It turned out to be an offer from hell.

Yola never worked as a maid.

Instead, she was sent to China where she was forced to service men against her will.

A month later, she was sent here, where she was again forced to entertain clients.

“It seemed a good offer back then.

“The agent said he would pay for my travel documents and asked me to sign a contract.” (Read more)

Out Of The Box
Venue: INTI LH3, old building
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Date: 24 August 2011, Wednesday

Two words… “Humble beginning”

We really didn’t know what to expect with Out Of The Box. All we knew is that we had a message.

We needed to create awareness.

INTI college had an event called “Malaysians in Motion” with a tag-line which says “you don’t need money to make a difference”.

Thanks to one of our contacts, we were given a slot to share OOTB and also a booth was provided so that we can promote Change Your World.

The response? It was great! A good crowd of 60++ people attended and were made aware of human trafficking / Slavery.

What’s more exciting over 49 people responded and joined the Change Your World (CYW) movement be it as a Volunteer, Donator  or a CYW Ambassador.

Two of Change Your World’s resident band members, Relent, even took the time to donate their blood for a cause.

“Out Of The Box” in Sunway College was championed by Life-Club.

The Life-Club was nice enough to provide not only the OOTB crew with refreshments but also their guest.

We started off with a simple Ice-breaker which then led to our program.

A strong crowd of 30++ came and thoroughly enjoyed themselves with the music and video presentations.

We were surprise as all the students decided to join our movement by filling up the OOTB forms. We were amazed!

For those who have yet to know what “Out Of The Box” is all about, you can click here.

What to expect? It’s not just a talk. If you’ve been to our CYW events with all the music, lights and video presentations, Out Of The Box is a mini version of what our CYW events really looks like.

The message remains the same, our approach… well let’s just say is Out Of The Box.

CYW Update #2 : Catch Relent live!

CYW Update #3: PRESS STATEMENT 9th July ’11: Malaysians Rise Up For Democracy despite Police Brutality

Tenaganita salutes the rakyat, who despite immense harassment and grave obstacles placed by the police and the Home Ministry, and the irrational lockdown of Kuala Lumpur, still came in tens of thousands to demand for fair, clean and free elections.

With tremendous pride & joy, we congratulate Malaysians for their stand on democracy. Malaysians today have shown that they are no longer afraid to assert their rights.

The people remained focused and they marched peacefully despite the excessive use of tear gas, chemically-laced water, arrests, batons and beatings.  With no uncertain terms, Tenaganita strongly condemns these extreme forms of human rights violations and the violence demonstrated by the police against ordinary Malaysians.

The Malaysian government’s refusal to acknowledge and take responsibility for police brutality is a clear sign of a failing democracy. It is therefore even more urgent that the eight immediate demands of BERSIH 2.0 are implemented without delay.

We especially condemn the actions of the riot police who fired tear gas into the compounds of Tung Shin Hospital and are appalled by the apparent denial by the Inspector-General of Police that this did not happen. Several Tenaganita staff, including the Executive Director, took shelter with hundreds of other Malaysians in the compound of this Hospital, and witnessed this first-hand as teargas was fired at us. We also watched as riot police personnel and trucks sealed off entrances and exits of the hospital, thereby preventing us from leaving. We are also appalled by the actions of baton-wielding police officers who stormed the grounds of Chinese Maternity Hospital and used excessive force to arrest peaceful demonstrators.

In the face of this ugly abuse of power, Tenaganita extends its heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Tung Shin Hospital and the Chinese Maternity Hospital for their cooperation in allowing the participants of this gathering to seek temporary shelter on their grounds. We appreciate this support shown towards their fellow countrypersons.

We call for the immediate release of the over 1600 Malaysians who were arrested for the ‘crime’ of asserting their constitutional rights of freedom of speech and freedom to assemble peacefully. Tenaganita has received alarming reports that Malaysians arrested at the rally today have not been given access to counsel at several holding centres. We remind the authorities that the right to counsel is constitutionally guaranteed.

While tens of thousands marched today, we are also painfully aware that our brothers and sisters from Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) remain in detention under Malaysia’s draconian laws. We call on all parties to intensify the pressure on the Malaysian government to rectify this grave injustice and to immediately release the PSM 6.

