Yulia Sri Sukapti

After a decade in economic and business studies Sri joined the Institute for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as a Researcher. She assists with project design for programs for local communities, especially in Central Kalimantan. Her organisation attempts to help local communities network and seek solutions to enable them to secure their rights. Through her involvement with the DTP she has improved her skills and knowledge on local communities and Indigenous peoples, expanded her network and enjoyed the opportunity to cooperate with others to bring the “spirit of togetherness” in human rights campaigns.

“I think DTP has a role in their capacity in training programs and it is important for the defenders and activists. As activists, researchers, workers, whatever profession we do, I think the training program is so important to improve our general capacity and DTP has the capacity to teach skills, tactics and things like that. I think these things are very important to engage in Human Rights Defenders work.”

Sri participated in the DTP’s 2014 program in Myanmar. From this program she learnt the issues, cases and mechanisms surrounding business and human rights.

“Some research that we have conducted has focused on business and human rights and I got this focus from the DTP’s Myanmar Program. It gave me important clues for when I’m reporting the research from the field. When I make that report, I make my analysis on the basis of human rights and business principles taught to me in the DTP training.”

Sri then came back as a trainer and trained at DTP’s 2016 Program in Indonesia on Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, the Private Sector and Development. Her approach was guided by the trainers who have taught her in the 2014 Myanmar program. From her own personal experience, she views the delivery of the training programs by the trainers is an integral component in ensuring the success of DTP training programs.

“The most important thing is how the trainer delivers the message. I can remember some trainers from Philippines who were very good in explanation about mechanisms at the UN level. That’s remained in my mind – about the policy taught to us. And our trainer from Hawaii on Indigenous people issues, the way he taught us made me always remember the principles of the rights of Indigenous peoples – I think that’s the way to teach us.

“Beside the purpose, the trainers, the tutorials and the content, I think we also benefit from the networking with other participants. After the training, we connected with each other through Facebook, so we can know about each other’s programs and issues and give support to each other. I think that’s important.”