Dear <<First Name>>

In the last End Slavery Newsletter #16 issued in December 2019, we introduced you to the new-look RAGAS Newsletter published by RAGAS member Carol Metzker.

Following a review by the RAGAS leadership of the best way to communicate to our members and to ensure a consistent message, we have agreed to combine the two publications into one, that being the version issued by Carol which is being issued quarterly. We will continue to provide items of interest and importance to Carol for inclusion in the RAGAS Newsletter and please note we will be continuing to separately communicate details of End Slavery projects for you and your clubs to consider supporting.

Read RAGAS Newsletter June 2020 here.
You can also subscribe here.

For those readers in District 9810, there will continue to be a link in District Highlights.

You will also note the change of name to Rotary Action Group Against Slavery. This follows a decision by the RI Board of Directors in January 2020, and ratification by the RAGAS Board at its April 2020 meeting (we are still in transition, so apologies for the mixture of names in this issue!).

Please join us  in Breakout Session 14 "Ending Modern Slavery: Engaging new Rotarians" and the House of Friendship at our virtual 2020 RI Convention. 

Finally,  a call to action from The Alliance 8.7 – Global Partnership to End Forced Labour, Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking and Child Labour:

"The human rights and labour rights of the most vulnerable must be at the heart of the COVID-19 response....  The COVID-19 pandemic could reverse years of progress towards ending child labour, forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking. Without bold and transformative action, the international community will fail to achieve SDG Target 8.7."

Thank you for your ongoing support for the work of RAGAS and its efforts to eliminate global modern slavery.  There is urgent work to do. 

We hope you will both enjoy, and be inspired by, the articles in the RAGAS Newsletters, and subscribe to them. 

This is the final edition of End Slavery Newsletter from Victoria Australia. 

Tony Stokes
Rotary Club of Box Hill Central D9810     
RAGAS Executive Board Member
RAGAS Southern Region Coordinator
tony@ragas.online