In the Long Run is an international movement started by Oasis Belgium that raises awareness and campaigns against human trafficking through a unique format of undertaking long distance, endurance runs along major national/international human trafficking routes. The ITLR has completed four major events having travelled at least 1,000 km along major international human trafficking routes with teams of runners each running 10 km a day for the duration of the project.
In West Bengal, ITLR was organized for a span of three days from 13th to 15th, 2017.
Beginning from West Bengal, the run continued through Kolkata, Raipur, Nagpur, Nasik and end in Mumbai (Maharashtra), which are the major identified routes and transit areas of human trafficking. In West Bengal, the run was initiated from Basirhat (North 24 Parganas), which is a bordering district to Bangladesh and reports highest in cross border trafficking to Jadavpur to Rabindra Sadan which are prominent and visible locations in Kolkata. It campaigned on issue of human trafficking in collaboration with local organizations and community based institutions with major events of run, rallies, street plays and signature campaign. The event developed linkages with major state level actors and departments to ensure synergic actions.
In West Bengal, ITLR was initiated on 13th of November, 2017, from the Indo-Bangladesh border in Bashirhat (District of North 24 Parganas which ranks highest in terms of cross-border trafficking), where 100 runners consisting of the International runners, children from the community and volunteers of local clubs participated. This was followed by a conglomeration of major anti-trafficking organizations, children representatives and child rights activists, where the participants from various organizations shared their experiences of working on the issue of trafficking and the need of strong networking among the organizations.
This was subsequently followed by a school awareness programme on 14th November, in one Government School in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, where 60 students participated. There were participatory discussions with the students on how they should identify the probable factors leading to trafficking.
On the final day of the event in West Bengal, a 7 km run from Moulali to Ranu Chaya Mancha, in Rabindra Sadan on 15th November, 2017, from 6:00-8:00 am, which are prominent places in Kolkata. The run was accompanied by active participation of children, street plays, signature campaign, deliberations and debates and information sharing on different existing legal mechanisms.
The effort was consolidated with active participation of major child rights activists, academicians, children’s group and major anti-trafficking organizations in West Bengal.