27Th Annual Regional Human Rights & Peoples Diplomacy Training Program

27th Annual Regional Human Rights & Peoples Diplomacy Training Program

October 2-13, 2017.

Timor-Leste

AUSTRALIA

Tiarni Burns (F), Consultant, Price Waterhouse Coopers Indigenous Consulting (PIC)

Tiarni is a Wiradjuri woman from Dubbo. She works as a Consultant with PIC an Indigenous owned and led national consulting business with a profit-for-purpose vision to improve the lives of Indigenous People. PIC has developed a service for Human Rights which advises organisations on how they can better align their work with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples(UNDRIP) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tiarni’s work includes conducting research, reviewing documentation and information and creating and testing frameworks to be used with clients. PIC has a focus on Indigenous peoples throughout their projects and Tiarni assists with the coordination and reporting on the consultations. By completing the DTP training, Tiarni hopes to be able to contribute more to discussions and activities related to human rights at her organisation.

BANGLADESH

Md Nahidul Hasan (M), Operation Director, Awaj Foundation

Nahidul is the Operations Director at Awaj Foundation in Bangladesh, a worker rights based organisation that supports migrant workers and workers in the ready-made garments sector. Nahidul is responsible for case management of workers’ cases and capacity building of migrant workers. His role involves pre- and post-migration documentation, facilitating dialogue between workers and factory management, and providing training to Awaj’s grassroots trainers at 20 centres. He advocates and lobbies for migrant workers and labour workers’ rights on a local, national, regional and international level. After theDTP training, Nahidul hopes to become a more skillful advocate for workers’ rights – including the rights of migrant workers.

Shohel Chandra Hajang (M) Organising Secretary, Bangladesh Jatiyo Hajong Sangathon

Shohel is the Organising Secretary of Bangladesh Jatiyo Hajong Sangathon (BJHS), a non-for-profit organisation of Hajong Indigenous people in Mymensingh division in Bangladesh. BJHS aims to develop Hajong Indigenous people’s human rights and Shohel is involved in reporting on human rights violations, capacity building with Hajong people and engaging with policy makers, civil society, government and media to raise awareness of Indigenous Peoples rights. TheDTP training will assist Shohel to become more effective in his work with BJHS.

CAMBODIA

Khemara Em (M),Community Project Manager,Sahmakum Teang Tnaut

Khemara is the Community Project Manager at Sahmakum Teang Tnaut in Cambodia. Khemara’s work involves raising awareness and providing technical assistance to people living in poverty in relation to housing and infrastructure, and urban issues in Cambodia. His work extends to helping the inhabitants of urban areas who have been affected by forced eviction, or the threat of forced evictionby the government and developers. His key role is to support community activists in articulating their concerns nationally and internationally, as well as to strengthen networks in local communities through conducting meetings, forums, trainings and exchanges. Khemara hopes the DTP training will increase his knowledge and skills in human rights advocacy and his confidence in undertaking his current work.

INDONESIA/PAPUA

Nukila Evanty (F), Senior Researcher / Senior Advocacy Team, AMAN (Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago)

Nukila is the Senior Researcher and a member of the Senior Advocacy Team at AMAN in Indonesia. Nukila’s work includes advocacy and research on the individual and communal rights of Indigenous Peoples in Riau province and some regions in Indonesiawhere Indigenous peoples’ lands have been/are being taken over by the State and corporations for use as palm oil, rubber and acacia plantations. She also facilitates groups of Indigenous decision-makers and provides education to Indigenous women in relation to home economics. Nukila hopes the knowledge and skills she can gain from theDTP training will strengthen her work at AMAN, thus enabling her to assist the marginalized Indigenous peoples in Riau to protect their individual and communal human rights.

Esra Mandosir (M), Volunteer Campaigner and Facilitator, Tiki Papua (Papuan Women’s Human Rights Network)

Esra is the Volunteer Campaigner and Facilitator at Tiki Papua. Esra’s work entails advocating and campaigning on behalf of Papuan women who have experienced human rights violations by the State, whether of a physical, economic, social or cultural nature. His role includes facilitating and strengthening women’s groups by conducting research on human rights violations and human rights standards, providing human rights training for Papuan women and campaigningfor the human rights of Papuan women. Esra hopes that the DTP training will provide him with skills, knowledge and methods to improve his work.He believes the training can help him develop skills on how to build relationships with government and thus bridge the gap between the Papuan community and the government.

Jellin Ismail Payai (M), Institutional Strengthening Assistant, Yapen Customary Council

Jellin is the Institutional Strengthening Assistant at Yapen Customary Council. Jellin’s work involves actively assisting the Yapen Customary Council to develop partnerships with other organisations, as well as networking, campaigning and lobbying. His work is aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of the Indigenous People of Yapen Island in Papua, Indonesia and includes advocating for economic, social and cultural rights. By completing the DTP training, Jellin hopes to gain knowledge in international human rights law and the human rights based approach to development. He believes the DTP trainingwill build his knowledge of the available human rights mechanisms and practical skills in advocacy.

