Community Organizing Workshop For Jesuit Refugee Singapore (JRS)

CLinked held Community Organizing Workshops with Jesuit Refugee Singapore’s (JRS) Human Trafficking Team and Peacewalkers in Singapore. The workshops were coordinated by Doris Tann (of JRS).

Doris and team members Stacie, and Melissa, were trained by CLinked in a 2015 Myanmar workshop. As a result of the workshop, JRS came up with two organizing projects: 1) to create human trafficking awareness within the parish and 2) another to award the teacher trainees who comes up with the best human trafficking teaching projects.

CLinked was very proud to observe their wonderful coaching and impressive training of 18 participants. Their training had two objectives: 1) create strategies for the JRS human trafficking team and 2) create more coaches for future workshops.

Later this year CLinked is planning a workshop in Yangon to train local Catholic and Buddhist groups to become organizers and teachers in order to spread trafficking awareness.

jrs.jpg

Caritas' Human Trafficking Conference

Doris Tann invited CLinked to join Caritas' Human Trafficking Asia Conference, "Information, Communication, Technology and Anti-Human Trafficking”.  The conference was attended by 48 people across 11 trafficking organizations including IOM, IOL, Liberty Asia, Microsoft Thailand.

We met many Catholic groups working in various parts of Asia. Our friend Caroline Seow, who coordinated CLinked's first PSIE workshop in 2014, was the first day's moderator.

Migrant Worker Legal Rights Research With National University of Singapore

Yvonne Stoerzer, a CLinked team member, is leading a research project with three NUS law students. Meishuen is focusing her research on Singapore, Amelia on Malaysia and Carol on Thailand.

The team is researching the local law for migrant workers, including domestic workers, sex workers and construction workers. They are also helping us to understand employment terms, prevalent risks and how to avoid these risks.

skype.jpg

Teacher Training Workshops For An Anti-Trafficking Group

CLinked held a 3-day Anti-trafficking workshop in Singapore with PSIE teacher trainees from Yangon. This is the fourth workshop CLinked held for PSIE teacher trainees and was attended by 17 participants, including Sister Grace.

On the first day, the participants learned about human trafficking laws, causes for human trafficking, tricks used by traffickers, migration and prevention. These challenging topics were explored through experiential learning, theater, movies and song.

On the second day, the group brought gifts to 5 young Myanmar victims at a shelter and provided a safe space where the victims could speak about their experience. Kirsten Law, from the JRS trafficking team, coordinated the volunteers with Peacewalkers. This dedicated group of volunteers provide support and care to the sex workers through food and conversation on a weekly basis.

By the third day, the participants were quite moved. They learned how to create their own lesson plans to teach to their children.

The most satisfying moment was when Bernadette, who took last year's course, told us that she has taught 250 children 6 sessions on human trafficking! A wonderful example of CLinked’s “snow flaking” in action.