National Consultation on Human Rights Defenders
19-20 November 2011
India Islamic Center, Lodi Road
New Delhi
The Human Rights Law Network and the World Sikh Organization (WSO) in collaboration withACHR, AISA, ANHAD, APDP, Human Rights Defenders Alert, IRDS, Lawyers for Human Rights International, MASUM, Naga Mothers Association, Parivartan, PEACE, PVCHR and Surajay Sangharsha Samiti will be facilitating a National Consultation on Human Rights Defenderson 19th and 20th of November, 2011 at the India Islamic Centre, Lodi Road, New Delhi. It would be attended by Binayak Sen, Kavita Srivastav, Himanshu Kumar, Henry Tiphagne, Iftikhar Gilani, Prashant Bhushan, Teesta Setalvad, Mallika Sarabai, Sanjiv Bhatt and many other human rights defenders.
Human rights activists have come under repeated attacks recently. Right to Information activists have been killed and many have had cases filed against them. Journalists have been jailed in criminal defamation cases, have been attacked, some of them killed, and media houses have had their offices ransacked. Tribal activists particularly in conflict areas have been hounded by the police and many of them are in jail today. The situation has never been so dire. The need of the hour is to protect and defend human rights activists in India today.
There have been many initiatives in the country on defending the defenders and several organizations have developed expertise in various areas such as documentation, action alerts, approaching the UN system, legal aid, medical aid, counseling and so on. These initiatives have developed as a response to the cry from the grassroot activists who have been hounded by the police in many states.
It is hoped that this consultation will give many of the participants, including the families of the activists who have been killed or victimized, a chance to interact and to develop better strategies to deal with the increasing use of violence by the state against social activists.
For more details, contact
Mathew Jacob
Human Rights Law Network
mathew.tiss@gmail.com
8860110520
Programme Schedule
Saturday 19th November 2011
|
Time |
Topic |
Speakers |
| 9.30– 9.45 | Key-note address |
|
| 9.45 - 10 | Can we ever forget? |
|
| 10 - 10.30 | Threats to human rights defenders |
|
| 10.30 - 11 | Role of human rights organizations |
|
| 11 – 12 | Situation in the Punjab/’84 genocide |
|
| 12 -1 | Defenders in Kashmir |
|
| 1 -2 |
Lunch |
|
| 2 - 3 | Defenders in conflict state |
|
| 3 - 5 | Assaults on the media |
|
| 5 – 6 | Attacks on anti-communal activists |
|
| 6 – 7 | Attacks on trade unions |
|
| 8 p.m. |
Dinner |
Sunday 20th November 2011
|
Date |
Issue |
Speaker |
| 9 – 10.30 | Assaults on RTI activists |
|
| 10.30 – 11.30 | Role of lawyers |
|
| 11.30 -12.30 | Situation of defenders in the North-East |
|
| 12.30 – 1.30 | Attacks on environmental activists |
|
| 1.30 – 2 |
Lunch |
|
| 2 - 2.30 | Politics of hate Discussion |
|
| 2.30 – 3.30 | Assaults on activists |
|
| 3.30 – 4 | Open session with Sanjiv Bhatt |
|
| 4.30 – 6 |
Defending the defenders: strategies:
|
|
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