Who We Are

The Organization

SAHR is a democratic regional network with a large membership base of people committed to addressing human rights issues at both national and regional levels. SAHR aims at fostering the concept of multiple South Asian identities by enabling people to realise their ideals and aspirations for peace, democracy, secularism and human security, while promoting pluralism in approaches towards social, political, economic and cultural development of different communities, ethnic, linguistic, religious and other groups.

SAHR seeks to contribute to the realisation of South Asian peoples’ right to participatory democracy, good governance and justice by strengthening regional response, including regional instruments, monitoring human rights violations, reviewing laws, policies and practices that have an adverse impact on human rights and conducting campaigns and programmes on issues of major concern in the region.

SAHR’s basic policy is to identify the gaps in regional initiatives and to undertake activities which do not duplicate the work carried out by other regional or national NGOs. Its strength and legitimacy comes from its democratic structure and broad-based membership of recognised human rights defenders in the region.

History

Human rights activists in South Asian countries have for a long time supported the concept of evolving collective mechanisms on many issues of common concern, particularly in view of the fact that many human rights issues demand bilateral and regional solutions.

Recognizing this need a five-member committee comprising Mr. I.K. Gujral, former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Kamal Hossain from Bangladesh, Dr. Devendra Raj Panday from Nepal, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy from Sri Lanka and Mrs. Asma Jahangir from Pakistan organised a convention to discuss the possibility of a South Asian regional human rights organization. Delegates were drawn from recognized human rights organizations and included jurists, academics, public figures, trade unionists and media persons. The convention was held at the Neemrana Fort, Rajasthan, India on July 21-22, 2000. After extensive discussions the convention adopted the Neemrana Declaration and decided to set up an organization called South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR).

Neemrana Declaration

Adopted 22 July 2000

We, the people of South Asia – human rights activists, groups, networks and initiatives – belong to civil society in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka met at Neemrana, Rajasthan, India on 21-22 July 2000.

Affirming our belief in the inalienable human rights and dignity of every individual in our region.
Recognising the grave human rights situation in South Asia, with its terrible legacy of persistent poverty, deprivation, illiteracy, inequality, caste and social hierarchy, discrimination against women and exploitation of children, itself further aggravated by authoritarian, militarist and sectarian tendencies amidst violence and state repression;
Concerned at the encroachment on human rights through unequal globalisation and pursuit of elitist domestic policies which harm the interests of the working people and their right to survival, security and a life with dignity;
Acknowledging that human rights violations in one country often spill over into the other countries in the region and potentially generate bilateral/regional tensions and hostility, thus threatening peace.
Recognising the existence in South Asia of diverse communities, linguistic and ethnic groups, indigenous peoples (Adivasis and tribals), and socially and economically disadvantaged sections of society; and widespread discrimination against numerous classes;
Accepting that human rights are indispensable to balanced social and economic development, and affirming civil society’s role in guiding and assisting the state in all matters, including human rights, governance and creating a culture of peace, tolerance, secularism and pluralism;
Conscious of the similarities of the human rights deprivation faced by South Asian peoples as well as their common culture, resources and legacies, and shared experiences and aspirations;
Inspired by the substantial achievements of the numerous existing human rights movements in South Asia, and realising the need for more effective participation and networking;
And affirming concepts enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, our constitutional documents, and various international covenants such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, CEDAW, CRC, treaties for the protection of working people, minorities, migrants and refugees, and against torture and genocide.

SAHR Constitutional Objectives

SAHR is a voluntary, democratic, people’s organisation with the following main objectives:

To foster the concept of multiple South Asian identities by enabling people to realise their ideals and aspirations for peace, democracy, secularism and human security, while promoting pluralism in approaches towards social, political, economic and cultural development of different communities, ethnic, linguistic, religious and other groups;
Uniform enjoyment of human rights;
Realisation of gender equality and justice;
Strengthening regional interaction and mutual enrichment in the spheres of education, literature, culture and the arts;
Sharing experiences and developing platforms to assert the rights of labour and other working people, and to eliminate poverty and disparities;
Challenging all forms of communal and parochial prejudice, bigotry and violence;
Humane treatment to migrant workers and refugees and other vulnerable groups who often face discrimination;
To struggle collectively for the uniform realisation of the South Asia people’s right to participatory democracy, good governance and justice;
To review laws, practices, social and political trends and economic policies which adversely affect human rights and to suggest remedial measures;
To monitor and resist the violation of human rights by state authorities and non-state elements;
To oppose usurpation of people’s sovereign power and derogation of human rights by state terrorism, religious fanaticism, communalism, militarisation and nuclearisation, and to fight for a nuclear weapons-free South Asia as a step towards a world free of mass destruction;
To demand constitutional and legal guarantees necessary to usher in a just society consistent with international human rights norms;
To oppose customs whose practice in the name of the “community” or traditional “morality” creates hatred, prejudice and sectarianism; and to assert the primacy of reason, tolerance and mutual respect;
To advocate and work towards ensuring adherence to humanitarian norms in all conflict situations;
To encourage the building of peaceful border areas between and among the countries of the region without resorting to conflict and violence;
To resist and remove all forms of crime including traffic in women and children;
To maintain mutually beneficial relations with international agencies such as the UN and SAARC and to promote dialogue and mutual cooperation;
To campaign for a common strategy to protect the environment in the region and promote ecologically sound development.

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