On 30 November 2024, the School of Social Innovation, the Global Relations Division, and the Better Engagement Between East and Southeast Asia (BEBESEA), co-organised a workshop on “Intersectional Human Rights Approach to Migrant Rights Protection”. Twenty-six Thai and international students from the School of Social Innovation, the School of Health Science and the School of Agro-Industry participated in this workshop. The workshop featured a lecture and group discussions, allowing students to gain insights and share perspectives on human rights and migrant workers.
BEBESEA is a cross-regional network of organisations and individuals advocating for rights of migrants in and from East and Southeast Asia as well as cross-cutting/intersectional human rights issues in the regions. The participating students shared their thoughts about the workshop as follows:
1. Mr. Muhammad Abidzar, an exchange student from Syiah Kuala University (B.Sc. in Food Science and Technology)
Becoming a participant in the workshop "Intersectional Human Rights Approach to Migrant Rights Protection” was such a great experience for me. The flow of the event wasn’t only filled with topic presentations from the speakers, but we also had a focus group discussion (FGD). We were divided into two groups, focusing on policy and community development regarding human rights for migrant protection. I chose to join the community group, and we had a discussion about the current issues, the causal agents, and the possible ways we can contribute to solving the problem. This was a new experience for someone who does not come from social science studies like me. I gained a lot of valuable lessons and it opened my eyes to take a look and care more about others who are striving for their human rights. Thank you to BEBESEA for sharing and caring.
2. Mr. Rosalan Sankoh, a 3rd-year student from International Development programme, School of Social Innovation
I learned a lot from the activity. City of Gold, a short film, portrayed the journey of a migrant from Myanmar to Singapore to find work opportunities, and find the reason behind her grandmother’s death. Unfortunately, the work they found in practice was not what her and other migrants had hoped for, not the City of Gold they envisioned.
The group discussion was divided into two groups: Collective Effort and Policy Advocacy. Personally, I joined the latter group to discuss the issue and its causes. On the one hand, I raised the issue of human trafficking, where migrant were tricked into moving aboard, and then have their passports confiscated by their employers, forcing them into labour and restricting their rights. I also proposed solutions to tackle the problems. On the other hand, others suggested issues related to healthcare, culture, working environment, etc. This workshop enlightened me to a new perspective and possibilities regarding this issue.
