DTP E-Newsletter 190
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DIPLOMACY TRAINING PROGRAM

Building the capacity of Asia-Pacific
Human Rights Movements since 1990

New Focus on Climate Crisis and Human Rights. The climate crisis is impacting the whole range of human rights – civil, cultural, economic. political and social, impacting most the already vulnerable and marginalised that are the focus of our programs – including Indigenous Peoples, migrants and children. DTP participants and alumni have emphasised the need to address the impacts of climate change on the realisation of human rights, and have called for information (and examples) on practical options to address these. This will be a focus of DTP E-News during 2024. We will share relevant resources, including news of advocacy and litigation by DTP alumni and others. We encourage DTP alumni to send us information on their campaigning on climate change. As an initial contribution we provide the link to a document published by OHCHR, “Understanding Human Rights and Climate Change” that includes a useful section on which human rights are most affected by climate change. READ MORE

In this issue we profile the inspirational Thai alumna Laddawan Tantivitayapitak, who has given many years of service to human rights and democracy struggles, highlight the activities of DTP alumni, share news from the region, information on new resources and jobs and calls from the UN for your engagement.

 

DTP Programs

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS - UNDRIP WEBINAR SERIES: DTP, in partnership with Oxfam Australia, is launching a new webinar series on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to begin in March. We are reaching out to alumni and partners to help lead and guide the series. More information to follow. If you are interested contact [email protected]

UDHR @ 75: DTP ASIAN ALUMNI WORKSHOP/TRAINING - 26-27 JUNE 2023: The draft report from DTP’s first workshop with DTP alumni in Asia is now available. We invite DTP alumni to send us any additional recommendations on alumni networking to [email protected]. READ THE DRAFT REPORT

DTP CHILD RIGHTS AND THE NEW GENERAL COMMENT 26 WEBINAR SERIES: The final webinar in the series - Children's Rights and Climate Change: Australia and the Pacific - was held on 12 December. Speakers include Justice Vui Clarence Nelson, former Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and Tamara Logan, Save the Children. WATCH HERE

32nd ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLES' DIPLOMACY TRAINING PROGRAM: Timor-Leste 2024 – in partnership with Justice System Monitoring Project and Human Rights Centre, UNTL – AIPP, FORUM-ASIA, PIANGO and MFA. More information to follow. Report of 31st Annual Program AVAILABLE HERE

DTP ALUMNI - NETWORKING SURVEY: DTP surveyed its alumni from 1990–2023 on networking. A big thanks to the 250 plus alumni who responded. READ THE REPORT

 

2023 Annual Report

DTP's 2023 Annual Report is now available. It showcases DTP's activity throughout the past year as we returned to face-to-face programs.

READ MORE
Cover of DTP's 2023 Annual report. Credit: DTP
 
Photo of Tony Simpson, George Varughese, Lopeti Senituli, Clare Sidoti and Patrick Earle at UNSW roundtable. Credit: DTP

Democracy, Governance and Self-Determination in the Pacific roundtable with Lopeti Senituli

DTP International Advisory Council member Lopeti Senituli provided insights into the current crisis in Tonga and the regional context for democracy and human rights in the Pacific at a roundtable discussion at UNSW.

READ MORE
 

Alumni Profile

Laddawan Tantivitayapitak

Laddawan is a DTP alumna and prominent Thai human rights advocate whose leadership on human rights and democracy spans several decades, including distinguished service as a former Secretary General of Thailand’s Law Reform Commission of Thailand, Vice Chairperson of Political Development Council and former Chairperson of Amnesty International in Thailand. She attended one of the first DTP programs and is currently working for democracy in Myanmar and Thailand.
 
"Before participating in the DTP training, I did not understand the significance of diplomacy in human rights advocacy. I was a sceptic too because to me before the training, human rights is about educating and campaigning the human rights violations to hold the perpetrators accountable. However, after participating in the training, I realized the significance of diplomacy as means for human rights protection."
READ MORE
Photo of Laddawan Tantivitayapitak. Credit: Laddawan Tantivitayapitak
 

DTP Alumni in Action

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

Wooden blocks spelling out NGO. Credit: Stock image

SRI LANKA

DTP trainer Ruki Fernando shares NGO coalition preliminary comments on the government’s draft Non-Governmental Organizations (Registration And Supervision) Act further limiting civil society.

READ MORE
Photo of Lopeti Senituli. Credit: DTP

TONGA

Lopeti Senituli, a member of DTP’s International Advisory Council, shares an opinion piece on the King’s actions in withdrawing confidence in his own prime and foreign ministers.

READ MORE
The Industrial Court rules that PWB Sdn Bhd was correct to dismiss S Paul Benjimen for work-related violence against a Bangladeshi worker. Credit: Facebook

MALAYSIA

Prema Arasan shares court decision to uphold the sacking of a supervisor accused of brutalizing a migrant worker.

