About Us
The District 7080 Human Trafficking Committee is part of The Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) who are dedicated to bringing awareness to the magnitude of forced labour slavery in Canada and abroad. By empowering and educating Rotarians and communities alike, we can take steps to eradicate human trafficking, together.
Chairing this committee is Barbara Lustgarten-Evoy; a social justice advocate, community leader, and the Canadian Ambassador for RAGAS. This team seeks to connect, empower, and equip Rotarians to engage their communities to eradicate all forms of Forced Labour Slavery & Human Trafficking locally and around the globe.
Resources
- In collaboration with national and international thought leaders, #NotInMyCity has developed a short, interactive e-learning course “Mobilizing Communities to Disrupt Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking in Canada” - https://notinmycity.ca/learn/
- Webinar in Partnership with the US State Department & Rotary (Jan 26, 2023) - https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/
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Contact Us - Committee Members
- Barbara Lustgarten Evoy - Committee Chair & Board Member of RAGAS - Rotary Fergus Elora
- Brenda Halloran - DGN - Director - Rotary Waterloo
- Nancy Penny - Director - Rotary Burlington Central
- Jananee Savuntharanathan - Communications & Events Lead - Rotary Passport Club South/Rotaract Mississauga
- Tori Lawson - Communications Team
- Leeanna Tieu - Communications Team
- Taylor Good - Communications Team
- Rachel Gowing - CNOY Lead
- Mahmud Hussain - Rotary Club Liaison
OUR MISSION:
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.
OUR VISION:
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.
OUR VISION:
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.
Who Are We:
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!
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 Role of RAGAS (Rotary Action Group Against Slavery):
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.
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.