IDSN Roadmap to the UNOHCHR Guidance Tool on Descent-Based Discrimination

IDSN has published a Roadmap to the “UNOHCHR Guidance Tool on Descent-Based Discrimination: Key challenges and strategic approaches to combat caste-based discrimination and analogous forms of discrimination.”

The Roadmap serves as an introduction to the concepts and recommendations covered in the tool and offers check boxes on actions.

It summarises key concepts drawing on text excerpts from the UNOHCHR Guidance Tool and offers direct links to good practice cases and useful documentation and examples.

Download the Roadmap

“Everyone Blames Me” – new report on barriers to justice for sexual assault survivors in India

Survivors of rape and other forms of sexual assault in India face severe barriers to justice and are not receiving the support that the State are obliged to offer them, finds a new report by Human Rights Watch. The report raises particular concern for ‘low caste’ survivors and other marginalised groups.

Read the IDSN news on the report

Joint statement – Pakistan must act immediately to protect Dalits against forced disappearances, slavery and discrimination

A joint statement has been issued, in connection with the UN UPR review of Pakistan, by the International Dalit Solidarity Network, Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network, International Movement Against All Forms of Racism and Discrimination (IMADR), Minority Rights Group International, Anti-Slavery International and FORUM-ASIA.

Read the joint statement

UN Expert criticizes India’s sanitation drive for exacerbating manual scavenging

Photo from Human Rights Watch Report "Cleaning Human Waste"
The UN Expert on Water and Sanitation, Léo Heller, has stated that the failure to end the practice of manual scavenging in India coupled with the construction of more non-flush toilets, is contributing to an increase in the discriminatory practice of manual scavenging, where the lowest castes are made to undertake the duty of cleaning excrements from non-flush toilets by hand. The statement forms part of Mr. Heller’s official statement on his November 2017 mission in India.

Read the IDSN news on the statement

Statement at Japan UN rights review highlights violation of the right to privacy of the Buraku

In its statement for the pre-session of the UN Universal Periodic Review of Japan the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) highlights the violation of the right to privacy for the Buraku people, who suffer caste-based discrimination.

Read the statement by IMADR

Urgent Appeals for Action:

Dalit Professor in need of immediate protection

Death threats and withdrawal of police protection for a Dalit human rights activist

Coming up:

Conference brings together hundreds of Dalit women to speak out and transform their future

The #dalitwomenspeakout conference takes place in Pune, India, on the 19-20 December and is aimed at facilitating Dalit women activism and offering a space for solidarity and collaboration between Dalit women. The main aim of the conference is to offer an unmediated space for Dalit women to discuss, learn and form a collective platform to transform their future. The conference is co-organised by the national platform for Dalit women AIDMAM (NCDHR) and the Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Women’s Studies Centre. The organisers have launched a website with more information about the conference.
Visit the conference website

Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Programme

The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) in Geneva is inviting applications for their Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Programme taking place in Geneva in the summer 2018. The deadline for applications is 11 December 2018.
Learn more and apply here

UN Minority Forum

IDSN members have been taking part in the UN Forum on Minority Issues. Track updates on IDSN’s twitter feed @idsnupdates and read about the forum and presentations in the next IDSN newsletter.

Facebook

Twitter

Website

About us

The International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) works on a global level for the elimination of caste discrimination and similar forms of discrimination based on work and descent.

unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences