Mumbai Initiative for Human Rights Education (MIHRE)
The seeds of Mumbai Initiative for Human Rights Education (MIHRE) were sown at a National Human Rights Education Workshop organised by IHREC in Mumbai in October 2003. Prof Ted Orlin was the main facilitator. It was felt by many local participants that an initiative is required in Mumbai to promote human rights education in schools, colleges and universities in the Mumbai region. Several meetings were held during 2003 to 2004 to crystallise the group’s thoughts and ideas, to give shape to MIHRE.
Vision
Our vision is to have a humane society where all women, men, youth and children acknowledge, respect and enjoy human rights as well as make constant and special endeavours to promote human rights culture.
Mission
The mission of MIHRE is to promote human rights culture in the Mumbai metropolitan region through education in schools as well as colleges, universities and other higher educational institutions.
Objectives
To provide a platform for interaction and collaboration between educators, educational institutions, NGOs and other interested individuals on issues related to human rights education/human rights.
To review existing curricula and develop teaching modules/curricula for teaching human rights at various levels of college and school education.
To build/enhance capacities of educators and other stakeholders for imparting human rights education to various constituencies such as youth.
To develop a resource and documentation centre for training and teaching material in the area of human rights.
Plan of Action
Conduct seminars and workshops for human rights educators
Organise talks/lectures on various aspects of human rights theory and practice
Build a data base and resources and make them available to educators and educational institutions
Arrange field training with NGOs for educators and students
Organise other activities which help towards achieving the goals of MIHRE
Membership
Membership to MIHRE will be by invitation. Members would include individuals, educational institutions and NGOs working/associated with the field of human rights for a minimum of three years.
Organizational set-up/structure of organisation
All members (individual, institutions and NGOs) will comprise the General Body which shall meet at least once a year and approve policies and programmes.
The Executive Committee elected by the General Body shall plan out the programmes and carry on the regular and special activities of MIHRE.
Secretariat
It is proposed that the secretariat may be rotated periodically among the member organisations. Till further notice, the secretariat of MIHRE will be at Justice and Peace Commission, St. Pius College, Aarey Road, Goregaon (E), Mumbai 400063. Tel: 2875 6953; Telefax: 2874 9023. Email addresses and
Contact person: Allwyn D’Silva / Shweta Shalini
Members & organisation of the steering committee:
President:
Allwyn D’Silva, Justice and Peace Commission, Mumbai
Secretary:
Ms.Bella Das, Social Worker
Joint Secretary:
Prof. M.Z Shahid, Maharashtra College
Treasurer:
Ms. Kamayani Bali Mahabali, CEHAT
Public Relations Co-coordinator:
Ms. Ronita Torcato
Members:
- Prof. Jalindhar Adsule, Nirmala Niketan
- Prof. Anthony Kunnath, Bhavan’s College
- Mr. Asad Saif, BUILD
- Prof. Lata Narayan, TISS
- Dr. Prabhjot Kaur, ICHRL
- Adv. Saumya Uma, WRAG
- Adv. Pouruchisti Wadia, WRAG
- Adv. Shweta Shalini, DRTC
- Prof. Vibhuti Patel, SNDT
- Prof. Sushma Gholap, MELJOL
- Mario Mendes, St Pius College
MIHRE Programs
- From 10th to 14th October 2003 one residential workshop on National Human Rights Education was organized in Mumbai. There were 28 participants. The outcome of this workshop was a forum of all Mumbai participants. The objective was to initiate human rights education in schools and colleges. There were two preparatory meetings to implement the objectives.
- MIHRE organized a Teachers’ Workshop on Human Rights in Mumbai from 26th to 28th June 2004 and also prepared study materials for distribution. It was a residential workshop for three days. There were 28 participants from different colleges and schools in Mumbai. The main resource person was Mr. Ravi Nair from Delhi.
3.A Consultation on Human Rights Education was held on 30th May 2005. The objective was to assess the current syllabus of human rights in Mumbai University. There were group discussions on the current syllabus of human rights and some suggestions were made on how to modify it. At the end of the consultation a network was formed of people who will follow up the objective. All of them felt the need for human rights education and for having a more progressive and modified syllabus of human rights. There was also a suggestion about organizing a workshop for only those professors who are teaching human rights in the colleges in Mumbai.
4.A Human Rights Education Workshop was organized for university teachers in September 2005. The objective was to give more information on human rights issues which would help them to teach the subject more intensely. MIHRE jointly organized the workshop with Tata Institute of Social Sciences. There were 45 participants. The National Human Rights Commission sponsored the workshop.
Human Rights Education in Schools
- A workshop on Human Rights Training for Teachers was held on 16th June 2005 at Vasai, Maharashtra. There were 34 participants. It was conducted with the principal of the school and the facilitators of the program.
- A workshop on Human Rights Education for School was held in July 2005 at Canossa School, Andheri. The department had approached the school about conducting a human rights awareness program and the school accepted the proposal. There were group discussions, lectures and other group activities.
- A workshop on Human Rights Education for Teachers was held in April 2006 at DRTC office, Goregaon (E). It was a full day program. There were 20 participants and all were teachers.
Publications
oThe Human Rights Watch Cell published a booklet in Hindi on Indian Constitution and Fundamental Rights and Human Rights Provisions.
oPublication of the latest issue of Humanity Today, a bi-monthly magazine of Human Rights Watch Cell.
Other Programs
On Human Rights Day, the Human Rights Watch Cell, a member of MIHRE, organized a discussion on women and trafficking. The title was Combat Women Trafficking. There were 30 participants from different organizations.
Human Rights Watch Cell takes up various cases of violation of human rights. The Cell is following up a case of gang rape in the court. Another case is of medical negligence where one poor person had died due to doctor’s negligence. In this matter, the case had been discussed with State Human Rights Commission and they have accepted the matter. The same case also has been referred to different organizations working on health issues or working in consumer court matters. There is another case where the counselor cheated a young student in sending the candidate for higher studies to U.K.
There were few programs where the Human Rights Watch Cell has participated. On 18 August, there was a public hearing on the issue of domestic workers rights and the PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in the Supreme Court of India. There were 150 participants from different organization and 15 domestic workers spoke at the public hearing.
MIHRE is newly formed and the Federation is committed to upholding human rights’ education in Mumbai and the rest of the country.
Allwyn D’Silva
President MIHRE
Chairperson- Justice and Peace Commission, Mumbai, India.