Consultation on global action to address discrimination based on work and descent held in Senegal

On April 9-11 IDSN supported the Dakar Consultation on Global Partnership and Joint Actions in Addressing Discrimination based on Work & Descent – DWD, Untouchability, Contemporary Forms of Slavery and Analogous Forms of Discrimination that looked at caste and analogous forms of discrimination across the world to ensure joint actions and strategies to combat this form of discrimination. Information was […]

|Categories: Africa, Bangladesh, Diaspora, Human Rights Defenders, India, Japan, Nepal, Pakistan, Solidarity Networks, South Asia, Sri Lanka, UK, Uncategorized, Yemen|Tags: |

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New EU human rights guidelines highlight the need to address caste in EU’s external action

IDSN welcomes the new EU Human Rights Guidelines on Non-discrimination in External Action, where caste is mentioned several times as a form of discrimination that must be addressed. It is specified in the guidelines that the term ‘descent’, “includes discrimination against members of communities based on forms of social stratification such […]

|Categories: European Union|Tags: |

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MEP’s ask EU to act to end the unjust blocking of IDSN’s UN accreditation

Several high-profile members of the European Parliament have sent a letter to the EU High-Representative for Foreign Affairs, Frederica Mogherini, asking the EU to take action to support IDSN’s 10-year quest for UN accreditation, at the upcoming May meeting of the UN NGO Committee.   The letter from the MEP’s states: “This continued and deliberate obstruction of the granting […]

|Categories: European Union, Human Rights Defenders, India, United Nations|Tags: |

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Brick kiln workers stand up for their rights (Anti-Slavery International)

Read about the Dalit family’s struggle to break out of bonded labour here >>

|Categories: Business, Caste-based slavery, India|Tags: |

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Study finds Dalits working in forced and child labour in India’s garment industry

The report offers the most wide-reaching and comprehensive investigation into the conditions of work in India’s home-based garment sector. “Time and time again studies find that Dalits in the global supply chains are working in forced, bonded and child labour.” says Meena Varma, Executive Director of the International Dalit Solidarity Network. […]

|Categories: Business, Dalit Children, Dalit Women, India|Tags: |

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Caste discrimination is blocking progress on the SDGs says UK NGO development network BOND

A new report Caste and Development: Tackling Discrimination Based on Work and Descent has just been released by the UK NGO development network BOND highlighting the urgent need to address caste discrimination in order to progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  One of the co-authors of the report, Murali Shanmugavelan writes:

|Categories: Africa, Bangladesh, development, Diaspora, India, Japan, Nepal, Pakistan, South Asia, Sri Lanka, UK, United Nations, Yemen|Tags: |

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UN rights chief warns against “increasing harassment and targeting of” Dalits, Muslims and Adivasis in India

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michele Bachelet, raises concern over increasing marginalisation and discrimination in India, in her speech to the UN Human Rights Council. Speaking about the situation in India, the High Commissioner shows concern over the fact that, despite significant poverty reduction in general terms, “increasing harassment and targeting of minorities – in particular Muslims and […]

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“Today, we are not here only to speak of our plight. We are also agents of change”, says Ruth Manorama at the UN Human Rights Council

On Friday 8 March, Ruth Manorama, a Dalit human rights defender, delivered a statement, co-sponsored by the International Movement against all Forms of Racial Discrimination (IMADR)and by the Right Livelihood Award (in solidarity with IDSN), during the 40th regular session of the Human Rights Council. She also spoke on the panel of the panel at the Right Livelihood […]

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Dalit women defenders featured by UN Women on Women’s Day (Video)

Asha Kowtal, General Secretary of the Dalit Women’s Movement AIDMAM-NCDHR, an IDSN member talks about the Dalit Women Fight movement in this UN Women & Google collaboration 5 minute video. “We are not silent. You are not silent. You are fighting. We are also fighting. We need to connect together because injustice is injustice, whether it’s your class, your caste, […]

|Categories: Dalit Women, Human Rights Defenders, India, United Nations, Violence and atrocities|Tags: |

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Amnesty India raise concern over “disturbing number of hate crimes” targeting Dalits and Muslims in India

A disturbing number of alleged hate crimes – including assault, rape and murder – were reported in 2018 against people from marginalized groups, especially Dalits and Muslims, said Amnesty India, as it released data recorded on its interactive website, ‘Halt the Hate’. “The first step to ensuring justice and ending impunity for hate crimes – where people are targeted […]

|Categories: Access to justice, Human Rights Defenders, India, Violence and atrocities|Tags: |

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