leadership

Workshop Update: Human Trafficking Education

In partnership with JRS, we trained 16 leaders in the Northern Myanmar state of Kachin, which is in the midst of ongoing civil conflict. The 16 leaders leaders teach the teachers, villagers, catechists and children in the refugee camps and the orphanage. There are many people in Kachin whose homes have been invaded by either the military or the rebels. These people are pushed out of their homes and are left with no choice but to live in a refugee camp.

During the first 3 days of the 7 day workshop, the leaders in training learned the definition of human trafficking and were asked to find stories of human trafficking by interviewing others in the community. On the first day,

15 of the 16 participants could not think of any such stories but, by day three, every one of them, had stories of their own. The last day was practicum. Each new leader was teaching at the teachers training center,  the orphanage or the refugee camp. All of them were critiqued and encouraged by their peers, allowing them to immediately put into practice what they had learned. This also allowed time for the new leaders to gain confidence in teaching since they had the safety net of their peers and CLinked during their first time teaching the new material. Soon they began to teach completely on their own.

Our 16 trainers from 6 different organizations.

Our 16 trainers from 6 different organizations.

On day 7 after training 19 teachers trainees, 40 villagers and 40 children from orphanages, all 16 trainers made personal commitments to train others in different villages throughout the year. 

On day 7 after training 19 teachers trainees, 40 villagers and 40 children from orphanages, all 16 trainers made personal commitments to train others in different villages throughout the year. 

Yauhan first took our course in 2015.  He has gone onto present 4 workshops to the youth community and has become a leader and inspiration.

Yauhan first took our course in 2015.  He has gone onto present 4 workshops to the youth community and has become a leader and inspiration.

Workshop Update: Public Narrative in Cambodia

In December 2016, we held a public narrative workshop and trained 8 people in a community factory in Cambodia. We partnered with a Japanese NGO called Susu, which is a vocational training arm of Kamonohashi, the largest Japanese anti-human trafficking organization.

Susu hires high-risk women at the community factory and places them in a program that teaches them how to make artisanal bags, sandals and jewelry. We and Susu also provide the women with counseling and place them in jobs after they complete the two year program.

Over time, Susu realized that life skills are just as important as the technical skills that they were teaching. For that reason we and Susu focus on “public narrative” helping the women develop the ability to speak out and tell their own story.

Everyone has a story, but these women in particular have endured almost unimaginable hardships. By being taught how to reflect and speak about their struggles they learn more about themselves and can begin to express who they are. They then start to get other women involved and go on to help these new women.

Susu and CLinked

Susu and CLinked

Learning how to make bags and accessories.

Learning how to make bags and accessories.

Girls learning weaving skills.

Girls learning weaving skills.

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.

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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.

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