By supporting migrant workers to take the lead in telling their stories through video, EngageMedia invited audiences to gain a better understanding of their personal experiences, in order to weaken stereotypes and foster a climate of tolerance.During 2013, EngageMedia collaborated with Citizen Journalists Malaysia (CJMY) [cj.my] on Crossroads, a video advocacy project aimed at developing and strengthening the advocacy and documentation capacity of migrant workers, refugees, stateless persons, and their support organisations.
Malaysia has the highest numbers of migrant workers in Southeast Asia. According to government statistics the country has 2.1 million registered migrant workers and an estimated 1.3 million illegal migrant workers within its borders. This means that one in three workers comes from outside Malaysia.
Over the course of the year, 15 migrant workers, refugees and stateless persons were trained. The video stories they produced were compiled and distributed in a toolkit, which can be downloaded from EngageMedia’s website.