ASEAN Youth Leaders Learn New Skills to Combat Exploitation
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Twenty young leaders, girls and boys, from across the ASEAN region are ready to join the fight against exploitation and unsafe migration after attending the creative IOM X ASEAN Youth Forum in Bangkok from 12-14 February.
Creative workshops during the IOM X ASEAN Youth Forum included a ‘role play’ and a ‘city challenge’. Throughout the meeting, participants worked with communication professionals to design events they will hold in their home countries from March to September of this year. These youth-led events will help build awareness about human trafficking and exploitation, and how to minimize risks by following safe migration tips.
“So many people migrate without thinking it through carefully or making an informed choice. This makes them more vulnerable to manipulation, deceit, fraud and exploitation,” said Joey Dela Cruz, IOM X Youth Leader, Philippines. “Youth leaders like myself can work together to inform, train and create informed choices for young people to consider, rather than jump into opportunities because of pressures they face.”
UN Women attended the forum to observe and participate in activities with the youth delegates who took the opportunity to express their support to the HeForShe campaign, a global solidarity movement for gender equality.
IOM X is the International Organization for Migration’s new campaign to encourage safe migration and public action to stop human trafficking and exploitation, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).