The Reality of Human Trafficking: A Virtual Summit

Human trafficking is a widespread global issue affecting many people at varying levels. It is a complex criminal behavior with many different and unsettling manifestations from labor trafficking in fishing vessels of Southeast Asia, to domestic servitude in the Middle East, child labor in the brick kilns of South Asia, to commercial sex trafficking in the major cities of Asia and Europe. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that globally there are 40.3 million people in modern slavery today. Global trends indicate that 71% of trafficked victims are women and girls while men and boys account for 29%. Human trafficking is a lucrative global trade. According to the ILO report human trafficking earns global profits of roughly $150B a year $99B of which come from commercial sexual exploitation.

Human trafficking is such a complex phenomenon which makes it extremely difficult to address and is becoming increasingly challenging to governments and anti-trafficking advocates. Its global nature transcends geopolitical borders, yet its execution is local. As a crime with both global and local dimensions, human trafficking must be countered with tools that are both global and local and would require robust collaborations across borders between the public and private sectors; governments, businesses, civil society groups and faith-based organizations (FBOs).

FBOs, such as Religions for Peace, have the unique capacity to engage in advocacy against human trafficking. FBOs build on their religious tradition of charity and justice on their commitment to taking common action for the common good as well as in their ideological frame of promoting the dignity of the human person. As grassroots organizations they have the expertise to work with the poor and underserved communities. They bring people together and strengthen community bonds. And while working at local levels FBOs have a broad reach deploying their institutional networks that span across global regions as well as social classes to promote advocacies and deliver critical services. It is in this light that Religions for Peace, Asia (ACRP) has adopted Human Trafficking as a flagship program. This webinar is part of a continuing effort in raising public awareness on the realities of human trafficking in the region.

Dates: January 14th-15th, 2021 /12:00-14:30 (JST)

Organizer: Asia Pacific Women of Faith Network

Venue: Zoom Online Symposium

Theme: The Reality of Human Trafficking in Asia

Language: English/Japanese (*Simultaneous interpretation is available)

Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUuceypqD4iGtcAdZ7M0k1Nq0Z2tRBUxgnn

• Registration is required to join this symposium.

The full Programme with speakers can be accessed here.