School Students Organise 24 Hour Race To Help Malaysia's Struggle With Human Trafficking
Running To Stop The Traffik is a youth-for-youth initiative to address the issue of modern slavery with a race that will push them to their limits.
By Mei Mei Chu — 08 Oct 2014, 06:06 PM — Updated almost 10 years ago
Malaysia is one of the world's worst country in human trafficking, scoring the lowest band in the US' Annual Human Trafficking Report
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. It involves one person controlling another and exploiting him or her for work. Like historical slavery, human trafficking is a business that generates billions of dollars a year. But unlike historical slavery, human trafficking is not legal anywhere in the world. Instead of being held by law, victims are trapped physically, psychologically, financially or emotionally by their traffickers.
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We might not be aware, but the products we eat, wear and use every day could be made by human trafficking victims
Human trafficking isn't just in your town - it's in your home, since human trafficking victims are forced to make many of the products we use everyday, according to ProductsofSlavery.org. If your kitchen is stocked with rice, chocolate, fresh produce, fish, or coffee, those edibles might have been harvested by trafficking victims. If you're wearing gold jewelry, athletic shoes, or cotton underwear, you might be wearing something made by slaves. And if your home contains a rug, a soccer ball, fresh flowers, a cell phone, or Christmas decorations, then slavery is quite possibly in your house. Human trafficking in the production of consumer goods is so widespread, most people in America have worn, touched, or consumed a product of slavery at some point.
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To address slavery issue and instill other youths with the skills and attitude to make a change, a group of students is championing an initiative called Running to Stop the Traffik (RTST)
Running to Stop the Traffik is a youth led initiative aiming to stop human trafficking and slavery around the world through endurance type sports events, which raise money for charity.
Our goal is to address slavery issues, and instill within young people the skills and attitude to make a difference.
Running to Stop the Traffik links endurance running to raising awareness for human trafficking together with the 24 Hour Race
Running to Stop the Traffik represents an endeavor to bring endurance running and raising awareness for human trafficking together, reflecting our aspirations for a better and brighter future. A 24 Hour Race type event aims to empower students to support charities endeared to them while participating in something that they love.
runningtostopthetraffik.comThe 24 Hour Races are driven entirely by students raising funds and awareness for anti-slavery charities. Teams will run a continuous relay for 24 hours and will be sponsored for every lap they run.
The 24 Hour Races are driven entirely by the spirit, energy and dedication of students. Groups of students form teams and run a continuous relay for 24 hours. They are sponsored for every lap they run, raising funds and awareness to benefit anti-slavery charities.
From a small fundraising event, the 24 Hour Race has evolved to an international campaign empowering young people to change lives. It first started in Hong Kong in 2010, it went to Singapore, and now it is coming to Malaysia.
From its humble beginnings, the race has grown from a fundraising event to address slavery, to an event which empowers young people to feel they can truly make a difference. The first race started in 2010 in Hong Kong before expanding by demand to Singapore with a 12 hour race. This year, the 12 hour race is becoming 24 and Kuala Lumpur will host its own 24 hour race. These races are a reflection of a wider movement of students coming together to address problems of slavery.
The youth-for-youth event brings together 20-30 local and international secondary schools in Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur each in the fight against slavery.
This year, the 24 Hour Race Kuala Lumpur will be held from 15 to 16 November 2014 at Nexus International School
In conjunction with our 24 Hour Race, RTST KL will be hosting carnival on the November 15th from 10am to 6pm at Nexus International School. Apart from food, they will also have boutiques selling accessories amongst other items.
Students who want to be a part of the event can also volunteer to be a marshal
The 24 Hour Races are recruiting marshals in HK, SG and KL. Marshals are paramount in ensuring that this year's 24 Hour Races run smoothly. Being a marshal also gives you a chance to cheer on your friends whilst being a part of one of the biggest charitable youth movements in Asia! Sign up to be a marshal or volunteer here.
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