To help raise community awareness about Human Trafficking within our district and to celebrate and support all those Rotarians already doing the good work on this matter.

To build a strong alliance of Rotarians all striving towards the same goal - to invoke positive change around Human Trafficking, at as many levels as possible.

This initiative began when we noticed so many clubs, committees, and individual Rotarians already focused on moving the needle of change around Human Trafficking matters in Ontario, and beyond. We noticed many sister clubs within our District, and in other provinces, and indeed other countries, all focused on the same issue and so we knew that establishing a District Level Committee was the next step. Brenda Halloran (EDG) and Barbara Lustgarten Evoy  (Committee Chair and Board Member of RAGAS) met to discuss the matter in July 2021, and knew immediately that they wanted to settle in and start working together. As so many of you are already doing the good work, and have reached out to share what you’re doing, it seems that the moment is right to come together and to see how we might move forward with the collective notion of fighting (and ultimately ending) human trafficking!

 

 

 

The RAGAS was launched informally at the Rotarian International Convention in 2009, in Birmingham England, when Mark Little, supported by Steven Sypula and Harry Payne moved to put slavery back on the RI Agenda.  With the support of all DGs in RIBI and motions to two Councils of Legislation, the dissolution of slavery was once again at the forefront of Rotary International's goals. Twenty-four people expressed an early interest in creating a child slavery action body, within Rotary International.

In January 2013, RAGAS was formally recognized as Rotarian Action Group by the Rotary International (RI) Board. Mr Dave McLeary was appointed worldwide Vice Chair of the Rotarians Against Slavery with the mission to engage 1.2 million Rotarians and 35,000 clubs in over 200 countries to take on the issues of ending modern day slavery.

 

Learn more about RAGAS at:  https://ragas.online/