It is very pleasing to see excellent RAGAS membership numbers growth in Thailand from 2 Rotary districts. It is also gratifying to see the team initiatives in providing a focus on prevention education training for students, teachers, parents, and officials. These members have created the Thailand RAGAS Team (TRAGAST) which is ably led by PDG Chamnan Chanruang and PP Jerry Nelson. They aim to recruit more Thailand Rotarians and influence the Community and Authorities to work with NGO’s to tackle and curtail the exploitation of fellow Thailand community members.
Current Projects
- The primary project is providing prevention training to students, teachers, parents, and officials. Training is conducted through the Peace Culture Foundation (PCF). Dr. Sombat Tapanya founder of PCF is working with psychology majors at Chiang Mai University who are trained to facilitate the trainings both in classrooms and online.Online training has been delivered to over 300 students, academics, and government officials in Chiang Mai Provence.Topics include grooming, sexual Abuse, peer advocacy, awareness of pedophiles and sociopaths, bystander intervention and more. PCF also delivered face to face training at 11 schools in June 2022 and conducted a workshop for 60+ youth leaders in Chiang Mai. More training is being planned both in classrooms and online.
- TRAGAST also has a library project where we have placed 9 portable libraries in popular locations throughout Chiang Mai. Books are free to the readers. The inside cover of every book includes a sticker with information about Rotary, RAGAS and TRAGAST. We try to They ensure that Matt Friedman’s “Where Were You” is on every bookshelf. This project could be easily duplicated in other areas.
- One member is writing an original stage play to raise awareness of human trafficking, especially child sex trafficking. They hope to premier the play in late 2023, likely in Chiang Mai.
Going Forward:
- TRAGAST members are working to expand the team and at the same time to gain support / assistance from Rotary Districts and Clubs outside of Thailand with the long-term goal to provide prevention awareness campaigns and training throughout Thailand.
- The TRAGAST plan is to expand membership in all 4 Thailand Rotary Districts and double their membership by the end of RY2023-24.
Please contact the Thailand RAGAS Coordinator at Coordinator@tragast.org for further information.
