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.