The conference held Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will explore the social problem of trafficking, which is a modern-day form of slavery.

According the Polaris Project, a national group combating the issue, human trafficking occurs under conditions of force, fraud or coercion where people provide labor, service or perform commercial sex acts.

“Typically, women are the commodity, and the problem is not limited to the sex trade. It happens in restaurants, sweatshops, in manufacturing and domestic service,” said Patricia Grady, coordinator of the Women’s Resource Center.

At the event, the keynote speaker and author of “When Heaven and Earth Changed Places,” Le Ly Hayslip, will tell her story. Hayslip will detail her trials and tribulations as a child in central Vietnam where she became captive in the slave trade.

Manasa, a tribal fusion dance troupe will perform on Saturday and a screening of the film “Daughters and Sons: Preventing Child Trafficking in the Golden Triangle,” will be shown.

A representative from My Sister’s House, a local non-profit organization addressing needs of the Asian and Pacific Islander community make a presentation. And Executive Director Atashi Chakravarty of Narika, an organization to promote the empowerment of women, will discuss the group’s philosophy.

Other speakers in attendance include Sac State faculty members Dr. Jude Antonyappan from the Division of Social work, and Dr. Xin Ren from the Department of Criminal Justice.

Heskin said human trafficking is an important issue in Sacramento because the city has a very diverse community and there isn’t a country in the world where trafficking doesn’t happen.

Women’s Resource Center is sponsoring the event in conjunction with Mellow Me Out Day Spa, Associated Student’s Inc., Women Take Back the Night, and the UC Davis Campus Violence Protection Program.

Last year, the conference was a one day event and focused on world-wide issues of violence against women and children. Since the first annual conference proved popular, this year those involved wanted to narrow the focus and make the event longer, Heskin said.

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