county has surveillance programs for. they track this. just like we track flu and other epidemics. i couldn't get the government data. so did my own research at our public hospital to see what was happening to our children's blood lead levels. it was the easiest research project i have ever done. looking at the change in blood levels. what we saw was alarming. >> watch afterwards, sunday night at 9:00 p.m. eastern on cspan2. secretary of state, mike pompeo, and ivanka trump held a press conference to release the human trafficking report. the report ranks foreign countries based on their efforts to prevent human trafficking. they also presented awards to foreign nationals for assisting the state department in antitrafficking efforts. this is half an hour.

ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the honorable michael r. pompeo, secretary of state, ms. ivanka trump, adviser to the president. miss carl johnstone of the office to monitor and combat trafficking persons and the trafficking in persons report heros. hello and welcome to the department of state. my name is carrie johnstone and the office of director for trafficking in persons. thank you all for joining us

today to mark the release of the 18th annual trafficking and persons or tip report. it is an honor to be here today with secretary pompeo and adviser to the president, ivanka trump. we thank you both very elevating the issue of human trafficking and for your support for our office. a quick word about today's program. first secretary pompeo will give keynote remarks. following that, secretary pompeo and ms. trump will honor our heros and hear brief remarks from one of them. after the event concludes, i will invite you to pick up a copy of the report at the back of the auditorium. ladies and gentlemen, secretary of state, michael r. pompeo. [ applause ] welcome, everyone, to the state department. we are incredibly proud to be hosting this event today. i want to thank ivanka trump for joining us for the second

year in a row now. your personal engagement with this issue matters an awful lot. it illustrates the administration's complete commitment and the priority we place on human trafficking. both at home and abroad. thank you very much for being with us today. your advocacy matters, and we'll talk about that today. i'm also honored to have senator corker, fellow representative smith, and representative donovan, thank you all for being here and joining us today as well. we know that putting an end to human trafficking is a bipartisan objective. it supercedes any politics here in the united states. our commitment to fighting and ending this all together is incredibly strong. i want to welcome the ambassadors from the foreign diplomatic corps today. you are important partners for this issue as well. and none of this happens just with the work of the state

department. we are grateful for the many federal agency, nongovernmental organizations and international organizations who continue to help us better understand the many manifestations of human trafficking and the most effective ways to combat it. finally, we're thankful for the work of the united states advisory council and human trafficking. this march president trump appointed nine members to the council. each member is a survivor of human trafficking. representing many different backgrounds, experiences, and advises the trump administration on federal antitrafficking policy programs. the council serves as a model. one other governments consider creating as well. help guide the creation of any trafficking policies, and ensure government has a victim centered approach to resolving this. and today, we also have the

incredible, extraordinary opportunity to honor ten individuals who have committed their lives to this effort. and often have put their own lives at risk in doing so. the 2018 tip report heros will be recognized formal in a few moments. i want to personally thank them and exprez my admiration for the tremendous work each of you do. to this year's heros, we salute you. [ applause ] every year , we focus on a critical thing. local communities stop traffickers and provide support to victims. human traffic is a global problem, but it's a local one, too. human traffic can be found in a favorite restaurant, hotel, downtown, a farm, or in their neighbor's home. i can speak to this personally.

when i was a member of congress from south central kansas, frankly, under governor brownbeck, we saw the impact of human trafficking in a place like wichita, kansas. i-35 passes through the city to the south and we saw the impact it had on our community. more importantly, on the persons being trafficked through our community. it has been important to me since then, and i'm proud to be here today to present this report. if we're going to win this fight, national governments must empower local communities to proactively identify human trafficking and develop local solutions to address it. as we have every year, the report also points out which countries are improving efforts, their efforts to tack the crime, and which countries are making it easier to carry it out. i'm glad to say we have several good news, progress to report. in histonia, help victims come

forward and get the support the victims need to recover. the government of argentina -- establish additional legal protection for victims and bolstered efforts to train front line responders. in barane, the government worked to hold traffickers criminally accountable and get victims needed shelter. the governor convicted traffickers and improve protections for victims as well. we saw some positive movements across entire regions. of the 48 african regions, 14 received upgrades. we observed a strong trend of increased efforts to increase their overall response. despite threats, migration challenges, and other obstacles, the region improved significantly. we commend those countries taking action. we also will never shy away from pointing out countries that need to step up.

