Report about the 100-day campaign website on CNN

It is not often that a drop in the ocean feels like much, infact I will still call an action I took few months back as a mere drop in the ocean, but I am proud that I was atleast able to to make this one drop contribution.

I developed the website for the 100-day campaign against caste-based discrimination and untouchability, http://www.100daysagainstcastediscrimination.com. At the end of its 100-day activism, the website proudly received pledges from more than 1600 people who committed themselves to end caste-based discrimination and untouchability practices.

I was especially gratified to see the website being featured on the CNN iReport website, http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-676684. Rikke Nöhrlind, Coordinator of International Dalit Solidarity Network noted, “The campaign is a fantastic initiative and we would like to encourage everyone to go to the website and register their commitment to help end one of the biggest human rights issues the world is facing today.”

Read the complete CNN iReport at http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-676684

UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions concludes official visit to India

Christof Heyns, the UN Special Rapporteur (SR) on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions on Friday concluded his 12-day long official visit to India. Prior to concluding his visit, he called upon the Government to continue to take measures to fight impunity in cases of extrajudicial, communal and traditional killings.

The SR has praised the high level of commitment by the Government to human rights and most importantly, the right to life. He also recognized the size, complexity, security worries and diversity of India, but also expressed some concerns that the challenges with respect to the protection of the right to life were still considerable.

Other areas of concern relate to the prevalence of communal violence, and, in some areas, the killing of so-called witches, as well as dowry and so-called “honour” killings, and the plight of dalits (‘untouchables’) and adivasis (‘tribal people’).

The UN Special Rapporteur’s final conclusions and recommendations will be submitted as a comprehensive report to the Human Rights Council at a future session in 2013.

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The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns (South Africa), is a director of the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa and Professor of Human Rights Law at the University of Pretoria, where he has also directed the Centre for Human Rights, and has engaged in wide-reaching initiatives on human rights in Africa. He has advised a number of international, regional and national entities on human rights issues. Mr. Heyns’ research interests include international human rights law and human rights law in Africa. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Executions/Pages/SRExecutionsIndex.aspx