EU Human Rights chief discusses caste violence with Dalit women activists

EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore and India and Nepal desk representatives of the European External Action Service (EEAS) met with IDSN and Dalit women activists from the Feminist Dalit Organisation – Nepal (FEDO) and All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch (AIDMAM-NCDHR) to discuss caste-based violence against Dalit women in their respective countries. The meeting was held […]

|Categories: Dalit Women, European Union, Human Rights Defenders, India, Nepal, South Asia, Violence and atrocities|Tags: |

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Caste-hate speech highlighted at the 2020 UN Minority Forum

IDSN delivered strong statements at the UN Forum on Minority Issues on the theme “Hate Speech, Social Media and Minorities” highlighting the need to address caste-hate speech. The Forum was held in Geneva and virtually from 19-20 November 2020. UN Special Rapporteur, Fernand De Varennes, opened the Forum stating, “In many countries, more than 80% of hate speech targets minorities, […]

|Categories: Dalit Women, Human Rights Defenders, India, Nepal, Political Participation, South Asia, United Nations, Violence and atrocities|Tags: |

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Angela Davis speaks up about #DalitLivesMatter

Veteran civil rights and #BlackLivesMatter campaigner Professor Angela Davis has given a video statement about the need for increased solidarity with the #DalitLivesMatter movement. The statement can be viewed on YouTube and as a text transcription below:   Transcription of Professor Angela Davis statement (uploaded on 27th October 2020) Greetings. It is a major honor to be able to participate in this […]

|Categories: Access to justice, Human Rights Defenders, Political Participation, Solidarity Networks, Violence and atrocities|Tags: |

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Petition: UN – Act now and hold member states accountable for elimination of caste-based discrimination

The Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network has launched a petition to call for the United Nations to build forward better on descent and caste-based discrimination. The petition includes concrete recommendations for civil society, UN human rights council members and UN members states, UN special procedures mandate holders and treaty bodies.  The petition can be signed here >> The petition […]

|Categories: Human Rights Defenders, South Asia, United Nations|Tags: |

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The Dalit Solidarity Network Finland celebrates its 10th anniversary

The Dalit Solidarity Network – Finland (DSNFi) celebrated its tenth anniversary as an online celebration on 16 November 2020. The celebration brought together more than thirty participants from Nepal, India, UK and many parts of Finland. In her keynote address, Heidi Hautala, Finnish MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament, emphasized human rights for Dalits including the need for clean […]

|Categories: European Union, Solidarity Networks|Tags: |

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IDSN submits replies on caste discrimination to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights consultation

IDSN has highlighted the need to address caste discrimination in relation to human rights due diligence and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, in the response to the UNGP+ 2020 Questionnaire. Read the IDSN submission of questionnaire responses Replies from the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) to the Questionnaire UNGP+10 November […]

|Categories: Business, United Nations|Tags: |

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South Asia: Authorities must urgently protect sanitation workers risking their lives on the COVID-19 frontlines

  AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, WATERAID AND INTERNATIONAL DALIT SOLIDARITY NETWORK JOINT PUBLIC STATEMENT 19 November 2020 As the UN marks World Toilet Day, Amnesty International, WaterAid and the International Dalit Solidarity Network call on authorities in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan to take immediate action to protect sanitation workers who are risking their lives on the […]

|Categories: Bangladesh, Health, India, Manual Scavenging, Nepal, Pakistan, United Nations, Water and Sanitation|Tags: |

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IDSN co-organises global OHCHR webinar “When language excludes and discriminates”

The webinar highlighted the need to move away from using the stigmatising concept of “social distancing”, which has been commonplace across UN agencies during the Covid-19 pandemic, and replace this with the term “safe distancing”. As Dalit activists explained, the term “social distancing” feeds directly into notions of untouchability, purity […]

|Categories: Health, South Asia, United Nations|Tags: |

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IDSN participates in Regional Forums on Hate Speech, Social Media and Minorities

There was broad participation from the IDSN network in the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on “Hate Speech, Social Media and Minorities” to provide insights on caste discrimination, which will feed into the thematic work of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues for his report to the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2021. Dalit human rights […]

|Categories: Diaspora, United Nations|Tags: |

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Statement: Rapes of Dalit women and impunity for dominant caste perpetrators must end now

IDSN Statement, October 7, 2020 IDSN strongly condemns the rapes and murders of Dalit girls and women in South Asia. The recent case of gang rape and murder of a 19-year old Dalit woman in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, has highlighted the ongoing brutality against Dalit women and the impunity with which it is administered. We stand in solidarity with Dalit […]

|Categories: Dalit Women, Human Rights Defenders, India, Nepal, South Asia, Violence and atrocities|Tags: |

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