By Seelan Palay

Crossroads, EngageMedia’s new video advocacy toolkit on migrant workers, refugees, and stateless people in Malaysia was officially launched in collaboration with Tenaganita on 15 December 2013.

Over 200 migrant workers and refugees from Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bangladesh attended the film screening and cultural event, which was held to commemorate International Migrants Day.

The day started with a welcoming address by Dhyta Chaturani from EngageMedia and Dr. Irene Fernandez, Executive Director of Tenaganita.

This was followed by screenings of the videos from the Crossroads toolkit, lively song and dance performances by the various nationalities, and discussions on the use of the videos and video as a tool in rights advocacy for migrant workers and refugees.

Attendees felt that the videos spoke to them deeply, as they reflected their realities and struggles living and working in Malaysia, and the stories were told in the voices of the migrant workers and refugees themselves.

Some were surprised that participants of the program were able to produce the videos that they did, and were keen in knowing how they could attain such skills themselves.

The event closed with everyone present making palm prints and writing messages on a large canvas as a symbol of unity and hope. Then, in the annual tradition of Tenaganita, the floor was opened and people danced to their heart’s content.

Both our organisations look forward to further on/offline distribution of the toolkit, and following up on the advocacy plans that were previously laid out for the various videos.

All videos from the Crossroads project are available for online viewing here. Please contact us if you would like a DVD toolkit for your community or organisation.