JERSEY CITY, N.J.—At the inaugural Global Conference and Awards Gala night of IMAG Media and Voices Against Trafficking on Saturday, heroes and changemakers were honored for their courage in their fight against human trafficking and for speaking on behalf of those suffering persecution.
Held at the Liberty Science Center, the event was coordinated by Voices Against Trafficking founder Andi Buerger and IMAG Media founder Cassandra Tindal.
Buerger said in a press statement that the night was “a declaration that storytelling, when wielded with purpose, can dismantle injustice, redefine industries, and move the world forward.”
Among the honorees were Katrina Lantos Swett, president of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice; Kelly Wright, senior white house correspondent of Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN); Blanquita Cullum, journalist, veteran award-winning radio and television broadcaster; and Janice Trey, chairperson of Epoch Media Group, among others.
Trey, receiving the “Voice of Courage Award,” said the honor deeply resonated with her life’s work of “giving a voice to the voiceless.” A survivor of a forced labor camp in China, she dedicated the award to the Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China for their faith.
Falun Gong—a spiritual practice involving meditative exercises and teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance—has faced relentless persecution under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 1999.
“Imagine, just by believing in those three principles and living up to those three principles, they [have been] brutally persecuted,” Trey said in her speech, urging the audience to treat the award not as a destination but a call to action in coming together to make a difference in ending this brutality.
Lantos Swett, also a Voice of Courage award recipient, is a former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and continues the legacy of her late father, Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), who was the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress.
“He was really Congress’s leading voice on human rights. I feel like it’s a privilege, a responsibility, and a duty to carry on his legacy,” she told The Epoch Times.
She also shed light on the CCP’s persecution of the Falun Gong community.
“China has targeted this incredible community of peace. … for brutal, horrible persecution, one of the most severe crimes imaginable. The organ harvesting has overwhelmingly victimized members of Falun Gong,” she said.
“We need to put some of the muscle of the American Congress and the American foreign policy apparatus behind really fighting for the rights of this wonderful community.”
Other awardees, including Wright, echoed the theme of responsibility.
In his speech, Wright urged attendees to go beyond celebration and commit to meaningful action. He challenged the audience not just to enjoy the night but to commit to helping one another and ensuring their lives carry meaning by making a difference.
The event featured live performances, inspiring speakers, a fashion showcase, and gourmet dining. But above all, it served as a rallying point. For Lantos Swett, it was “a renewed commitment to really do the hard work.”
Voices Against Trafficking is a volunteer-driven organization that brings together national and international partners who are dedicated to eliminating the business of profiting from human lives.
“Prevention is the only way to end human trafficking,” Buerger said. “We will never get rid of human depravity but we can get rid of sitting on the fence and saying it’s someone else’s problem.”
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