19 Sep 2025 Strengthening migrant-centered communication in Asia Pacific through “You Are Not Alone” project

The “You Are Not Alone” project, led by Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) with support from WACC and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), continues to amplify migrant voices and to identify and address barriers to communication rights for migrants in the region at risk of human trafficking and exploitation.

Information is power

In May, APMM launched the study report Information is Power: A Multi-Country Research on Confronting Trafficking through Communication.

Conducted by APMM and partner organizations, the research maps policy gaps in anti-trafficking mechanisms in the Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, and Hong Kong, and identifies the communication needs of migrants vulnerable to exploitation. The report underlines the crucial role that accurate and accessible information plays in addressing trafficking issues.

“The comprehensive recommendations underline the urgent need for migrant-centred processes that uplift the rights and welfare of migrants in the region,” noted Clarice Canonizado, APMM education and research program coordinator.

For and by migrants

Network-building exercise during the YANA regional workshop in August 2025. Photo: APMM

Another highlight so far in 2025 was a regional workshop on citizen journalism and network building, held 1–2 August in Bangkok, Thailand – a further step towards establishing a multi-media network of migrant citizen journalists in sending and receiving countries across Asia Pacific.

The workshop brought together partners within the project from across Asia and focused on equipping participants with practical skills in effective communication and alliance-building strategies.

In the media portion of the event, participants learned the basics of citizen journalism and its role in amplifying voices from the ground including that of grassroots migrants. This included seeing how to usw personal and community stories to put a human face on data and to show the real-life implications of structural issues such as exploitation and labor trafficking.

“We specifically zeroed in on prioritizing social justice in storytelling and foregrounding global South perspectives when doing networking with potential organizations,” Canonizado reported.

For members of Beranda Migran, one of the project’s partner organizations in Indonesia, the regional workshop was a meaningful space to share experiences and build further capacity.

“We came home with new insights, creativity, and solidarity inspired to use citizen journalism and network building as tools to amplify migrant workers’ voices.”

During the workshop, participants previewed the beta version of Sama-Sama, Sangha-Sangha, the online hub in development that aims to provide a virtual community of community of care and protection, for migrants and by migrants. The launch is slated for late October, according to Canonizado.

Activities by project partners

Mapping organizations engaged in labor migration issues and anti-human trafficking work in Nepal. Photo: LWF Nepal

As well as these regional-wide highlights, partners within the project have been working at the country level to build up the You Are Not Alone Network, the APMM coordinator said.

She pointed to the workshops in citizen journalism and network building that the Lutheran World Federation Nepal (LWF) held in July and August, and national research on tackling trafficking issues by the Lutheran Hope Cambodia Organization (LHCO) in August.

Partners in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, and Hong Kong are preparing their own initiatives as well, Canonizado added.

Greater visibility for migrants and migration issues

Partners across the region report stronger relationships with community journalists and alternative media outlets, as well as deepened ties with migrant communities, according to Canonizado.

“There has been significant increase in the capacities of organizations and migrants on citizen journalism,” she said.

“This is proved by the continuous releases of good social media content in their pages, as well as doing online programs that center around discussing migration issues and collective strength of communities.”

WACC launched the “You Are Not Alone” project last year in partnership with Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) and co-funder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to ensure that people and communities at risk of human trafficking and exploitation in the Asia Pacific region have access to accurate, culturally relevant, and time-sensitive information about their rights and to a migrant-centered community online offering guidance and support.

Partners in the You Are Not Alone project from the Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal Thailand, Malaysia, and South Korea during the August regional workshop on citizen journalism and networking organized by Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants. Photo: APMM