DTP E-Newsletter 195
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DIPLOMACY TRAINING PROGRAM

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

Pursuing this year’s series focusing on climate change and human rights, we provide a link to an article, Climate Justice, Humans Rights, and the Case for Reparations, that outlines the human rights challenge arising from climate change and that disproportionately impacts poor and the vulnerable people in both low-income and high-income countries. It proposes a Global Climate Reparations Fund, which would be linked with the UN Human Rights Council, to fund and take action on climate reparations.

DTP's Board has adopted a new Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 READ MORE

In this issue we profile alumnus Yotam Wakum, provide information about DTP's programs, highlight the activities of DTP alumni, share news from the region, and calls from the UN for your engagement.

 

DTP Programs

UN PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES – Preparatory Program for Youth Delegates and Side-Event with AIPP. DTP and Oxfam Australia delivered a two-day online program 9-10 April to help prepare Australian youth delegates to the UNPFII. DTP will follow up with participants on their return to Australia. DTP partnered with AIPP on a side-event at UNPFII - Towards actualization of self-determination of Indigenous Peoples in Asia as enshrined in UNDRIP; reflections on challenges and transformative pathways and the role of Indigenous youth.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS - UNDRIP WEBINAR SERIES: 2 May, 4:00 PM AEST. DTP, in partnership with Oxfam Australia, is launching a new webinar series on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The first webinar will focus on the right to self-determination, featuring Les Malezar and Monica Morgan. REGISTER HERE

2024 HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY AND DIASPORA PROGRAM: 18-19 May. With the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS). Two-day workshop in Sydney for Refugee and Diaspora Community Leaders. Report of 2023 program AVAILABLE HERE

BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY MOVEMENTS - SHARING LESSONS AND BUILDING COLLABORATIONS IN CAPACITY BUILDING: DTP and partners are hosting a Workshop to reflect and share the lessons from capacity building on advocacy for human rights. The workshop aims to develop collaboration on human rights and democracy capacity building in response to the closing civil society spaces and rise in authoritarianism.

32nd ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLES' DIPLOMACY TRAINING PROGRAM: Timor-Leste 12-23 August 2024 – at the invitation of President José Ramos-Horta and in partnership with Global Campus of Human Rights, Justice System Monitoring Project and Human Rights Centre, UNTL – AIPP, FORUM-ASIA, PIANGO and MFA. UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development, Professor Surya Deva has been confirmed as a trainer. Over 260 applications have been received and are currently being processed. READ MORE Report of 31st Annual Program AVAILABLE HERE

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS, CLIMATE CHANGE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND BUSINESS - a capacity building program for Indigenous Peoples Advocates in Malaysia. 6-10 May, Sabah, Malaysia. With Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact. Concept Note AVAILABLE HERE

DTP NETWORKING AND WEBINARS: To continue engaging and knowledge building with DTP alumni, DTP is planning a series of webinars on issues identified as important. Planning is underway for webinars on Deep Sea Mining, and on Human Rights, Digital Rights and Artificial Intelligence. To express interest and/or suggest webinar topics, please contact [email protected]

REPORT OF DTP ASIAN ALUMNI WORKSHOP/TRAINING - 26-27 JUNE 2023: The report from DTP’s first workshop with DTP alumni in Asia is now available. See key recommendations here. We have started to implement the recommendations with new resource pages on the DTP Website, the focus on climate change and investing in developing alumni network – more information to follow. READ THE REPORT

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

 
DTP's Children's Rights logo. Credit: DTP

Child Rights Webinar Series

24 webinars on the Convention on the Rights of the Child are available here. Each webinar features leading child’s rights experts, practitioners and young people exploring the challenges in realising children’s rights in practices.

READ MORE
 

Alumni Profile

Yotam Wakum

Yotam Wakum is a volunteer legal expert at the Biak Customary Council (BCC) in West Papua, Indonesia. He provides free legal advice to members of his community and others. He recently visited the DTP offices in Sydney along with DTP alumnus Sabela Gayo.
 
"Through DTP training I gained valuable insights about how to effectively advocate for the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The training provided me with essential negotiation skills to navigate complex situations where Indigenous rights are at stake, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights are upheld. I used some of the techniques learnt from the training in negotiation with the military and government."
READ MORE
Photo of Yotam Wakum. Credit: DTP
 

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].