Yurino Juwanda (M), Program Officer, Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM)

Yurino is the Program Officer at ELSAM and his role involves monitoring the progress of human rights in Papua and managing the capacity building program for human rights defenders. This includes developing the curricula and evaluation tools. Yurino has also contributed to a book on human rights concerning enforced “disappearances” in Indonesia. Yurino believes thatthe DTP training will assist him to analyze the state of human rights in Indonesia and help him and his organisation to developan improved curriculum for human rights defenders in that country.

Rut Ohoiwutun (F),Coordinator of Youth Programs YADUPA

Rut is the Coordinator of Youth Programs YADUPA and her works involves working with young people and for the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Rut has a background in anthropology and she has conducted research on the Port Numbay Ethnic Groups -including studies on the legal capacity of Indigenous Port Numbay Ethnic Groups to uphold Indigenous Customary Courts and on the impact of the arrival of trans-migrant traders on the Indigenous traders of Port Numbay. With YADUPA she coordinated the Roadshow for the Anniversary of the Customary Council in 2016 working with students and youth to develop pamphlet, posters, T-shirt, and stickers which were distributed to schools, police stations, hospitals, campuses, and stakeholders. As part of her campaign for the rights of Indigenous Peoples Rut participated in, and won, a televised debate on the theme of ‘Protection and Rescue the Rights of The Papuan Community’.Rut believes the program will help her to understand the international mechanisms that can assist Papua, new information that she will share with the young community at GEMPHA (Papua Youth for Indigenous People Rights).

INDIA

Kim Chishi (F),Member, Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR)

Kim is a Member of the NPMHR an organisation in Northeast India that seeks to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous peoples. She assists in the activities and programs organised by NPMHR, working on various issues such gender equality, children rights, Indigenous peoples’ rights, the power of armed forces and she writes the program reports. Kim believes the DTP training would enable her to become a more skillful advocate for Indigenous peoples’ rights in Northeast India. After the training, she would like to share the knowledge in NPMHR’s training sessions.

Retina Rongpipi (F), In-Charge of Youth and Child, Karki Human Rights Watch (KHRW)

Retina oversees the Youth and Child division of the KHRW in India. She is responsible for documenting and disseminating issues at the local level, and organising awareness and capacity building programs for Indigenous youth and women. For example, Retina has been a facilitator in training sessions on youth, child and women rights. She also carried out with her colleagues the campaign cum celebration of human rights through International Human Rights Day, International Women’s Day andWorld Indigenous Peoples’ Day, just to name a few. Through the DTP training, Retina looks forward to enhancing her knowledge and understanding of relevant international mechanisms and processes involved in raising Indigenous issues on various levels.

Mirza Japanize Beg (M), Joint Secretary, Forum for Peace and Development

Jahanzeb is the Joint Secretary at the Forum for Peace and Development based in India. In this organization, his focus is on empowering women from economically disadvantagedbackgrounds and monitoring the issue of child labor.Jahanzeb’s works as a journalist, a psychologist and a Human Rights activist. His aim is to raise awareness of human rights abusesand to conduct programs educating people regarding their basic human rights. Jahanzeb hopes that the DTP training will acquaint him with different perspectives on global human rights issues and enable him to analyse human rights issues from an interdisciplinary perspective.

MYANMAR

Myint Thein Aung (M),General Secretary, Burma Lawyers Council (BLC)

Myint is the General Secretary at Burma Lawyers Council (BLC) where he is responsible for conducting legal advocacy workshops for non-governmental organisations (NGOs), various ethnic nationalities and migrant workers. He is responsible for overseeing BLCstaff, and liaising with the Thai Immigration, police, government departmentsand Thai NGOs. He has focused on the issues of human trafficking from Myanmar to Thailand, and how to apply the law in Myanmar to achieve justice. BLC has also provided legal aid to migrant workers from Myanmar and assisted on criminal and civil cases in Thailand, and caseson labor disputes in Myanmar. Myint hopes the trainingcan assist him and BLC in strengthening their knowledge and skills on international human rights conventions and standards, as well as methods on building solidarity. He also hopes to build his confidence in his engagement with different government departments in Thailand and Myanmar, and his skills in engaging the media.

Aung Koko (M),CSO Network Officer, Equality Myanmar

Aung is the CSO Network Officer at Equality Myanmar. Aung hosts training programs for human rights defenders in Myanmar building their skills to promote and achieve a democratic society in Myanmar. This participatorytraining increasestheir knowledge of human rights and skills in collaborative work with others to end human rights violations in Myanmar. The training also encourages leadership skills in human rights defenders, introducingthem to strategies in advocacy and lobbying. Equality Myanmar believes the Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) will teach Aung how to apply the various human rights standards and mechanisms into these strategies and he can share this knowledge in his training programs.

