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DTP - BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF ASIA-PACIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENTS 1990 - 2022

Welcome to this issue of DTP’s eNews, with updates from DTP alumni across the region, news on DTP courses as we resume F2F programs, other events and resources and calls for input. We highlight a profile of DTP Board Member and Trainer, Professor Justice Nolan and one of our most recent alumni Andress Hamenda from Indonesia – who highlighted the value of Justine’s sessions on business and human rights. We congratulate him on his fellowship in the US and other alumni in Indonesia on their appointments as KomnasHAM Commissioners and Louchrisha in Fiji on being selected as an election observer for the snap elections in Vanuatu. Wishing you all well from a very wet Sydney.

DTP PROGRAMS

RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: Children's Rights and the Right to Education webinar with Sophie Wiggans and Jonathon Sargeant available to WATCH HERE The next CRC webinar on SDGs and Budgeting for Children’s Rights will be with Claire Fenton-Glynn and Holly Doel-Mackaway on Wednesday 26 October. More information to follow.

UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD IN AUSTRALIA WORKSHOP: The first F2F CRC workshop since 2020 will be in Melbourne, 3-4 November. The deadline for applications has been extended to 17 October. APPLY HERE

30TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLE'S DIPLOMACY PROGRAM: Rescheduled November 14th – 25th, Bangkok, Thailand – in partnership with Forum-Asia, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, Migrant Forum in Asia, and Pacific Islands Association of NGOs, Mahidol University and HRDF.

MYANMAR DIASPORA HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY IN ASEAN: To be held in Thailand from November 28th to December 2nd. Applications close 24 October. FIND OUT MORE

MYANMAR DIASPORA HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY IN AUSTRALIA: New workshop in Perth – November 11-14th. Contact DTP to find out more: [email protected]

2ND ASIA PACIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS FORUM - PROTECTING THOSE WHO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT: convened by the UN Environment Programme, UN Human Rights, and the Asia Pacific Network of Environmental Defenders, in partnership with Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, EarthRights International, FORUM-ASIA, Asia Research Institute for Environmental Law, 25-27 October, hybrid event - online and Bangkok. FIND OUT MORE

DIPLOMATIC OUTREACH FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS: (in partnership with AIPP) Starting soon with participants from Nepal, Philippines, Bangladesh, India, and Malaysia. FIND OUT MORE

CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS SPECIAL PROCEDURES - Submitting Cases – with PIANGO, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, CCF and OHCHR-ROP. The start of this program has been delayed. More information will be sent to applicants shortly. FIND OUT MORE

TRAINER PROFILE: JUSTINE NOLAN

Professor Nolan, Director of the Australian Human Rights Institute at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), is among the world's leading business and human rights academics and practitioners. She teaches in the Faculty of Law & Justice at UNSW and was training on DTP's business and human rights program for many years before joining the DTP's Board of Directors in 2015.

“DTP is building up a well-trained, educated, aware community pushing the issues in the Asia-Pacific region. Change is often most effective when it happens from within. That's what DTP is doing. It's helping people, empowering people to lead the change themselves.”

READ MORE
Photo of Justine Nolan. Credit: DTP
Photo of Andress Hamenda. Credit: Andress Hamenda

ALUMNI PROFILE: ANDRESS HAMENDA

Andress is the founder and CEO of Punya Harapan (“Have Hope”), an Indonesian civil society organisation fostering access to vocational education for juveniles in Indonesia’s prisons. He is currently in the US undertaking a prestigious ten-month long Hubert Humphrey Fellowship, a US state department-funded global program aimed at enhancing leadership among international professionals to promote human rights and freedoms, among other objectives.

“This was a life-changing experience for me. Through this process, I had the chance to connect with influential participants, including child rights experts, the commissioners of child protection in Indonesia and others. These connections are beneficial for me. We are still connected. We are quite close now. So, DTP program not only connects us but also builds a relationship.” 

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DTP ALUMNI IN ACTION

For information on our alumni, click here. If you want to get in contact with any of DTP's alumni, please contact the office at [email protected]

Representational image of Afghan girls in classroom Credit: Getty

AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN

Waheed Ahmad, the Chair of the Child Protection Committee of Lahore Bar Association condemns the killing by a suicide bomber of scores of children at a Kabul girls’ school in a Hazara neighbourhood in Kabul

READ MORE
Women giving man a covid-19 vaccination. Credit: Abir Abdullah

BANGLADESH

Emdadul Haque on the economic and social impacts of the Bangladesh responses in the face of COVID.

“I am happy to share that my paper has been published by Sumy State University, Ukraine. I have been receiving and reading the DTP E-Newsletter, since the inception of its publication.”