we read the horrific accounts of human trafficking and abuse of african migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, receiving in slave markets. we engaged the government of national to bring the perpetrators to justice, including government officials. we welcome its commitment to doing so and look forward to seeing real action. in southeast asia, armed forces and others in the state dislocated hundreds and thousands of inga and other ethnic groups. many who were exploited through the region as a result. some recruited child soldiers and subjected adults and children to forced labor. we see the tragic examples of forced labor in north korea as well. untold number of north korean citizens are subjected to labor. in many cases, with the tasks by host governments. in iran, trafficking victims

are punished. the victims are punished for acts they are forced to commit. for example, sex trafficking victims may face the death penalty for committing adult tri. this is a horrible proversion of justice by a corrupt regime. we take these stories to heart. we use them as fuel to motivate us to action as we work together to end human trafficking once and for all. you'll see from today's report that there remains a great deal of work left to do. the world should know we will not stop until human trafficking is a thing of the past. before i conclude, i would like to thank acting director for leading us over the last year. thank you, carrie. thank you for your dedicated and talented staff with your long hours and hard work and produce a report that will not go unnoticed. it's a team and department wide effort. thank you to you and your team.

[ applause ] with that, please join me in welcoming adviser to the president, ms. ivanka trump as we present awards to the 2018 trip heros. [ applause ] thank you for your meaningful words and for using your voice for this important issue. we will ask each tip report hero to stand up when i call out your name and country and join us to receive your award. mr. asama from barane. [ applause ]

in recognition for victim centered policies within the government by establishing one of the region's top shelters for trafficking victims. launching the government's new national referral mechanism, and spearheading efforts to reduce the vulnerability of foreign workers by reforming the government sponsorship system. next, mr. ongo. in recognition of his commitment to fighting human trafficking throughout his career, his key role in building the comprehensive and multinational antitrafficking network and his invaluable contributions to strengthening the response to combating child labor and supporting youth vulnerable to human trafficking.

francisca from camaron. in recognition of her unwaiverring resolve to pro vent forced labor, her commitment to raising awareness throughout the country and around the world, in partnership with international organizations and her innovative programs to economically empower women who are survivors of human trafficking. yanira from el salvadore. in recognition of her dynamic leadership in combating modern slavery as the head of al salvador, her success in prosecuting traffickers and dismantelling their criminal

operations, despite limited resources and intervital role in elevating antitrafficking efforts as a government priority. from indonesia. in recognition of her unwaiverring efforts to empower indonesia migrant workers through skills training, public awareness, and family assistance, her central rule informing the first migrant worker community in indonesia and her courage in demanding stronger protections for vulnerable workers and trafficking survivors through sustained engagement with authorities and the public. [ applause ]

nepal. in recognition of her exceptional leadership in founding the first comprehensive victim services organization in nepal, established and run by survivors of trafficking. her persistent community outreach and engagement with vulnerable communities to prevent human trafficking and her commitment to protect and empower survivors. from nigeria. in recognition of her extraordinary courage, in using her lived experiences to spread awareness about and prevent human trafficking. her selfless efforts to assist survivors and lend a helping hand to those still subjected to the crime. in her unwaiverring advocacy

for greater protection for groups and victims of trafficking across nigeria. evana from serbia. in recognition of her pivotal role in one of serbia's premier antitrafficking organizations. her persistent efforts for trafficking victims and her unparalleled contributions to strengthening serbia's antitrafficking response by building the capacity of government and private sector institutions. kim from south korea. in recognition of his

commitment to exposed forced labor conditions and practices through his ground breaking investigative research on human trafficking in south korea and globally, particularly of migrant fisherman on south korean flag vessels and his tireless work for vulnerable groups and victims. dr. joseph from sudan. in recognition of his selfless service as a medical doctor in advocate, to provide critical assistance to trafficking victims. his unparalleled generosity in dedicating his time and resources to ensure survivors receive quality medical care and support. in his collaboration with authorities to connect victims of human trafficking with services to help them successfully rebuild their lives.

