There are an estimated 240 million migrants globally, and more than 50 million migrants in Asia: people are on the move, across borders, and within countries. Migration, a phenomenon nearly as old as humanity itself, is increasing in Asia and around the world. Sometimes migration brings benefits: new opportunities to earn a higher standard of living, and benefits to countries of destination where skills shortages exist. Other times, migration brings exploitation: people, with little knowledge of where they are going, are vulnerable to deception, abuse, and human trafficking. In spite of the risks, people continue to be optimistic about the opportunities that they may find away from home. In this program we will seek to answer the questions of whether migration is necessarily a risky endeavor, and whether the private sector can have a more proactive role in the prevention of migrant exploitation, including human trafficking.

Please join Asia Society for a discussion that will clarify misconceptions about the human trafficking phenomenon, while looking at how the private sector can proactively contribute to ensuring migration is safe and beneficial for all. Speakers include Ruchira Gupta, Founder and President of Apne Aap Women Worldwide, a grassroots organization working to empower women and eradicate human sex trafficking, and Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Director of the U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; and Letty Ashworth, Manager of Global Diversity at Delta Airlines and board member of the Business Coalition Against Human Trafficking (BCAT). The program will be moderated by Melynda Barnhart, Associate Professor of Law at New York Law School.

Co-sponsored by: South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA)

Can't make it to this program? Tune in to AsiaSociety.org/Live at 6:30 pm ET for a free live video webcast. Viewers are encouraged to submit questions to [email protected].