News and Events | Dalit Solidarity Network

DSN-UK at the ‘Global Parliamentarians’ Conference on discrimination based on work and descent including caste’

13th March 2017

[caption id="attachment_4359" align="alignleft" width="300"] Launch of a research report with the panel including Katia Chirizzi, Meena Varma, Henri Tiphagne and Jerald Joseph.[/caption] On 25 and 26 February 2017, a ‘Global Parliamentarians’ Conference on discrimination based on work and descent including caste’ took place in Nepal, Kathmandu, organised by Asian Parliamentarian’s Forum on Dalit Concerns and Asia Dalit Rights Forum. The conference was attended by over 80 participants, including politicians, Dalit activists and diplomats. A highly ambitious programme covered two major themes – the situation today and strategies for tomorrow; and the specific status of Dalit women. Two research reports were [..]

“UK Caste consultation and Christian responsibility” debate at the Houses of Parliament

13th February 2017

On 1st of February Christian Network Against Caste Discrimination and Voice of Dalit International, UK organised a debate on the upcoming UK Caste consultation at the Houses of Parliament, which was hosted by Lord David Alton. The event attempted to add to discussions on the need for anti-caste based discrimination legislation in the UK. DSN-UK Director, Meena Varma, attended the event and contributed to the discussions. We would like to invite you to read an overview of the event on Lord David Alton’s blog, dated 1st February under the title “Dalits- meeting Feb 1st 2017 Room 3 House of Lords, [..]

BBC Asian Network debate on caste legislation in the UK

24th January 2017

On 18 January 2017 BBC Asian Network’s host of the Big Debate, Nomia Iqbal, led a live debate on the caste legislation in the UK. Satpal Muman, Chair of CasteWatch UK and Satish Sharma, from the National Council of Hindu Temples, were in the studio and DSN-UK Director, Meena Varma called in. On 2 September 2016 the UK government announced it would conduct a public consultation on “the issue of caste and the Equality Act 2010”. Although no timetable or conditions of the consultation were announced yet, opposing groups started discussing caste-based discrimination in the UK and the potential impact, [..]

DSN-UK at the 9th session of the Forum on Minority Issues

29th November 2016

On 24 and 25 November 2016, DSN-UK Director Meena Varma, currently also Acting Executive for International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN), was in Geneva, at the Forum on Minority Issues (the Forum), which provides space for a constructive dialogue for a range of stakeholders, but most importantly placing civil society representatives at the centre of the discussions. This year the Forum’s theme analysed the situation of minorities in humanitarian crises. The issue that was highlighted by IDSN in its report published in 2013 “Equality in Aid: addressing caste discrimination in humanitarian response”. At the beginning of the session the UN Special [..]

DSN-UK “joining hands to end racial discrimination” with CERD

25th November 2016

On 23 November 2016, DSN-UK Director, Meena Varma, attended the consultation with civil society under the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). The consultation aimed to reflect on the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination achievements in combating racial discrimination and to seek civil society’s views on how to improve and enhance CERD engagement with civil society for greater impact on the ground. Many NGOs attended having been sent an invitation to attend by the CERD secretariat, which is a normal practice for many of the OHCHR events to make all welcome. [caption id="attachment_4334" align="alignright" width="300"] [..]