Sponsored by the Humpty Dumpty Institute and the U.N. Office Drug and Crime, this forum will address the global crisis of human trafficking and the role of film and new media play in raising awareness.

Forum Schedule and participants

When: Saturday June 9th, 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Where: Playmill Theater, 50 W. Broadway, Jackson, WY
Cost: Admission is FREE

Moderator

• Jim Clancy, CNN Anchor

Panelists

• Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of U.N. Office of Drug & Crime and Secretary General of U.N. Vienna
• Julia Ormond, actress and U.N. Goodwill Ambassador
• Georgette Mosbacher, CEO Borghese Cosmetics
• Shakira Parveen, victim of Human Trafficking and advocate
• Robert Bilheimer, Academy Award nominated film producer
• Rosilyn Heller, film producer

About Human Trafficking

According to the U.N. Office of Drug and Crime, some 2.5 million people throughout the world are at any given time recruited, entrapped, transported and exploited - a process called human trafficking - according to estimates of international experts.

Trafficking in persons, whether for sexual exploitation or forced labor, affects virtually every region of the world. UNODC reports that persons from 127 countries become exploited in 137 nations.

"Slavery is a booming international trade, less obvious than two hundred years ago for sure, but all around us," said UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa. "Perhaps we simply prefer to close our eyes to it, as many law-abiding citizens buy the products and the services produced on the cheap by slaves."

Because human trafficking is an underground crime, with many undiscovered and unidentified victims, the true numbers are not known. The United States government estimates that between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year.

Human trafficking has become big business. The U.N. and other experts estimate the total market value of illicit human trafficking at $32 billion - about $10 billion is derived from the initial "sale" of individuals, with the remainder representing the estimated profits from the activities or goods produced by the victims of this barbaric crime.

For more information visit the U.N. ODC website