Welcome to the Thailand Rotary Action Group Against Slavery Team

Do you want to get involved in projects that will save the lives of children? Are you willing to put your heart and your skills into what may be the most heartbreaking and at the same time rewarding volunteer work you have ever encountered? Join Rotary, Join the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery and join our team!

Peace Culture Foundation Training

Thailand has suffered from scandalous news about teachers sexually abusing their students. The psychological damage done to the children is beyond measurement! Of course, everyone would prefer to think these things happen somewhere else, but the cold truth is:

Protection is absolutely necessary! The strategy of Dr. Sombat Tapanya and the Peace Culture Foundation is to train facilitators who then train students, teachers and parents about subjects which help children be less vulnerable to human trafficking. Topics include awareness of the severity of the situation and its impact, identifying grooming behavior pattern, how to seek help and report the incident, and how to spread the information among students, parents, and teachers.

On Saturday 24 August we observed an excellent Grooming prevention training program by Dr. Sombat Tapanya and his team. It was conducted at Ban San Pasak school where a teacher in another school nearby was sentenced to 65 years in jail for grooming and raping a number of students over many years.

There were four trainers from Peace Culture Foundation, 33 students and several schoolteachers present.

Peace Culture Foundation has trained over 2,000 students at more than 20 schools and over 1,000 parents and teachers in the past few years.

Our goal is to eventually provide training to every child in Thailand. To do this we will need collaboration between great organizations. When it comes to funding, there are many who are concerned about getting “a bigger piece of the pie”. We are looking to “build a bigger pie”. The protection of children from human trafficking is too important to do anything less!!

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Human Trafficking Awareness Event, 8 November

TRAGAST invites you to attend a special event to raise awareness of human trafficking featuring the film The Sound of Freedom. There is no charge to see the film. However seating is limited. Reserve your seat today. email to info@tragast.org.

Details:

The movie is complimentary and has Thai Subtitles คำบรรยายไทย. However, there are only 80 seats available. Registration is easy, just

click here or send an email to treasurer@tragast.org to guarantee your seat.

Agenda:

15:00 Welcome (Foreign Correspondent's Club Bangkok) - Penthouse, Maneeya Center 518/5 Ploenchit Road

15:30 Screening of "The Sound of Freedom"

18:00 Closing Comments - Speaker is Dr. Sombat Tapanya, Peace Culture Foundation

18:30 Optional Dinner

20:30 Bon Voyage

Registration for Movie – complimentary. There are only 80 seats available.

Registration for Dinner on or before 1 October: ฿1,200

Registration for Dinner on or before 1 November: ฿1,500

Registration at the door 8 November, if not sold out: ฿1,800

For payment just transfer funds to:

Bangkok Bank

Pratu Chang Phuak Branch

125 Chang phuak Rd, T.Sriphum A. Muang

Chiangmai 50300 Thailand

Swift Code: BKKBTHBK

Account Number: 531-0-932891

Name on Account: GERALD EDWARD NELSON & PONGSAWART NIYOMCA

Sponsorship opportunities are available. They include special seating, up to 4 complimentary dinner tickets and promotion of your organization.

Learn More.

Asia Region Anti-Trafficking Conference - Three Take Aways

Posted by Jerry Nelson on Aug. 06, 2024

The Asia Regional Anti-Trafficking Conference was in Bali 23 – 25 July 2024. Much has already been written and published but I wanted to share three take aways for me.

Often the fight against human trafficking can seem overwhelming. It was wonderful to see over 150 dedicated professionals gathered for the explicit purpose of fighting human trafficking. It was my honor to meet many people who I have had on-line conversations with over the past couple of years.

While I was aware of trafficking into scam centers, it was shocking to learn how this trend has increased over the past year. We must do all we can to put an end to this. The Humanity Research Consultancy has a powerful and relevant video.

The 2025 Asia Regional Anti-Trafficking Conference will be in Chiang Mai Thailand. I look forward to participating and promoting this one!

Fellow Rotarian Mina Chiang and me

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Stepping up to Help

Posted by Matt Friedman

In our fast-paced world, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the issue of human trafficking.

This modern form of slavery is a major challenge that often seems insurmountable.

However, as individuals, we have more power than we realize to make a difference and address this issue head-on.

It's time for each and every one of us to step up and take action against human trafficking.

We can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines and wait for others to solve this problem.

Each small action we take as individuals can have a ripple effect and contribute to positive change on a larger scale.

