalo, whose commitment to socially conscious storytelling helped shape the message and impact of the piece. We hope this contribution helps amplify the global conversation around human trafficking and supports the initiative’s mission to expose and confront this crime against humanity.”
Submitted by: Sumeet Maharaj
Breathing Merchandise
“This short film is conceived as a powerful call to awareness about the global crisis of human trafficking. Its purpose is not merely to inform, but to confront the viewer with a reality that is often hidden in plain sight. Through stark and unfiltered imagery, the film exposes the brutality, manipulation, and dehumanization that define this vast criminal network. The visual language is intentionally raw, portraying a harrowing barbarity that is impossible to ignore. In deliberate contrast to these disturbing images, the narrative voice is calm, steady, and deeply human. It belongs to the victim. There is no shouting, no dramatization—only a composed, almost fragile strength that guides the audience through her experience. This restrained tone creates a profound emotional tension: while the screen reveals violence and exploitation, the voice speaks with clarity, reflection, and quiet resilience. The victim’s narration invites viewers to look beyond statistics and headlines. She speaks of broken trust, false promises, isolation, and the systematic stripping away of identity. At the same time, she reflects on dignity, memory, and the stubborn persistence of hope. This duality—horror on screen and composure in voice—forces the audience to confront the complexity of trafficking: it is not only a crime against the body, but an assault on autonomy, dreams, and humanity itself. Rather than offering easy solutions, the film encourages responsibility and awareness. It asks the viewer to recognize the signs, question indifference, and acknowledge the shared social structures that allow such exploitation to continue. By merging brutal realism with introspective narration, the short film transforms shock into reflection—and reflection into the first step toward change.”
Submitted by: Simone Corde
Across the street
“This PSA is rooted in a personal evolution. For decades, my work as a photographer has been guided by a search for beauty, dignity, and connection across cultures. My camera has been a bridge, allowing me to witness and share the humanity that unites us. But in 2009, at the Global Peace Summit, I was first introduced to the reality of modern slavery, an encounter that ignited a partnership and set me on a path I could not have anticipated. In 2010, that path became undeniable when that bridge shattered as I came face to face with people enslaved in a brick kiln in India. In that moment, I could no longer look away. I realized the story I had been telling was incomplete, and the truth was far more urgent, far more uncomfortable, than I had allowed myself to see. This piece reflects that turning point and the years that followed. It challenges the common belief that modern slavery exists only in distant places. Instead, it brings the issue into immediate proximity, revealing that exploitation is embedded within everyday environments, including communities in the United States. The intention is not only to inform, but to confront the viewer with their own position in this reality. By moving the narrative from “over there” to “right here,” the PSA asks the audience to reconsider their role. Awareness alone is not enough. Witnessing creates responsibility. This work invites the viewer to see differently, to recognize what is often hidden, and to understand that change begins with the willingness to bear witness.”
Submitted by: Lisa Kristine
Closer Than You Think
“This PSA “Closer than you think” raises awareness about the reality of human trafficking within our own communities. It challenges the common misconception that trafficking only occurs across borders by revealing how victims often foster youth, immigrant or vulnerable women are exploited in plain sight. Awareness can be the difference between silence and survival empowering everyday people to report suspicious activity and potentially save lives.”
Submitted by: Marcela Silva
EXIT
Acrylic on canvas,
30”x30”,
2026
“Exit” – this artwork intertwines scenes of children trapped in the shadows of human trafficking, their pain and fears laid bare. Amid the darkness, a single dream glimmers—the hope of escape. At the top of the canvas, two figures ascend toward the light, a fragile promise of freedom.
Children are our future. They embody purity, kindness, and innocence. Every child deserves a happy childhood, bright dreams, safety, and the freedom to smile without fear.
I spent most of my life in Ukraine, where I experienced a simple and humble childhood. I love my country deeply, and it is heartbreaking to witness that this devastating war has been on our land for four long years.
This war has brought immense sorrow, pain, heartbreak, and grief. We are losing some of our very best people. Cities and villages have been destroyed, and what generations built over centuries is being deliberately devastated.
There have been horrific acts of violence against innocent Ukrainians - most tragically our children. People have been tortured, killed, and subjected to unimaginable suffering. Our culture, historical monuments, and even the Ukrainian language have been targeted in attempts to erase our national identity.
One of the greatest tragedies is the forced displacement of children. Many have been taken to Russian territory, and some have simply disappeared. Families are left without answers, not knowing how to bring their children home.
The chaos of war creates conditions in which human trafficking can flourish and remain hidden.
This must not be ignored. We must remain vigilant in confronting these crimes. Raising awareness and taking meaningful action are essential steps toward building a safer and more just society.
The more openly we speak about these issues and educate others, the greater our ability to prevent further harm.
I firmly believe that, united, we can stand together against human trafficking and violence.
Despite everything, I continue to believe in humanity and in the power of our shared moral responsibility.
Submitted by: Anna Zaiachkivska (Anna Zaia)
