What is SAHRDC?
The South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC) is a network of individuals across the region. It seeks to investigate, document and disseminate information about human rights treaties and conventions, human rights education, refugees, media freedom, prison reforms, political imprisonment, torture, summary executions, disappearances and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The office of SAHRDC is based in New Delhi. It is a small office with little resources. There are interns working regularly besides a few volunteers. The core volunteers help us on our requests on a specific issue (i.e., lawyers, medical practitioners, journalists, computer programmers and other resource persons). Besides Indian volunteers, we have a virtual internship programme, which attracts students and scholars from universities in India and abroad.
Holdings:
SAHRDC collects information on human rights, specifically on violations of civil and political rights. The subject areas of its holdings are: human rights education; arrest, detention and disappearances; refugees and asylum; torture, capital punishment and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; freedom of the media; custodial deaths; and extrajudicial killings. All our information is either in English or translated into English from other languages.
The type or form of information collated includes international instruments, national legislation, court documents, affidavits, data questionnaires, reports, leaflets, letters, clippings from media reports and books.
Our information sources are individuals, human rights activists and groups, lawyers, journalists, media and national and international organizations.
As information reaches the office, we classify it into thematic and geographic areas, which are given internally developed call numbers, and filed accordingly.
Before the information goes into the manual files, it is recorded on the computer worksheets according to the standard formats, which eventually enables us to retrieve it through key word searches.
Campaigning:
Whenever it is necessary as a solidarity measure, SAHRDC sends Action Alerts requesting the national and international human rights community to appeal to Governments in South Asia to stop the violation of human rights in their countries.
Training Programmes:
The South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC) has been conducting a series of human rights training programs in the South Asian and East Asian region.
SAHRDC conducted a training workshop on International Human Rights Mechanisms for the officials of the National Human Rights Commission of Fiji and Fijian Non-governmental Organisations, held at Suva, Fiji, in May 2003.
SAHRDC was one of the key resource centres for the “Human Rights & People’s Diplomacy Training’ held at Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2003.
SAHRDC organised a workshop on ‘Introduction to the UN System: Mechanisms to Remedy Human Rights Violations’ held at Bangkok, Thailand from 9 to 13 June 2002.
SAHRDC was one of the resource centres for the ‘Advocacy Workshop on Evaluating NGO Advocacy during Reformation Era’ held in Jakarta, Indonesia from 4 to 7 June 2002.
SAHRDC conducted a training workshop for the officials of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal and Non-governmental Organisations chosen by the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal, held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in June 2002.
SAHRDC was the main resource centre for the workshop on ‘International Human Rights Law & UN System’ held at Jakarta, Indonesia, from 16 to 19 July 2001.
SAHRDC was the main resource centre for the ‘National and International Human Rights Procedures Workshop’ for Amnesty International’s South Asia Human Rights Defenders Project, held in New Delhi, India from 15 to 18 March 2001.
SAHRDC was the main resource centre for the ‘National and International Human Rights Procedures Workshop’ for Amnesty International’s South Asia Human Rights Defenders Project, held in Bangalore, India, from 9 to10 February 2001.
SAHRDC was the main resource centre for the workshop on ‘National and International Human Rights Procedures’ held at Jakarta, Indonesia, from 20 to 24 November 2000.
SAHRDC was the main resource centre for the workshop on ‘National and International Human Rights Procedures’ held at Jakarta, Indonesia, from 26 to 30 June 2000. SAHRDC in co-operation with the Geneva based International Service for Human Rights organised a training workshop on “International Human Rights Procedures” at Kathamandu, Nepal, from 31 August to 4 September 1999.
SAHRDC was the main resource centre for a training workshop organized by Hong Kong based Asian Centre for Progress of Peoples from 4-15 January 1997.
SAHRDC held two training workshops on international human rights procedures in collaboration with the Geneva based International Service for Human Rights from 11-14 December 1996 at New Delhi, India and Kathmandu, Nepal.
SAHRDC also held four training seminars on international human rights procedures in collaboration with the Geneva based International Service for Human Rights from 18 September to 2 October 1995. The workshops were held at Delhi, Bangalore, Bombay and Dharamsala, the headquarters of the Tibetan Government in Exile.
SAHRDC in co-operation with the Geneva based International Service for Human Rights organised a training workshop on “International Human Rights Procedures” for Human Rights activists in southern region. The workshop was held in Bangalore, Karnataka from 25-26 September 1995
SAHRDC was one of the resource centres for Diplomacy Training Programme organized by Sydney University at Bangkok in February 1995 and at Kathmandu in May 1995.
SAHRDC made a presentation on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) at the World Forum of the International Forum of Child Welfare held in Madras, India on the 17 September 1994. The presentation was made at the request of UNICEF.
SAHRDC was the sole resource organization for a training programme for the Tibetan Womens’ Association on the Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Dharamshala, India on 13 and 14 August 1994.
SAHRDC was the main resource centre for training for Tibetan youth activists on Human Rights documentation in Dharamshala, India on 2 and 3 July 1994.
SAHRDC was a resource centre for a Human Rights Training Programme organized by the Hong Kong Journalists Association held on 1-4 April 1994 in Hong Kong.
SAHRDC was the main resource centre for a training program on Human Rights for the Asian Students Association, Hong Kong which was held in Kathmandu, Nepal from 11 to 13 December 1993.
SAHRDC was one of the resource centers for a training program organized by Forum Asia, Bangkok and the YMCA Madurai, India in September 1993.
SAHRDC was the main resource centre for a training program of the human rights activists from South Asia and East Asia organized by Asian Centre for Progress of Peoples in Hong Kong from 24 to 28 May 1993.
SAHRDC was the resource centre for a training program on Human Rights of the Asia Alliance of YMCAs in Chiangmai, Thailand on 18-22 May 1993.
SAHRDC was commissioned to conduct the training programme for Indian Women’s groups going to the Manila NGO Preparatory Conference held in November 1993. This was in preparation for the Beijing World Conference on Women in 1995.
SAHRDC was the nodal NGO to facilitate South Asian NGO input into discussions at the Vienna 1993 World Conference on Human Rights.
SAHRDC was one of the resource centres for a workshop organized by the Karnataka State Police Academy and the National Law School of India University at Mysore.
Internship programme:
The SAHRDC has a long-standing internship programme. It accepts interns from all over the world, who have a serious human rights commitment. Intending interns should be prepared and capable of hard and diligent research work. SAHRDC welcomes students, mid-term career professionals and lawyers looking for a sabbatical with good analytical and research aptitude.
At any given point, SAHRDC has a number of ongoing projects. We welcome interns willing to help in these projects. Most of these projects entail copious research work. Some of them require travel within Asia. Interns are able to assume a significant amount of responsibility. In the past, students from India, Nepal, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and Australia have interned with SAHRDC.
All of them have seen their own projects through, from visiting a refugee camp or researching at the Indian Law Institute or doing field visits to other Asian countries to writing most of the final reports themselves.
You should note that SAHRDC does not have paid positions available for interns.
To complete your application for an internship, please send us a detailed CV and a writing sample. The writing sample could be a term paper of between 10 and 15 pages.
Do not hesitate to contact us again should you require any further information or clarification.
Funding:
SAHRDC has been unable to receive funding from international donor agencies due to the draconian Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) through which the Government of India seeks to curtail the Freedom of Association for the voluntary sector in India.
SAHRDC supports itself by subscriptions and professional fees paid for its information services. It also mobilizes small donations in India. SAHRDC’s latest statement of accounts is available on payment of a fee.
