Where are they now?: Naj, Brunei

In 2015 when IOM X was just a few months old we brought together 20 youth leaders from all 10 ASEAN countries in Bangkok for the IOM X ASEAN Youth Forum. The goal was to connect with amazing young people who were passionate about social change and the issue of human trafficking and to share knowledge and resources to help them make an impact.

Now, more than two years later, what are they up to? We reached out to five of the participants and asked them for an update!

1. What have you been up to since the IOM X ASEAN Youth Forum?

After the forum, the attendees decided to form the ASEAN Youth Ending Slavery Network and we founded our own country specific network branches in all the ASEAN countries. For Brunei, Amal Kasibah (also one of the forum attendees) and I founded Youth Against Slavery Brunei in 2015 and we continue to organise awareness projects on human trafficking in Brunei. Currently I am working and living in Brunei.

2. Are you still involved in the issue of human trafficking in any way?

Yes, through Youth Against Slavery Brunei. Check out https://www.facebook.com/YASbrunei/!

3. Is there anything that has stuck with you from the youth forum?

The forum served as the basis for the awareness projects we have done thus far, from promoting content shared by IOM X to the smart use of graphic and social media in promoting awareness.

4. Do you have any advice for young people who want to take action against human trafficking?

The things that we consume physically and virtually may, unfortunately, carry the imprint of human trafficking and modern day slavery. It is high time that we be more aware of the role we play in encouraging these activities. We may not be able to solve the problem overnight but our action might change a person’s whole life.