Fredrick Winslaw Sunthararaj

Nambikkayin Veedu works towards supporting victims and communities in livelihood and education and entails documenting the needs, concerns and grievances of youth, particularly in Northern Sri Lanka. Frederik has worked as a volunteer with the UN, and with Sri Lanka’s Centre on Human Rights and Development (CHRD) and with Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission. He participated in the 35th UN Human Rights Council session in June 2017, speaking at many side events about his father’s “disappearance” and the plight of the families of the “disappeared”. He also spoke on the status of youth in the post conflict period and made oral statements under various thematic areas in the UN system. He has experience in research, having contributed to the first national study on prisons by the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, interviewing Tamil and other prisoners. Fredrick is studying law and believes this programme will develop his skills as a human rights advocate and eventual human rights lawyer.