now, i'm pleased to introduce tip report hero, survivor of human trafficking and director. as a survivor of domestic servitude, she uses her experience and creativity to raise awareness among communities throughout camaroon. her organization has built a unique approach to survivor empowerment by focusing on economic independence among women and girls. we are honored to have her here with us today to speak on behalf of this year's trafficking in persons report heros. >> pompeo and distinguished guests, on behalf of all survivors and tip heros, the

recognition you bestow on us is an honor. thank you. [ applause ] recognized internationally for its relationship and in slavery. your highlights in effort to end human trafficking -- internationally and put us in a network of freedom fighters around the world. i could have only dreamt of such an honor. three years ago, i accepted a job offer to teach english in the gulf corporation council. this was after returning home from norway where i received a master's degree. the students fought to live

there. when i arrived to the council, there wasn't a job teaching english. i was trafficked into slavery as a domestic walker. i didn't do anything, but sexual abuses. when i sat up, i wanted to go home, they told me i had the debt of $3,000 u.s. dollars, which i had to pay, and then pay my flight back home. this was a lie. however, i considered selling a kidney to pay the $3,000 u.s. dollars and get out. i was in such a desperate situation -- some were never heard from again. all of the women i met on my way to the corporation states,

council had been promised jobs with higher pay than we could have ever received in our home country. no one had received a job. all of what was left of homes so we could find a way to support our families. in many cases, we were the hope of our families. one who was put through college. with the help, i was able to escape my captors and return home. then we helped seven other women return home. many were not as lucky. there are limited resources available to international aide. that is why i made it my mission and my organization survival network mission to build a movement in africa to create an awareness program to

prevent human trafficking. my sisters and brothers need to lend promises. to prevent trafficking, people need vocational training to build skills so that they can walk and become self-sufficient in their home countries. those who have skilled start businesses. however, even more than that is necessary. there are needs to make economic education. for that, men cannot control women's futures. a good example why antitrafficking organizations have historical, many self- sufficiency. when it comes to communities, about human trafficking, and

more than this help to educate and protect people of all ages. grass root activities in towns, schools, churches, bus stops, radio and television stations, on the internet and social media, all contributes to awareness and increase the possibility that a bystander will intervene or an abuser will think twice. this is in no way the initiative -- rescuing and caring for the 25 million people who are currently enslaved. it is especially important that while victims are rescued, they have a supportive network that they can lean on to prevent being retrafficked. thank you for supporting me .

this recognition means so much to all of us and we value our efforts and amplify our abilities to fight this terrible crime. despite being heros, not just us, but anyone can and should get involved in fighting human trafficking. we can all talk about the issue in schools and walk places and over dinner with our families. the more people who know and care, the more people who will resist. we are just beginning to end a trafficking movement. i know that together, we can end modern day slavery. thank you. thank you, everyone. [ applause ]

thank you for your inspiring remarks. we have a lot to learn from your journey, your strength, and perseverance go a long way to ensuring others can live a life filled with promise. it is both an honor and humbling experience to share this platform with so many human rights defenders who are undaunted in their search for freedom. i'm thrilled these heros will have the opportunity to share their insights, with they meet with local leaders and organizations. connecting leaders, experts, and activists from communities around the world to exchange

