Delhi

December 10 - Human Rights Day
Venue: New Delhi

Organised by UNITES Professionals in cooperation with Paycheck India Project At IIM-A, ITUC, UNI, and WageIndicator Foundation

The Decision for Life team in Delhi celebrated the 61st International Human Rights Day with a geminated feat, spread across two days – 9th and 10th December, 2009, with the objective of inculcating within self a zest for understanding the significance of Human Rights as well as disseminating information about Human Rights to women.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

        Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

As adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948, is celebrated universally as the International Human Rights Day. Human Rights are inherent to all human beings; these are the basic rights and freedoms that every individual is entitled to, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, language or other status. These rights also include civil and political rights, liberty and freedom of expression; and social, cultural, and economic rights, right to work and to receive education.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the foundation of the international system of protection for human rights. Universal Human Rights are guaranteed by law and treaties and ensure rights to development and self-determination amongst every individual.

With women boldly venturing out of the household to establish their own unique identities, they also demand to be provided with the rights due to them. They are demanding for equal work opportunities, a safe environment to live in and to be given the respect they deserve as equal members of the society and would thus play a pivotal role in fostering the basic structure of the Human Rights Declarations across the society.

Event: International Human Rights Day

Venue: IIC, Delhi

Date: 9 December 2009

Timing: 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM

* Attended a National Conference on Human Rights – “Discrimination Despite Laws: An Indian Experience” presided by Honorable Jurist, Mr. Fali S. Nariman.

To get a better insight into the true meaning and relevance of the idiom “Human Rights,” a National Conference was organized, where its connotation was understood in its correct essence. The event was a joint collaboration by the United Nations Information Centre (India and Bhutan), O.P. Jindal Law School, and the India International Centre. The conference was presided by many dignitaries, including Honorable Jurist, Mr. Fali S. Nariman – a senior advocate, Supreme Court of India. He has been the President of the Bar Association of India since 1991. Along with him, the Conference was facilitated by Prof. Y.S.R. Murthy, Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights Studies, Jindal Global University. The Event was also facilitated by the Director of the UN Information Centre for India and Bhutan, Ms. Shalini Dewan.

The Conference largely speculated upon what are Human Rights and how are they relevant to the current circumstances of unabashed practice of prejudice and injustice. Where the law, in the form of treaties and amendments ensures these rights, how people fail to recognize the importance of their presence and continue to subject the vulnerable mass of individuals to sheer unjustified, and at times inhumane treatment, was the major issue under scrutiny and concern. Along with it, attempt was made to spread light over the women-related concerns and how they, as a part of the ‘evolved nation’ could abet the route of emancipation of the entire society.

Event: International Human Rights Day

Venue: Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University

Date: 10 December 2009

Timing: 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM

Participants: 38

* Visited the Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University with a vision to promulgate the relevance of understanding and respecting the basic human rights of every individual, while laying special emphasis on rights entailed by the women folk

To be able to spread the requisite information among masses, it was important to be done amidst students who would have a better grasp of the procedural aspects of the Declarations. Thus, the team visited one of the women colleges in the University, the Indraprastha College for Women in a bid to promulgate the relevance of the International Human Rights Day and in the same breath acquaint them with the nuances of the Decisions for Life Project. Students were called upon and were given detailed handouts relating to the Human Rights Declaration, an aid to the nearby housing accommodations, a detail of the ILO Conventions, the Decisions for Life concept note, and an article on the Domestic Violence act, and were explained the project in relevance to the significance of the observance.

The team also visited an NGO called Nari Rakha Samiti, based in Civil Lines, North Delhi. The NGO particularly deals with educating and emancipating women suffering from age-old problems of discrimination and injustices of many kinds. Efforts were made to acquaint the organization about our work and to create awareness about our vision and mission.

Experience:

    * Being able to gain some insight into the current state of affairs in the forum of Human Rights in the presence of dignitaries like Mr. Nariman was truly inspiring.

    * Being part of a discussion that so explicitly dealt with discrimination and injustice being meted out to humans, by humans was of extreme utility.

    * After the initial skepticism, students were more forthcoming in receiving the information been provided.

    * Most of the students agreed on the basic issues faced by working women and were very perceptive of the information about the Declarations.

    * An opportunity to reach out to the masses was realized

    * Since the participants this time were majorly political science students, they were keen about the project and showed interest in  participating in further events organized by Decision for Life

    * The event was fruitful in the sense that we discovered individuals who would keenly follow the project in the future.

Thus, seizing the opportunity of the International Human Rights Day, Decision for Life team tried to spread awareness among young women regarding their rights and freedoms. The participants were acquainted with the laws and amendments favoring them, and about how they can demand their rights. They were also provided with details regarding various laws and amendments that would aid their professional career.

This day was the perfect opportunity to understand as well as propagate the true essence of the word “empowerment.”

APPENDICES

Information distributed amongst students

    * The Decision for Life Concept Note

    * A copy of the ILO Conventions

    * A list of the Constitutional Amendments

    * A list of the Housing Accommodation Help

    * An article on the Domestic Violence Act, 2005

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it is independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude, slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.

(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attack upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to form a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

 (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.

(

3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further spread the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.