The authorities can fire all the teargas they want and they can throw our bodies behind bars, but although our eyes may temporarily shut to the sting of the gas, and our faces remain hidden behind walls of repression, make no mistake that the eyes and minds of Malaysians are increasingly clear and vigilant in our demands for clean, fair and free elections.

Signed by:
Dr. Irene Fernandez
Executive Director, Tenaganita.

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You Can Make The Difference!
CYW Admin

To know more about Out Of The Box and other Universities that are taking part, click here

How about South Africa?

Diamonds?
Poverty?
Hot dessert?

When we landed in Cape Town for the first time in 13th March 2011,
it was a totally different Africa we heard of.

First thing that caught our attention was the wonderful chilly weather.
Nothing like the hot weather asians tend to associate with. The scenery was BEAUTIFUL. A mountain next to a sea comparable to Miami beach. I’ve never been to Miami but it was certainly beautiful.

The only comparable beauty was in the people. (Read more)

SHAH ALAM, Feb 22 — Selangor accused Umno today of illegally publishing a newspaper resembling the state mouthpiece Selangor Kini.
Faekah Husin, political secretary to Selangor mentri besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, said a newspaper called Selangor Terkini was distributed last Saturday to Kuang residents along with a calendar from Umno’s Kuang assemblyman Abdul Shukor Haji Idrus.

“Selangor Terkini was published illegally and used the state government logo without permission,” Faekah told reporters today. (Read more)

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***Want “CHANGE YOUR WORLD” in your CITY? -or-
CHANGE YOUR WORLD was at your city and you want another tour to take place?***

Why not drop us an email if you want CHANGE to take place! change@changeyourworld.com.my

The most number of emails we recieve in the next few months will determine the next “3″ Change Your World Venues for th year 2011. So keep those emails coming in!

REMEMBER…. You Make The Difference!

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Community At Heart events:

Food Bank
Meeting place – Eaglepoint Puchong
Every 3rd Sunday – 1:30 to 2:30

Volunteers Training
Eaglepoint Puchong
Feb 20 – 1:30 to 2:30

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That’s right friends, Track of Talents is back for the year 2011.

Ongoing for 4 years in a row, Track of Talents has established itself not only a place for young people to shine but also place where they can make a difference as they stand side by side with Tenaganita, a non-profit organization that fights for human rights.

So with new performances, fresh faces, a special guest and a cause to fight for, the only thing missing at this event would be you.

Make sure you mark your Calander!

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IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW….

Change Your World is heading to South Africa!

Expect loud music and energetic performances with special speakers to talk about justice, mercy and faithfulness but the real people to make the difference in the nation is YOU!

If you have friends or know people in South Africa, please encourage them to join us in this life changing event.

Where: His People Centre
N1 City Goodwood

When : March 18, 2011
6pm-10pm

DID YOU KNOW? The venue that Change Your World is being held, is also the same venue that Israel Houghton did his “ALIVE in South Africa concert”

UPDATES:
Change Your World Quest is currently ongoing in different parts of South Africa. To get in touch with the people behind CYW QUEST, you can head on to our Change Your World Capetown FB page!

Watch our CYW video teaser for South Africa below:

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What do you think?

Average of 60 suicides per month in the country

PETALING JAYA: Two people commit suicide daily in Malaysia and experts believe the figure could be higher with the many undetermined deaths.

It is alarming that teenagers and young adults are taking their own lives in the face of mounting pressure in school, work, dealing with family issues and breakdown in relationships.

The National Suicide Registry Malaysia (NSRM) estimated that between January and August last year, a total of 425 people committed suicide, averaging 60 per month (including undetermined deaths.) (Read more)

Slower growth and a drain of talented citizens are only the beginning.

By JOHN R. MALOTT

Malaysia’s national tourism agency promotes the country as “a bubbling, bustling melting pot of races and religions where Malays, Indians, Chinese and many other ethnic groups live together in peace and harmony.” Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak echoed this view when he announced his government’s theme, One Malaysia. “What makes Malaysia unique,” Mr. Najib said, “is the diversity of our peoples. One Malaysia’s goal is to preserve and enhance this unity in diversity, which has always been our strength and remains our best hope for the future.”

If Mr. Najib is serious about achieving that goal, a long look in the mirror might be in order first. Despite the government’s new catchphrase, racial and religious tensions are higher today than when Mr. Najib took office in 2009. Indeed, they are worse than at any time since 1969, (Read more)