stories, promising practices, and lessons learned advances our global fight against human trafficking. we believe so strongly in collaboration and partnership, especially at the state and local level, that we focus this year's tip report introduction around this theme. my team and i have learned that some of the most innovative ideas, strategies, and solutions, come from grass roots organizations, whether in the united states or abroad. we have seen again and again that individuals make the difference. whether this is a sacramento uber driver who overheard a conversation between a teenage passenger and her traffickers and called the police. or the chicago restaurant manager who noticed two employees with identical burns on their faces and encouraged them to contact the police who charged their landlord with forced labor. last year, i was moved to see traditional leaders and elders in ghana, working with volunteers and shelter workers to develop a proactive community approach to combating human trafficking. the collective work of these individuals and others like

them help remove more than 180 children from forced labor. and it prevented numerous others from sexual exploitation. whether a good samaritan, local leader x or someone who made antitrafficking their life's work. at the state department, we are committed to partnering with a broad range of stake holders so we may better prevent the event from occurring and assist survivors of trafficking. let us all draw inspiration from all of these heros on the stage today, and from those doing what they can in their communities and around the world to fight trafficking. while the magnitude of the crime and challenges may sometimes seem daunting, we must all roll up our sleeves and work together to break the bonds of modern slavery. collectively, let us ensure justice and freedom prevail. thank you all for coming today. please remain in your seats until the secretary and our heros have left and i welcome you all to stay for a few

minutes and mingle and exit out toward the back where you can pick up your own personal copy of the 2018 trafficking persons report. thank you so much. [ applause ]

saturday, former first lady, michelle obama talks about her upcoming memoir, becoming, reflecting on her life and time in the white house. she is joined in conversation by librarian of congress at the american library association's annual conference. >> people think i'm a unicorn. it's like i don't exist. like people like me don't exist. and i know that there are so many people in this country and in this world who feel like they don't exist because their stories aren't told or they think their stories aren't worthy of being told. you know. in this country, we have gotten to the point where we think there's only a handful of legitimate stories that make you a true american. and so if you don't fall into that narrow sort of line, it's like you don't belong. but we all belong, and i think my book is just -- it's the ordinariness of a very

extraordinary story. >> watch saturday night at 7:45 eastern on cspan2's book tv. the cspan bus is traveling across the country on our 50 capitals tour. the bus stopped in alaska, asking folks what's the most important issue in alaska? >> i was born and raised in fairbanks, alaska, and i believe the most important issue to me is the walls that our society seems to be building up. i think that for a nation built on immigrants and diversity, we are finding it hard to embrace our differences as a good thing and that's creating great divides and greater conflicts than we really need at the moment.

we should be focusing our problem solving skills on something more important, not how we are different. our differences make us great. >> the most important issue to me is our policy, particularly in the united states, we have a misconception among a lot of the public that we are falling behind. that's not the case. and it's important for the public to government to make arctic policy a bigger issue than it is perceived. >> i'm a dentist here in fairbanks. i've been here since 1976. i came up here from michigan, where i went to school at the university of michigan. dental health is of course a very, very important issue here in this state. whether it's in the city, in the small rural communities.

especially out where there's no access to many care facilities. so, the dentist in this state have gone -- we just finished a mission of mercy, it was our second mission of mercy here in fairbank. the private sector, of course, the biggest burden. a lot of the treatment here is donated by the local dentist, and of course the government facilities, public health offers a great treatment out in the areas where there's no private practice. so anyway, i encourage everybody to remember their dental hygiene. >> i'm a 32 year resident. the most important issue to me currently is our political divide. i was raise ed a moderate

republican. i worry about the future of our country, because it seems like there's no room for moderation anymore. and we have conflict and nothing really gets done in our political party, and i like to see some changes in that respect. i also worry about -- historically, we have been looked at as problem solvers and deliver of good. i think that's changing and not for the better. it's a very big concern to me. those are my issues. >> be sure to join us july 21 and 22, when we'll feature our visit to alaska. alaskaweekend cspan.org or listen