Minority Rights in South Asia in focus at Brussels conference 2011

 

The Netherlands based organisation Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) held a conference entited ”Protecting Minority Rights in South Asia” at the EU Parliament in Brussels on Thursday 8 December 2011 – the international human rights day. It was organised in collaboration with Cecilia Wikström, Member of the European Parliament representing the Swedish Liberal Party, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Committee of the European Parliament. SASNET’s deputy director Lars Eklund participated in this highly interesting conference where human rights defenders from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Nepal addressed the situation in their respective home countries to some 130 European representatives, MEPs, policymakers, NGOs and media. 

Amongst the speakers were Taslima Nasreen, Bangladeshi writer in exile, winner of the European Parliament Sakharov Prize 1994; Anuradha Koirala (photo to the left), awarded CNN Hero 2010 for her impressive work against human trafficking in Nepal – more information about Ms. Koirala and her organisation Maiti; Shahanur Islam, founder of Justice Makers – a fact finding organisation documenting abuses against minorities and indigenous peoples in Bangladesh; Naveed Walter, president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan, documenting similar abuses in Pakistan; and Ram Chettri, founder of Bhutanese Advocacy Forum, fighting for the rights of the Bhutanese refugees now residing in Nepal and other countries.  

During the conference, GHRD presented a joint manifesto on minority rights in South Asia with specific recommendations to the European authorities, which was created during a three days regional symposium in India, Mumbai held one month earlier. It concludes that religious, ethnic, and sexual minorities remain amongst the most vulnerable groups in South Asia, as they are subject to discrimination and human rights violations, including discriminatory laws, land grabbing, attacks against places of worship, businesses and homes, physical and sexual assaults, forced conversions, killings and threats, which largely go unreported by national and international authorities.

The manifesto also concludes that it remains too difficult for civil society and local human rights organizations in South Asia to access the EU institutions and calls for actions to bridge the gap between human rights defenders on the ground and the EU institutions.

Cecilia Wikström, member of the European Parliament for the liberal group (ALDE) expressed her support for the manifesto and its goals. She has also tabled a priority written question to Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s High Representative  for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, asking for the creation of a support unit within the new external action service to better involve grassroots human rights defenders in the networks and activities of the External Action Service and European Institutions. 

Lars Eklund met Sradhanand Sital, Chairman of the Global Human Rights Defence (seen together on photo), and discussed collaboration with SASNET and Lund University. Already today, GHRD has an agreement with the Human Rights Programme at Lund University to send students every year as volunteers for the organisation. A couple of these were actually assistanst in the organisation of the Brussels conference that was held in the EU Parliament’s Altiero Spinelli Building at Plaza Luxembourg. 

To read the original report visit the link: 

Press Release: JusticeMakers Bangladesh Attends the EU Conference on Protecting Minority Rights in South Asia

 

Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD), in collaboration with MEP Cecilia Wikström and the ALDE Group organized a conference on ‘Protecting minority rights in South Asia at the European Parliament in Brussels on the 8th of December 2011.

Advocate Shahanur Islam, founder of JusticeMakers Bangladesh attend the programme along with more than 130 parliamentarians, NGOs, media, and relevant international authorities and embassies. Please find the full speech of Mr. Islam here.

The conference was the first of its kind and was designed as a unique opportunity for grassroots activists and human rights defenders from South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan) to speak out about the situation in their home countries. The key aim was to begin dialogue on human rights and South Asia within the European context, strengthen cooperation between the grassroots activists and international authorities and to raise awareness on issues regarding minority rights in South Asia.

The key speakers were Taslima Nasreen, Bangladeshi writer in exile known for her fight for womens rights and winner of the European Parliament Sakharov Prize 1994, and Anuradha Koirala, founder of Maiti Nepal and awarded CNN Hero 2010 for her fight against human trafficking in Nepal. Representives from Bangladesh Minority Watch, Justice Makers Bangladesh, Human Rights Focus Pakistan, Hindu American Foundation and Bhutanese Advocacy Forum also spoke on human rights issues in their home countries, with specific focus on minority rights, trafficking, sexual minorities, poverty, and Dalit issues.

Significant outcomes of the conference included the intention expressed by the host, MEP Cecilia Wikström, to propose a formal question based on the information discussed during the conference, to relevant parliament committees.

The conference was also an opportunity to formally present the manifesto ‘Grassroots protection of minority rights in South Asia’, which was developed by over 25 local human rights defenders from Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, in cooperation with GHRD staff, during the GHRD symposium of the same name held in Mumbai, November 2011. The manifesto provides specific recommendations for the EU authorities on how to work with minority issues in South Asia. Please find the full manifesto here.

Press Release: JusticeMakers Bangladesh Attends Hearing at the Dutch Parliament

 Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD)’s local partners from South Asia spoke on human rights issues in their home countries at a hearing hosted by Harry van Bommel (Socialist Party (SP), and also attended by Wim Kortenoeven (Partij van de Vrijheid (PVV) at the Dutch Parliament on Wednesday, December 7. The hearing focused on the human rights situations in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder of JusticeMakers Bangladesh was attend the hearing along with other representives from Bangladesh Minority Watch, JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Human Rights Focus Pakistan, Hindu American Foundation Maiti Nepal and Bhutanese Advocacy Forum and also spoke on human rights issues in their home countries, with specific focus on minority rights, trafficking, ethnic & sexual minorities, poverty, and Dalit issues.

