Ecologia Youth Trust branches out to Thailand

Support for Migrant workers from Burma after the Tsunami
Peacebuilding through Youth Empowerment, Human Rights & Self Reliance

Ecologia Youth Trust has embarked on a new partnership with Thai NGO Sathirakoses-Nagapradeepa Foundation (SNF). Supported by the Big Lottery Fund the 3-year project is restoring livelihoods and empowering devastated communities of traumatised and marginalised migrant workers and their families from Burma in Southern Thailand. As tsunami aid moves from relief work to a longer term approach the project is addressing the complex needs of the marginalised migrant workers by using a peacebuilding approach, particularly amongst the youth, to facilitate harmonious integration into the Thai community. The project is also training and building capacity of local youth and community leaders from Burma to move towards self-reliance in their communities. At the same time effort is made to restore cultural integrity and mental health and assist with Human Rights and registration issues.

The project is benefiting some 50,000 migrant workers from Burma and their children who live in the Southern Thai coastal provinces of Phang Nga and Ranong. SNF and their local partner, a Burmese NGO - Grassroots Human Rights Education & Development (GHRE) have both worked since the tsunami to support Burmese in the area including Human Rights support, providing rudimentary education and bringing in Burmese and Mon monks for spiritual and practical support as well as counselling. The project will build upon their work to facilitate a programme moving towards long term sustainable wellbeing. There are 3 core strategic areas:

Peacebuilding through Youth Empowerment: an annual peace building camp for 75 young people from different ethnicities including Burmese, Mon, Mogen, Thai Muslim and Thai Buddhist who were all caught up in the tsunami, to heal together, and share their cultural diversity to build bridges between their communities. Teachers at Burmese Learning Centres for migrant worker children's will also receive training and support including the introduction of therapeutic education and Thai language teaching to integrate 150 of the children into Thai schools.

Community Self Reliance & Sustainability: an annual three month Grassroots leadership training to empower 75 local migrant worker leaders to become active in moving their communities towardsself reliance with a small project fund to support their local activities.

HR, Advocacy & Registration: the main activities are advocacy work including education, negotiation, training and dialogue with police, employers, sub contractors and officials. There will also be publications for Thai authorities on human rights, labour rights and registration and general support to migrants for registration and networking.

A series of human stories about the migrants and their lives will be published to show their humanity and vulnerability to the Thai public and build bridges of peace and respect.

The expected outcomes of the project will be 150 Youth and GLT course participants active in their communities initiating small projects and ongoing community organisation to improve conditions for migrant workers.

More Burmese youth will be integrated into Thai schools, youth from different ethnicities become friends and are interacting together with fewer instances of racism.There will be more support and fairer treatment for migrant workers by local officials, sub-contractors and employers and 5,000 more migrant workers will be registered.

We look forward to bringing together our Russian partners at Kitezh Children’s Community and our Thai partners to share experience and expertise with one another.