Several human rights organisations in Nepal have joined forces to launch and impressive new online portal that will collect information on human rights violations relating to caste in Nepal and push for action to address them. The portal is a much-needed tool to help ensure implementation of Nepal’s legislation against caste discrimination as this form of discrimination much too often goes unpunished. The portal will also raise awareness of the needs of Dalits in Nepal and other issues affecting Dalit communities.
The organisations behind the portal describe it in a press release on the portal website stating:
The Dalit Human Rights Portal (DHR-PORTAL) is a brand new media tool in Nepal to advance work on eliminating caste-based discrimination and untouchability (CBD&U). This is a system designed to alert government officials, police officials, local organizations, activists, journalists, and common people to incidents of violence and human rights violations committed against Dalits, and to allow for the sharing of the reports on these incidents with local, national, and international organizations.
DHR-PORTAL aims to address major human rights and governance issues of the country related to Dalits. This web-based platform also maps reports from its partner organizations, media, organizations, or those sent directly by individuals. It serves also as a common web forum for government officials, human rights activists, journalists, and community members in Nepal, to share information, network, and take action against all forms of discrimination.
DHR-PORTAL operates with a view to empowering youth to institute processes that contribute to non-discriminatory, democratic, and open communities in which there are no politically or socially excluded minorities.
DHR-PORTAL works on the establishment of regional ties among young people who are capable of fighting against CBD&U. This has been a means to disseminate good practices for eliminating CBD&U and to motivate people through non-Dalit role models to further instil human rights values in the community and bring social change. It is an opportunity for law enforcement agencies and institutions responsible for human rights protection to educate people about their policies and process.
DHR-PORTAL is operated by the Jagaran Media Center JMC) under a project entitled Collective Voice for Human Rights and Dignity – AAWAZ, which been designed to be implemented through a consortium of five organizations SAMATA Foundation, RDN Nepal, JMC, and MDDF under the leadership of NNDSWO. The project will be implemented in five districts (Sunsari, Saptari, Bara, Dailekh, and Kailali) as well as at the national level.