READ MORE
DTP alumni including Benedict Sakunil Mansul from Malaysia presenting at AIPP/IWGIA/CGP/DTP Conference. Credit: AIPP

ASIA

DTP alumni including Benedict Sakunil Mansul from Malaysia share case studies of Indigenous self-governance and determination at AIPP/IWGIA/CGP/DTP Conference

Photo of Louchrisha Hussain. Credit: Louchrisha Hussain

VANUATU

Louchrisha Hussain, Citizens' Constitutional Forum CEO has been selected to join the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) team to observe the snap elections in Vanuatu

Komnas HAM logo. Credit: Komnas HAM

INDONESIA

Congratulations to DTP alumni Anis Hidayah, Hari Kurniawan and Putu Elvina among the nine new Commissioners of the Indonesian Human Rights Commission (KomnasHAM)

READ MORE
Conference on Access to Justice for Migrant Workers in Malaysia. Credit: London Daily

BANGLADESH / PERSIAN GULF

Sudheer Thirunilath shares article by DTP alumnus Rejimon Kuttappan reporting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed slamming wage theft of migrant workers and endorsing MFA campaign to get justice

READ MORE
An immigration raid on illegal immigrants. According to Suhakam, some employers who terminated the services of foreign workers are said to have tipped off the immigration department.

MALAYSIA

Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna shares calls from Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) for foreign missions to do more to protect migrants workers’ rights READ MORE, and to sign an agreement with countries that supply foreign labour to Malaysia to prevent the exploitation of migrant workers

READ MORE
AIPP Secretary-General Gam A Shimray at Asia Regional Conference/Dialogue on Indigenous Self-governance, Civic Space, Democracy and Pluralism. Credit: AIPP

PARTNER NEWS

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT: Asia Regional Conference/Dialogue on Indigenous Self-governance, Civic Space, Democracy and Pluralism took place in Chiang Mai Thailand, 28-29 September, with participants and case studies across Asia, Europe and Latin America. Organised in partnership with International Working Group Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), Global Centre on Pluralism (GCP) and DTP. AGENDA and SESSION 1 SPEAKER BIOS

FORUM-ASIA Annual Report 2021 available HERE

FORUM-ASIA Khin Ohmar video presentation at Dialogue with Special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar on systemic persecution against Rohingya and minorities VIEW HERE

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS RESOURCE CENTRE records over 100 cases of alleged labour and human rights abuses perpetrated against at least 60,800 garment workers in Myanmar READ MORE

CITIZENS' CONSTITUTIONAL FORUM submission to Fijian parliament on the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) including for proper safeguards to be incorporated into the Convention and domestic legislation to protect fundamental human rights READ THE SUBMISSION

Storm surge on Masig Island in the Torres Straits. Credit: 350 Australia

NEWS FROM THE REGION

AUSTRALIA UN Human Rights Committee finds that Australia’s failure to protect Indigenous Torres Strait Islanders against adverse impacts of climate change violates their rights READ MORE

MYANMAR Aung San Suu Kyi and her Australian economic advisor Sean Turnell jailed for 3 years following closed trial READ MORE

BANGLADESH Kabita Chakma shares Chittagong Hills Tracts Commission statement expressing concerns over land grabbing from the Indigenous peoples of Lama READ MORE

QATAR Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and FairSquare call on FIFA and 2022 World Cup sponsors to support remedy to migrant workers READ MORE; French cities ditch World Cup festivities to protest Qatar’s record on human rights, environment READ MORE

Overview of the session of the Human Rights Council during the speech of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, February 27, 2020. Picture taken with a fisheye lens. Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

UN NEWS AND CALLS TO CONTRIBUTE

Call for input to the report of the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders to the Human Rights Council on the positive change achieved by HRDs, deadline 20 October READ MORE

Call for submission of written contribution to the expert workshop on possible ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Human Rights Council, deadline 31 October READ MORE

Call for input for the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, on reparation for child victims and survivors of sale and sexual exploitation, deadline 19 November READ MORE

RESOURCES

Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) “SDGs & Human Rights Toolbox” VIEW HERE

UNESCO and Amnesty International release guidelines for civil society organisations “The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its potential to foster freedom of expression, access to information and safety of journalists” READ THE GUIDELINES

The Child Justice Network have developed Child-Friendly Justice Terminology Guidelines, available in English and Khmer READ THE GUIDELINES

EVENTS

Mega Sporting Events and Human Rights: The Responsibility of Business – Protecting rights of workers and athletes. On-line 3:00-6:00PM (Australian daylight saving time) 20 October READ MORE

Roundtable bringing together business, industry, investors, policymakers and RBC experts active in Southeast Asia: Operationalising Responsible Business Conduct for Resilient and Sustainable Supply Chains, 19 October REGISTER HERE

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

The Asia Division of Human Rights Watch is seeking applicants for the position of Australia Director, deadline 23 October APPLY HERE

Photo of Trainer Virginia Dandan and participant from 2019 Annual Program

PLEASE DONATE

DTP relies on donations to provide quality training to human rights defenders so that they can promote and protect human rights effectively in their societies. Please help if you can and donate here. Donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

Participants on DTP's 2019 Regional Workshop on Ethical Business and Recruitment Practices, Dubai

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

One of DTP's strengths is you, our alumni and networks. As we see the Covid-19 pandemic spreading and the different responses of government, business and communities, you have never been more important in communicating impacts, and enabling/driving solidarity, action and accountability. If you have news, opinion pieces, resources or examples of best practice to share, or have questions on human rights and Covid-19, please send them to us at [email protected] Please stay safe.

Issue #159 October 2022

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We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work, the Bedegal people of the Eora Nation

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