Leadership in Action
Developing Skills, Fostering Resilience, Leading Change.
Space Intl.
A true bottom-up movement cannot be done without investing in the leadership of survivors.
SPACE strives to be a learning community, advancing the leadership of our members as well as introducing emerging ones into this work, providing opportunities to learn, heal, and gain an understanding about systems of injustice and oppression.
The goal is to uplift survivors’ experiences through political education and activism; it’s a call to action, putting those most impacted in the forefront of a movement that presents the sex trade as inherently exploitative and embedded in patriarchal systems of inequality.
Survivors need to be in the forefront of the abolitionist movement; however, we are not always fully represented in decision-making roles and face numerous barriers to employment. We know that societal shifts have been propelled by those most impacted, through a bottom up movement, driven by shared experiences and injustices, but this also requires skill, strategic thinking, effective communication, and ability to cultivate healthy, strong relationships. Therefore, access to trainings/educational workshops is essential, especially workshops that build on the wisdom of people’s lived experience, a program that enables those with lived experiences to become strong influential advocates for change.
Funded through a specialized grant, a new leadership initiative was launched in January 2026 by Claudia Yurley Quintero, a SPACE Intl. member in Colombia, to establish a powerful survivor movement across Latin America nations. This leadership program catalyzed the creation of SPACE Latin America, an initiative dedicated to establishing a unified voice and to advance critical policy reforms throughout the region. This initiative represents the first unified effort in Latin America entirely led by individuals with lived experience. Organizing survivors within these regions, where women’s voices are often marginalized and where poverty and conflict zones drive up trafficking and exploitation, requires survivor-led approaches specific to these regions.
From September 1 to 4, 2026, the future of Latin American leadership converged in Cali, Colombia.
Participants of the leadership program gathered for an intensive, in-person summit designed to spark collaboration and drive regional progress. Over four days, leaders stepped away from their daily routines to strengthen their foundational knowledge, sharpen critical skills and share vital information. Through collaborative workshops and peer-to-peer learning, this summit served as a powerful catalyst – equipping change-makers with the tools and networks needed to bring an end to the trafficking and exploitation of Latin America’s most vulnerable populations of women and girls.
We believe in globalizing leadership development by placing it directly in the hands of regional survivor leaders. This ensures our programs are culturally resonant, politically adaptive and deeply reflective of the diverse communities throughout the globe. Instead of running leadership programs from one central hub, we can share the blueprint globally but let local teams handle the actual organizing and rollout.
By empowering regional survivor leaders to shape the curriculum, we bridge the gap between global strategy and local reality. These leaders understand the unique cultural nuances, systemic challenges and community strengths of their regions. Their insight ensures that our programs don’t just educate – they resonate, protect and endure.
Leadership looks different in every corner of the world. Regional leaders are able to adapt core concepts to fit local issues, languages and sociopolitical dynamics.
Your Voice, Your Power, Your Leadership
Transitioning from healing to leading is a profound step. It is about reclaiming your voice, your power and your seat at the table. Our platform is a launchpad designed to help you transform your lived experience into unshakeable leadership and connect you with a global community fiercely dedicated to elevating our voices for systemic change. Whether you are looking to sharpen your advocacy skills or ready to claim your place in a global community, you belong here.