After being told 26 times that her story was too graphic and horrific to be told, Le Ly Hayslip tried once more to get it published.

On attempt No. 27, her story became a book. That same haunting memoir, “When Heaven and Earth Changed Places,” was later made into a major motion picture directed by Oliver Stone.

Living in a tiny village in war-torn Vietnam, Hayslip’s life was riddled with rape, torture and emotional neglect. Yet her story is one of hope, forgiveness and standing tall for what she believes in, Hayslip said.

Hayslip was the keynote speaker at the second Annual International Dialogue on Violence against Women, which brought speakers from around the globe together to discuss the issue of human trafficking.

The conference was held all day Friday and Saturday and explored the social problem of trafficking, which is a modern-day form of slavery.

Human trafficking occurs under conditions of force, fraud or coercion where people provide labor, service or perform commercial sex acts, according to the Polaris Project, a national group working to combat the issue.

Shireen Miles, an event speaker and volunteer for Women Escaping a Violent Environment, Inc. in Sacramento said, “Human trafficking is a global system that sees human beings as disposable commodities.”

The victims of human trafficking are commonly the impoverished and the vulnerable and are lured into trafficking with false promises of better lives, Miles said. Miles also said that 27 million individuals fall victim to human trafficking each year.

From mail-order brides in Europe and babies sold and purchased in Guatemala to the sex tour industry in the United States, trafficking is a problem plaguing every county, Miles said.

“Our ethnocentric privilege allows us to forget what’s happening on a global level,” Miles said. Recent trafficking protection acts were passed in the United State to provide assistance, awareness and to strengthen prosecution, but such laws are limited in scope because the issue crosses national boundaries, Miles said.

Hayslip’s speech triggered deep running emotions and at many points prompted Hayslip to dry her eyes.

At the end of the speech, Chau Ngo stood up and applauded Hayslip’s courage, “To me, you are a pioneer to stand up and tell your story to the world.” Ngo was also victim of trafficking in Vietnam.

Hayslip received a standing ovation from the crowd.

“Her life is a mirror for what’s happening to other Vietnamese women,” Miles said.

Shawn Lady, a graduate student from the University of Nevada, Reno, came to the conference to learn more about the issue because it will be the subject of her thesis. “I want to be a modern day abolitionist,” Lady said.

Also at the event on Friday, Jude Antonyappan, from the department of social work at Sac State and Prit Paul Kaur, who teaches Indian police about women’s issues, discussed sham marriages plaguing India.

Indian men from westernized countries come to India to choose a native Indian bride and then later desert their wives, taking the dowry or monetary gifts with them, Antonyappan said.

Antonyappan said that often the husband would invite his Indian wife to the United State and then use her as a servant; without citizenship the Indian woman has little leverage to reject the control.

The source of the problem comes from the social system in Indian; “the women are physically present, but socially absent,” Kaur said.

One solution would be tracking down the men and holding them accountable for their actions, Antonyappan said.

Speakers on Saturday included Executive Director Atashi Chakravarty of Narika, an organization to promote the empowerment of women, and Xin Ren from the Criminal Justice Department at Sac State.

Jessica Heskin, a Women’s Resource Center educator and advocate said the purpose of the forum was for community members to break down barriers and do something to stop human trafficking.

Heskin encouraged attendees to get involved in community outreach like the National Freedom Run, which is at Sac State on Nov. 19.

“Making a difference comes from one individual,” Hayslip said. “I didn’t know how much a person could make a difference until I got on my path.”

Americans are lucky to be able to stand up and hold their government accountable, no other country has that freedom, Hayslip said.

Alongside complementary muffins and coffee, prizes such as vagina lollipops and anti-violence against women T-shirts and mugs were raffled off.

Christie Harris, a coordinator from the Mexico Solidarity Network was selling colorful shawls and goods made by various women’s organizations.

Hayslip stayed after her presentation for a book signing; all three of her books were sold at the conference. Hayslip is also the founder of two international service organizations, East Meets West Foundation and the Global Village.

Mellow Me Out offered discounted massages for those in attendance.

Women’s Resource Center sponsored 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 worldwide issues of violence against women and children. Since the first conference proved popular, those involved this year wanted to narrow the focus and make the event longer, Heskin said.

Jessica Weidling can be reached at [email protected]