The hearing was an opportunity for these grassroots human rights representatives to be heard by parliamentarians of a country that funds aid and human rights initiatives in these countries. The information provided was welcomed by the members of the parliament who encouraged future interaction and the flow of information on the human rights situation in South Asia.

Press Release: Human Rights activists join hands for the protection of the minority rights in South Asia

 Human rights activists from south Asian nations have join hands for the protection of the minority rights in South Asia. A joint manifesto on minority rights in south asia was developed by the participants to identify common issues and priorities on thematic human rights violations in need of attention and action. This manifesto was prepared during the three day symposium grassroots protection for minority rights, held by Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), a global NGO from Netherlands, in cooperation with Rambhau Mahalgi Prabodhini (RMP) in India. The symposium was organised on November 5-7, 2011. The manifesto will be officially presented at GHRD’s December conference protecting minority rights in South Asia at the European Parliament at Brussels. The manifesto was developed through joint thematic discussions in, poverty, caste and dalit issues, trafficking in humans and minorities in Bangladesh, which are thoroughly discussed.

Twenty five human rights activists from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh active in the fields of human trafficking, dalits, and religious and indigenous rights, came together in coordination with GHRD to exchange experiences and discuss future joint actions. The manifesto of the symposium on grassroots protection for minority rights in South Aisa; is prepared by the activists. The symposium consisted detailed brain storming sessions on various issues pertaining to the need for awareness rising within remote, grassroots dalit communities in Bangladesh, India and Nepal on their rights and the government initiatives available to them. The need for ratification of the united nations protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons (also known as the palermo protocol) by the government of Nepal (source country for trafficking) and the gulf countries (destination countries for trafficked persons) and for better government initiatives to prevent, protect and prosecute trafficking cases was discussed. 

Advocate Shahanur Islam, Executive Director of JusticeMakers Bangladesh expressed his concerns about the stature of the human rights commission in Bangladesh. It was also expressed that the government of Bangladesh should live up to their commitment to implement the chittagong hill tracts peace accord and the need for investigation, documentation and reporting. There is a need to strengthen the national human rights commission of Bangladesh to investigate cases against police authorities and the need for impartiality within this institution, added Mr. Islam. 

Jenny Lundstrom, human rights officer of the GHRD, told that the manifesto can be viewed as a summary of the main human rights challenges and priorities according to the undersigned south Asian local minority rights organizations, and we hope that it will be useful to guide European institutions in fulfilling its mission promoting human rights and democracy in the south asia. We are going address these problems in the European institution and governance and united nation. So they will ask respective countries to address the problems, added Jenny.

Advocate Shahanur Islam from JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Baitali Ganguly from Jabala Action Research Organisation, Janeit Gurung from Maiti Nepal, Bikash Kumar Das from Parittran, Bangladesh along with Ravindra Sathe from RMP expressed their views on the manifesto in the concluding session of the symposium.

To know more you are pleased to contact: Advocate Shahanur Islam (Saikot), Foundding Secretary General, JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Cell: +88 017 20308080, Email: saikotbihr@gmail.com, www.shahanur.blogspot.com

GHRD Symposium: Grassroots protection of minority rights

GHRD successfully concluded its three day symposium: grass roots protection of minority rights, in Mumbai, India in November 7 . The symposium brought together 25 local partners, NGOs, journalists, and lawyers from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh active in the field of human rights, on the issues of human trafficking, Dalits, and religious and indigenous rights. The three day symposium provided a platform for GHRDs partner to network and exchange experiences on human rights in their countries, and the results of the Fight Modern Slavery campaign was presented. The symposium was also aimed at strengthening partnerships between Europe and Asia through capacity and trainings on fact finding and human rights documentation, project management, and EU funding. Finally, a joint manifesto calling for minority rights in South Asia was developed by the participants on three thematic working groups: Poverty, caste and Dalit rights, Trafficking in humans, and minorities in Bangladesh. Amongst the participating organizations were MAITI Nepal, JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Parrittran (Dalit rights Bangladesh), Kapaeng Foundation Bangladesh, Village Development Foundation Nepal, and Jabala Action (India). Unfortunately, the Pakistani participants were denied their VISA to enter India, but Naveed Walter, Human Rights Focus Pakistan, participated through skype. The final outcome and manifesto was presented at a press conference on the final day, with some 15 journalists from print and online press attending. The manifesto will be presented by some of the partners to European authorities and international organizations at GHRDs conference at the European Parliament, in Brussels on December 8th, in celebration of international human rights day.

Attending press conference: Sradhanand Sital, Chairman Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), Netherlands Naveed Walter, Director, Human Rights Focus Pakistan (via skype) Jenny Lundstrom, human rights officer, Global Human Rights Defence, Netherlands Shahanur Islam, Executive Director, Justice Makers Bangladesh Bikash Das, Parittran, (Dalit rights Bangladesh Janeit Gurung, program officer Maiti Nepal Baitali Ganguly, Director, Jabala Action, India