Southern Asia

Afghan women enjoy greater freedom in Nimruz

aljazeeraenglish — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 07:15:38 -0800

Having previously been banned from even going to school, women in Afghanistan are enjoying greater freedoms since the fall of the Taliban.

In Nimruz province in particular, women are free to drive and there are even female police officers.

Zeina Khodr reports on the women of Nimruz province. (December 23, 2008)

The Persecuted innocents To be a Young Tamil in Sri Lanka

dsb101 — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:17:36 -0800

Tens of thousands of Sri Lankans were killed during its recent civil war and now a ceasefire brokered in 2002 is being threatened by rising levels of violence.
Sri Lankan children are the most affected by the clashes. Apart from those directly affected, killed or injured, many more are displaced from their homes, or are subject to abduction or recruitment by warring factions.

UDHR60 Spotlight: Freedom of Speech in Sri Lanka & Lack Thereof

Chris Michael — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:42:06 -0800

What image opened your eyes to human rights? This is a question that we posed here on the Hub, online (YouTube and Facebook, primarily) and with our friends and video for change network in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10.

1984 pogroms of Sikhs in India

1984TruthandJustice — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 04:08:19 -0800

An authoritative account, using eyewitness testimony, of the massacres of India's minority Sikh community during the course of 1984 and the repression that took place in the state of Punjab in the decade afterwards. This film was first shown by the 1984 Truth & Justice campaign to MPs in the UK Houses of Parliament to raise awareness on the 20th anniversary of the pogroms.

UDHR 60: Rahimi from Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission

Sam Gregory — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:50:06 -0800

Said Abdul Qader Rahimi from the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) answers the question "What image opened your eyes to human rights?" by describing a photo of himself that he has held onto from the Taliban era.

Interview: Sunanda Deshapriya

Sameer Padania — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:39:27 -0800

Sunanda Deshapriya runs the Media Unit at the Center for Policy Alternatives, a Sri Lankan NGO, and is part of the Free Media Movement in Sri Lanka.
I interviewed Sunanda about the work of CPA Lanka, and about their use of new media, and specifically online video, to help place the voices of ordinary Sri Lankans at the heart of their advocacy on human rights, peacebuilding and development.

UDHR60: A S Panneerselvan, Panos South Asia (Tamil version)

Sameer Padania — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:59:18 -0800

A S Panneerselvan is Director of Panos South Asia, and here answers our question, "What image opened your eyes to human rights?"

Panneer
talks about the impact the image of the imprisoned Nelson Mandela had
in South India at a time of political and social unrest.

UDHR60: A S Panneerselvan, Panos South Asia (English version)

Sameer Padania — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:50:56 -0800

A S Panneerselvan is Director of Panos South Asia, and here answers our question, "What image opened your eyes to human rights?"

Panneer talks about the impact the image of the imprisoned Nelson Mandela had in South India at a time of political and social unrest.

FORUM-ASIA

FORUM-ASIA — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:11:13 -0800

FORUM-ASIA is committed to building an alternative society that is peaceful, just, equitable and ecologically sustainable where all human rights of all individuals, groups and peoples -- the poor, marginalised and discriminated people in particular -- are fully respected and realised in accordance with internationally accepted human rights norms and standards.

UDHR60: Sunanda Deshapriya (Sinhala version)

Sameer Padania — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:16:59 -0800

Sunanda Deshapriya answers the question "What image opened your eyes to human rights?"
Sunanda talks about Sri Lankan journalist J.S. Tissainayagam, who has been in prison for nearly 300 days, and the impact of seeing him imprisoned.