Ya Min Phway (F),General Secretary, Taungyoe Literature and Cultural Association (TLCA); Communications Developer, Manaung Youth Networking Group (MYNG)

Ya Min is the General Secretary at TLCA and a Communications Developer at MYNG. At TLCA, Ya Min oversees the fundraising department and seeks funds to support Taungyoe Indigenous peoples who reside in Shan State and are struggling to maintain their cultural identity. Her work involves collecting information from the villagers, finding donors and overseeing TLCA’s development activities. Some of the activities include seeking funds to support a water supply system, building elementary schools and finding scholarships for the youth to attend schools. At MYNG, Ya Min is responsible for the communication department. MYNG is one of the larger organisations of Indigenous peoples in Myanmar and they provide the Indigenous Peoples in Myanmar access to education. From the Diplomacy Training Program, Ya Min hopes to learn how to network and build solidarity with various stakeholders. She would also like to develop her knowledge on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. She believes both components will be valuable to her work as an educator and an advocate as she continues to promote the voices of the Taungyoe Indigenous People.

Peter Lian Biak Cin Thang (M)Project Officer, Mercy Corps International

Peter is the Project Officer of Sone Hmat program at Mercy Corps International. This program aims to reduce the inter-communal violence in Myanmar through activities such as ‘Interest Based Negotiation’ and ‘Interfaith Dialogue’ trainings to promote tolerance and minority rights. Through these activities, Peter has gained the experience in collaborating with different communities and stakeholders (religious leaders, community leaders, government bodies, civil-society organisations) in achieving peace. The activities aim to mitigate the tension that can lead to violence and help encourage various ethnic and religious leaders to work together to resolve disputes. From the DTP training, Peter hopes to delve into various human rights cases and learn how to resolve them systematically and diplomatically. He would also like to gain the knowledge on building solidarity and peaceful advocacy that helps create good relationships between various stakeholders.

NEPAL

Krishna Neupane (M) Project Coordinator, People Forum for Human Rights

Krishna’s is the Project Coordinator of the Free Legal Aid and Paralegal Service to Migrant Worker Project, at People Forum for Human Rights. His work involves handling cases on behalf of victims to DoFE and up to the Supreme Court of Nepal. My project target, which he has met since 2011 is to provide free legal aid and paralegal service to 1000 migrant worker a year. He is also involved in organising coordination meetings among justice agencies for better legal aid service to migrant worker, legal training for judicial officials, and the victim hearing program on International Migrant`s Day, 18 December. Krishna believes that the training content of this 27th Annual Program is very applicable to his work on human rights and the rights of migrant workers.

SRI LANKA

Lucille Mary Ann Abeykoon (F), Human Rights Office, Kandy

Lucille works at Human Rights Office in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Sheadvocates on behalf of the victims of torture, rape and other human rights violations in Sri Lanka, which includes seeking to hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes through a just judicial system. Lucille also assists in the rehabilitation of prisoners and their families, as well as for the families of people who have ‘disappeared’. Her work includes assisting in legal matters for the victims who are struggling to attain justice, as well as accompanying victims to courts. Lucile hopes that training with the Diplomacy Training Program will augment her knowledge and experience, and help her to be more effective in her present work.

TIMOR LESTE

Cesario Da Silva (M), Program Manager at Timor-Leste Disability Associations (ADTL)

Cesario is the Program Manager at Timor-Leste Disability Associations (ADTL). As a Program Manager, he has experience advocating for rights of persons with disabilities. He wrote a NGO report for the UN Universal Periodic Review in 2016, conducted cases and documentations on disabilities, and monitored and evaluated cases on disability issues in Timor-Leste. He believes the disability issues in Timor-Leste are ignored, and stigma, discrimination and violence still exist. He believes by taking part in the Diplomacy Training Program, he would learn to become a skillful advocate and lobby effectively on the right of persons with disabilities through media and by developing collaborations with other non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders.

Monrique Dos Reis (M), Technical Advisor and Senior Researcher, The Association of Vision Impairment Timor Leste (TLMTL)

As a Technical Advisor and Senior Researcher, Monrique has been involved in two programs – ‘Advocacy and Counseling Program’ and ‘Braille and Mobility Training’ at TLMTL. For the Advocacy and Counseling Program, Monrique provides advice to his team on how advocate for the rights of women and children with vision impairment. People with vision impairment, particularly women and children are marginalized and ignored in Timor-Leste and often they experience various forms of violence such as domestic violence, rape, or sexual abuse. Monrique ensures the victims’ rights are protectedby referring their cases to courts. The Braille and Mobility Training ensures people with vision impairment are able to read and write, and they canattain an education. The Diplomacy Training Program will enable Monrique to analyze human rights case studies through practical exercises that will enable him to build upon his advocacy, lobbying and negotiation skills. He would like to enhance his skills on how to compile solid evidence and case studies for litigation, or for use in training workshops.