Sayeed Ahmad

“Before DTP, my approach was more on the activist side; participating in rallies and writing articles. Then in 2005, I did a fellowship with FORUM-ASIA in Bangkok and I started to learn about advocacy and engaging with international mechanisms. In DTP’s 2006 training program, I felt that there were different participants and different ways of sharing – I found how we can link and strengthen activism by connecting and learning from one another.”

Sayeed has attended as both a participant and trainer for DTP’s programs in various years. He participated in DTP’s 16^th Annual Program in Timor-Leste in 2006 and DTP’s Migrant Workers Program in Thailand in 2011. In 2012, Sayeed began training on DTP’s training programs.

“The DTP program creates a new generation of activists and imparts knowledge. You need a lot of analysis and discussions on a certain issue to learn how to tackle it. It’s not an easy task, it has a lot of dimensions that need discussions through engaging with various people. DTP brings that all together.”

Sayeed has worked with the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) as a Director for the Asia Programme. He has also served as the Public Information and Training Expert at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Bangladesh. He is currently the Protection Coordinator for the Asia-Pacific at Front Line Defenders.

At Front Line Defenders, Sayeed has assisted in providing practical and emergency support to human rights defenders. His responsibilities involve: facilitating security grants to human rights defenders; managing and organising capacity-building workshops for local organisations and activists; increasing the visibility of the human rights defenders through campaigns, national and internal media; working with the authorities and governments and UN mechanisms to protect human rights defenders; and reaching out to human rights defenders in rural and marginalised groups to understand their situations and provide assistance.

Sayeed has trained DTP participants to analyse risks, and how to ensure safety and security when defending human rights.

“It is important to build upon the knowledge, the skills, and the capacity of human rights defenders by collaborating in teams, consult and develop strategies on how to solve an issue. As a DTP trainer, I believe training programs should help bridge a connection between different generations of human rights defenders from various countries.”