Francis Judes Gnanaraj

Human Rights Office, Kandy
Sri Lanka
Father Nehru is a community based human rights defender living with communities in the north-east Mannar region of Sri Lanka, a region among the worst affected by the civil war. He has been involved in protecting communities at risk, empowering and supporting those struggling against human rights violations, and providing support for women-headed families – organizing educational programs for widows, giving shelter, protection and security. Fr. Nehru is active in negotiations and protests, speaks to media and seeks national and international attention. At the Human Rights Office in Kandy he collaborates locally with the National Human Rights Commission and with international networks and institutions. Fr Nehru hopes the DTP course will provide him an opportunity to engage with UN human rights mechanisms and to become more effective in his lobbying and advocacy work at national and international levels. He believes that it will be an invaluable opportunity to meet East Timorese human rights defenders, make connections, and to have experience sharing in post-conflict-peace-building as both nations experienced 25 years of conflict, violence and population loss and displacement.

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