Odhikar, being an organisation of human rights defenders in Bangladesh, strongly believes that ‘human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, nationalities or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible’. Odhikar stands against all forms of human rights violations. Odhikar brings the movement a strategic perspective which is not only for the protection of civil, but also to constitute a democratic state.
Since the formation of Odhikar on October 10, 1994 its human rights defenders are working to improve the situation of human rights in Bangladesh. Its principle aim is to monitor and document human rights violations and to raise awareness and undertake policy advocacy activities to address human rights violations and to mobilise local people against injustices. These human rights monitoring activities and mobilisation programmes contribute to eventual positive steps for the improvement of overall human rights situation. Odhikar’s human rights defenders also monitor pre-election, electoral day and post-election violence. There are about 400 active human rights defenders in forty districts working to protect and promote human rights.
The objectives for arranging Human Rights Defenders Conference is to strengthen the human rights activism. The conference helps human rights defenders to learn and share strategies with each others. It encourages young and new human rights activists to learn from experienced and skilled human rights activists through sharing and exchanging experiences. The objective of this conference was to assess the knowledge of HRDs on issues regarding the sensitivity, diversity, challenges, security and protection. A total 104 participants participated in the conference. The HRDs exchanged their views and pledged to promote human rights and to combat against human rights violations. Details of the conference proceedings are given below:
CONTENTS
The conference ran with several contents:
- Human Rights Defenders Activism: Introducing the Human Rights Defenders Handbook
- Challenges of Human Rights Activism
- Group Work: Problems Faced by HRDs and the Ways for Resolution
- Towards Strengthening Human Rights Defenders Network
- Pledges to Uphold Human Rights Principles
- People’s Movement
CTG-HRD Conference-Odhikar-report-9-10 Nov 2012 (full text in English, PDF)