One of the first steps we can take is to educate ourselves about human trafficking.

By understanding the root causes and consequences of this heinous crime, we can become more informed advocates for change.

We should use our voices to raise awareness and spark conversations about this critical issue in our communities and social circles.

Another vital way we can help is by supporting organizations and initiatives that are working to combat human trafficking.

Whether it's through volunteering our time, donating funds, or spreading the word about their work, our support can provide invaluable resources to those on the front lines of this battle.

Moreover, using our daily choices and habits to fight human trafficking can make a significant impact.

From supporting fair labor practices to advocating for policies that protect vulnerable populations, our individual actions can collectively drive positive shifts in our societies.

We must also hold ourselves and others accountable for our actions and behaviors.

By standing up against exploitation, promoting human rights, and advocating for justice, we can create a world where human trafficking is no longer tolerated.

It's important to remember that change takes time and effort, but every step we take as individuals is a step toward a brighter future free from human trafficking.

Let's embrace our power to drive change, no matter how small it may seem, and work together to address this major issue of our time.

Each of us has the ability to make a meaningful difference, and together, we can create a world where exploitation is not a part of the future.

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Stop Trafficking to Scam Centers

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek” – Barack Obama, former U.S. President.

Human Trafficking is a horrific blemish on the soul of civilization! Today there are some 50,000,000 people in modern slavery throughout the world! Now there is an increasing percentage of people being trafficked into scam centers! Please Watch these videos:

Scam Watchers – English Language 1:14

Scam Watchers – Thai Language 1:14

Human Trafficking Prevention – Scam Centers (English) 4:10

Human Trafficking Prevention – Scam Centers (Thai) 4:19

How to Avoid Being Trafficked into a Scam Center (English) 3:56

Videos are also available in other languages including Bengali, Russian, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Matt Friedman's article Human Trafficking into Scam centers is here.

TRAGAST is working to help end this travesty and we need your help!

Please pass this information on to your caring friends.
Make a Direct Donation or make a pledge by sending an email to treasurer@tragast.org

Take Action Today!

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DON'T FORGET

Posted by Maria Julia Moreyra on Jul. 30, 2024

Today is the International Day against Trafficking in Persons. The years of fighting a crime that claims the lives of so many people worldwide come to mind.

I don't believe in coincidences. Minutes before writing these lines, I received a message with the preliminary investigation into Carmen Argibay, a woman who all her life fought against gender violence and as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina, created the Women's Office. I had the privilege of meeting her, of accessing the brilliant training on Gender and Prevention in the field of Human Trafficking. Carmen left an eternal legacy, as the research that accounts for her work is titled. He did a lot so that this crime can be eradicated and gratitude, like his legacy, will be eternal.

It pains me to think of so many women, men, girls, boys and adolescents who are victims of this crime. There are those who lose their lives while deprived of their freedom and for those who survive, life is very complex. We live in a world where empathy and fraternity do not prevail as they should, where prejudices and stigmas persist, where judgment is always present, without knowing the hell that these people lived.

I thank God for having embraced the defense of victims for many years, to be able to contribute to the prevention of this crime from wherever I am and especially to meet along the way with people committed to the issue, who give the best of themselves. I wish I could mention them all, but I dedicate this article to Matt Friedman, the man with the most merciful look I have ever met in my life, and to my dear friend Jerry Nelson, of indescribable generosity and who from Thailand fights against this crime.

I also thank the SE4U Americas Network and Horacio Pacheco for the opportunity to train so many people in Latin America and also in Europe.

I ask that those who were victims not be forgotten. Loan Peña, Marita Verón, Fernanda Aguirre and so many other people in Argentina and the world. I pray for them and their families, friends and also for our societies that are irreparably damaged when a being is deprived of their fundamental rights.

Hopefully one day human beings will understand that violating people's rights is an undignified and reprehensible act, as is revictimizing.

A long way to go, deconstruct and one day learn that we all have the right to a dignified life. Unless this happens, humanity will continue to suffer, because when a person is a victim of this aberrant crime, the social fabric is seriously wounded. May God grant that one day fraternity will win the battle against so much individualism.

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Last Update

Last Update September 2, 2024

A complete list of stories available on this website is available in the About Us section

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Chiang Mai,
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We meet on Zoom every 2nd Monday of the month. If you'd like an invitation, please contact info@tragast.org

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Sep 09, 2024 7:00 PM

Human Trafficking

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