READ MORE
Performance from 8 August 2023 where performers danced under a red transculent cloth, which symbolised the "bloody trap" that Myanmar people have been living under since the 2021 coup. Photo: August Lynn

THAILAND / MYANMAR

August Pham shares news of Myanmar artivists in Chiang Mai using performance art to amplify the voices of those suffering in their homeland.

READ MORE
Timorese teachers arrested for protesting unfair work practices. Credit: Comite Esperanca

TIMOR-LESTE

Francelino dos Santos Serra shares news of a thousand contract teachers dismissed by the Minister for Education and the arrests and detention of protesting teachers.

READ MORE
World Social Forum 2024 logo. Credit: World Social Forum

GLOBAL

A number of DTP alumni participated in events at last week's World Social Forum in Nepal. Laddawan Tantivitayapitak shared a reel from the event.

WATCH THE REEL
Photo of Waheed Ahmad. Credit: Waheed Ahmad

PAKISTAN

DTP would like to congratulate Advocate Waheed Ahmad’s appointments as a Member of the National Commission of Human Rights Advisory Committee and Pro Bono Lawyer of the Punjab Women Protection Authority.

 

Partner News

Drawing of a person caught in a spider web - cover of AIPP report. Credit: AIPP

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT Insight Report: Impact of emerging technologies on Indigenous Peoples has been released. READ MORE

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT Asia Preparatory Meeting on UN Mechanisms and Procedures Relating to Indigenous Peoples will take place in Chiang Mai 3-6 March. READ THE CONCEPT NOTE

 

News from the Region

A woman tending to patients in hospital. Credit: Private, 2024

MYANMAR Fortify Rights reports details of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, killings, destruction of civilian homes, and forced displacement during a four-day-long attack by the Myanmar junta READ MORE

AUSTRALIA New law decriminalising undocumented workers and ensuring workplace protections regardless of immigration status welcomed by trade unions and migrant advocates READ MORE

CHINA Over 50 states made recommendations on China’s UPR report including on the death penalty, unrestricted access to UN human rights experts, and to end the widely documented practices of internment and family separations in Xinjiang and Tibet READ MORE

MYANMAR NGOs and CSOs call for international action to provide alternate internet access to overcome the military’s complete control of Myanmar’s telecommunications network READ MORE

AUSTRALIA Indigenous groups welcome creation of the new post of national commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people in response to the failures to close the gap READ MORE

UN CYBERCRIME TREATY Human rights CSOs express concerns that without amendments the proposed treaty will lead to limits on freedom of expression or justify state surveillance READ MORE

 

UN News and Calls to Contribute

Meeting in the UN Assembly Hall in Geneva. Credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

OHCHR: Call for inputs to the Report of the Secretary-General on Missing Persons, deadline 14 March READ MORE

UN Working Group on Disappearances: Call for contributions for a thematic study by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on “Elections and Enforced Disappearances”, deadline 26 February READ MORE

OHCHR: Call for input to the Report on how climate change can have an impact on the realization of the equal enjoyment of the right to education by every girl, deadline 1 March READ MORE

OHCHR: Call for input to the report of the SR on violence against women and girls to the UN General Assembly on violence against women and girls in sport, deadline 8 April READ MORE

UN Secretary-General says climate change leading to food crises are increasing threats to global peace, and tells UN that climate disasters imperil food production and that “empty bellies fuel unrest.” READ MORE

UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples calls for inputs on the challenges faced by mobile Indigenous Peoples, deadline 15 March READ MORE

 

Training and Award Opportunities

Call for nominations to the Equator Prize 2024 for innovative initiatives that showcase how action on nature, led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, can provide effective climate solutions, deadline 26 February READ MORE

National NGO Program on Humanitarian Leadership: Asia Blended Learning Training Opportunity – April-August, deadline for applications 8 March READ MORE

 

Resources

Asia Centre and Engage Media's "Digital Security and Human Rights Defenders in the Asia-Pacific" report assesses the adoption of digital security tools and measures by changemakers in the region to address online threats that they currently face amid increasing state surveillance. READ MORE

 

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.

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We want to hear from you

One of DTP's strengths is you, our alumni and networks. If you have news, opinion pieces, resources or examples of best practice to share, or have questions on human rights, please send them to us at [email protected]. Please stay safe.

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Diplomacy Training Program
ABN 31 003 925 148

https://dtp.org.au/

+ (61 2) 9385 3549
[email protected]

DTP acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we work, the Bedegal people of the Eora Nation. We recognise their lands were never ceded, and we acknowledge their struggles for recognition and rights and pay our respects to the Elders – past, present – and the youth who are working towards a brighter tomorrow. This continent always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

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