APNED Happy Earth Day flyer. Credit: APNED

PHILIPPINES

Myrasol Dela Cruz shares statement of the Asia Pacific Network of Environment Defenders on Earth Day calling for an end of attacks on and harassment of environmental human rights defenders

READ THE STATEMENT
80 years, not another year more: Reclaim our future from neoliberal dictates and false solutions! Shut down the IMF-WBG! campaign flyer Credit: International Indigenous Peoples Movement/Twitter

PHILIPPINES

Jane Nabong shares declaration endorsed by a wide selection of civil society organisations criticising the IMF and the World Bank neo-liberal policies

READ THE STATEMENT
Photo of Samantha Chong. Credit: www.probonoconference.org

MALAYSIA

Aslam Abd Jalil shares that alumna and former deputy public prosecutor Samantha Chong has called for consistent sentencing guidelines after a senior citizen was handed a one-month prison sentence for stealing sardines, mouthwash, and coffee powder.

READ MORE
Agustinus Mahuze's team in the forest. Credit: Agustinus Mahuze

INDONESIA / WEST PAPUA

Agustinus Mahuze shared videos from his ecotourism project working with Indigenous Papuans in villages using yard-based plantation as part of a strategy to increase capacity in managing their welfare.

WATCH THE VIDEO
Toni Chiran delivering a presentation at Expert Consultation on the draft Plan of Action for the Fifth Phase (2025-2029) of the World Programme for Human Rights Education for Children and Youth. Credit: Toni Chiran

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Toni Chiran shared his involvement as an Indigenous Peoples Youth Expert in the Expert Consultation on the draft Plan of Action for the Fifth Phase (2025-2029) of the World Programme for Human Rights Education for Children and Youth. 

Toni also was a panelist in the UNPFII side event The role of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples in enhancing Indigenous Youth Participation in UN processes as a way of expressing their self-determination.

 

Partner News

AIPP Secretary General Gam Shimray addressing UNGA. Credit: AIPP

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT Secretary General, Gam Shimray addressed the UNGA session commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples and called for a UN plan to systematically implement the UNDRIP and to enhance participation of Indigenous Peoples with a new status at Human Rights Council, the UN General Assembly, and other relevant UN meetings READ THE STATEMENT

FORUM-ASIA is hiring a Human Rights Defenders Programme Associate to develop strategies to protect HRDs especially women in crisis areas, deadline 3 May READ MORE

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT's statements to the 23rd Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) on various agenda items READ MORE

 

News from the Region

Myanmar army walking on the road through jungle. Credit: UN

MYANMAR UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expresses concern at the intensifying fighting in Rakhine State and increasing conflict between the Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine communities READ MORE

MALAYSIA/BANGLADESH UN experts concerned about Bangladeshi migrant workers overcharged by recruitment agents only to find there is no job for them and they may be forced to overstay, risking arrest, corporal punishment and deportation READ MORE

CAMBODIA OHCHR UN experts call on Cambodia to end all acts of harassment and prosecution against human rights defenders and civil society activists READ MORE

AUSTRALIA UN Committee Against Torture criticises Australia for its inaction on detention conditions following its critical report nearly a year and a half ago READ MORE

SRI LANKA UN resident coordinator calls on government to follow up on Supreme Court orders to hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable READ MORE

AUSTRALIA HRW calls on the government to withdraw its punitive migration bill, which increases the risks to lives and safety of asylum seekers and refugees READ MORE

 

UN News and Calls to Contribute

Indigenous woman addresses the UN in new York. Credit: UN Photo / Manuel Elias.

The Human Rights Committee has reviewed Indonesia’s second periodic report and expressed concerns about human rights violations in West Papua, impunity for those responsible for past abuses, and freedom of expression READ THE CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS

OHCHR invites youth-led and youth-focused organisations to nominate young people as members of the Youth Advisory Board project "Working with and for youth in vulnerable situations including conflict, violence, and insecurity", nominations close 13 May READ MORE

OHCHR Call for input to the report of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues on institutional arrangements of States that enable minority rights to flourish, deadline 10 May READ MORE

 

Resources

ICCPR Article 14 Factsheets: Right to equality before courts and tribunals and to a fair trial (also available in Burmese) READ MORE

UN publishes User's Guide to the Right to a Healthy Environment by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment SEE THE GUIDE

 

Training and Other Opportunities

TAIWAN 2024 Asia Young Leaders for Democracy, August 18-25, applications close 17 May READ MORE

UPR Info is organising Pre-sessions in advance of the 47th UPR Working Group during the week of 26 August 2024, in Geneva. Travel grants are available for Bhutan and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea APPLY HERE Other country representatives not requiring travel grants REGISTER HERE deadline 12 May

2024 WEP Awards applications are now open. The awards celebrate business champions for gender equality in the Asia-Pacific, deadline 30 June READ MORE

 

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
 

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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