The International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference (IHTSJ) at the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA—the oldest and largest conference of its kind in the world—has named me the recipient of the 2026 Champion for Human Rights & Social Justice Award recipient.
The conference has been running since 2004 and every year, it brings together over 3,000 people from 69 countries including survivors, FBI agents, social workers, professors, judges — all fighting the same monster: human trafficking. And this year, they chose a man from Malawi.
IHTSJ Conference Award Winners: https://www.traffickingconference.com/award-winners
The letter received from Conference Planner, Anna Schramm, was simple and powerful:
“On behalf of the IHTSJ Conference, it is my pleasure to commend you for your commitment to advocating for the needs of the vulnerable in our society throughout your career.”
In their nomination, the committee wrote words I will never forget. They said I deserve to be recognized because of my significant influence as a change agent for human rights throughout my home country and around the world.
They said my tenacity and resilience in confronting global exploitation through modern-day slavery has created a powerful movement.
They also said I do not work to be recognized but rather let my recognition speak louder for the cause.
I read that and I thought of you. All of you. This Award Has My Name, But It Has Your Faces.
I have been doing this work for over 27 years. I have received a few honors before—the 2005 Malawi Human Rights Champion Award, the 2020 Global Hero Award from the U.S. Department of State, and the 2023 Global Impact Award from the Renee Jones Empowerment Center. I have also written 9 books, including my latest, “Human Trafficking Exposed – Stories of Exploitation and Survival.” https://maxwellmatewere.com/books-about-human-trafficking/
But none of that is what matters. What matters are the 186 girls aged between 12 to 17 who were trafficked, rescued and rehabilitated from forced commercial sex in 2026 alone. What matters are 68 young women who are now running successful lives after their rescue from Arab countries, rehabilitated and supported with business. What matters are police officers who now recognize victims of human trafficking and treat them as such instead of just shouting “illegal immigrant!” That is the real award.
What Keeps Me Going
People often ask me, “Maxwell, why do you keep going? The problem is so big.”
It is true. We live in a time where the world feels divided, where inequality is everywhere, where a young person in Ethiopia can be recruited and forced to walk through a forest with no food just because he dreamed of a better life.
But I have learned one thing:
“Radical and lasting social transformation is rarely the result of a single, monumental act. It is built from countless small, courageous choices made by ordinary people who decide that love is more powerful than hate, and that truth is stronger than fear.”
Every time you share my post, you make that choice.
Every time you donate to support a survivor’s business, you make that choice.
Every time you refuse to look away, you make that choice.
This award from the International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference (IHTSJ) is not a finish line. It is fuel. It is a reminder that the world is watching my work, and that what I do in Malawi and around the world matters.
Thank you to those who attended the award presentation on Friday 25th September 2026!
Watch the Presentation and Subscribe to Maxwell Matewere Books on YouTube:
