This toolkit for an orientation programme on ‘Rethinking Rights, Justice and Development’ is an outcome of an ongoing South Asian project “Regional initiative for the sustainable livelihood and the enabling of social and political participation”. The programme in past has studied state policies and practices with regard to globalisation process and sustainability of rights of marginalised communities, in collaboration with human rights organisations working with the marginalised groups in India and across South Asia, activists, policy analysts, and individuals working on these themes.
The Programme is aimed at exploring relations and bridges three sorts of divides: (a) between rights, justice, development and dignity; (b) between civil and political rights and the social and economic rights; (c) and, between human rights and humanitarianism.
It aims to reach out to the human rights and peace activists and thinkers, development activists, community leaders, social workers, protection workers, women’s rights activists, engaged in community protection activities in India and across South Asia.
The toolkit has evolved over a period of time through many consultations and discussions around various drafts produced in past two years. I gratefully acknowledge the significant inputs from our partners SEHD, and Centre for Alternatives, Bangladesh; Peoples’ Watch – Tamil Nadu, India; NESAC and FOHRID, Nepal; South Asia Partnership Pakistan; and CHA, Sri Laka in the development of this toolkit. We would also like to acknowledge Dalit Study Circle, CACIM (Critical Action - centre in Movement), Wikipedia, Vanessa Andreotti and Ranjita Mohanty whose works we have reproduced here for reference and educational purposes only.
Calcutta Research Group
May 2007, Kolkata