ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
The Asia Justice Coalition works as a collective to amplify our members’ initiatives and their
efforts to advance international justice and human rights in Asia. We, therefore, provide
aggregated and updated information and news on the Coalition’s projects, activities and events.
The Asia Justice Coalition works as a collective to amplify our members’ initiatives and their
efforts to advance international justice and human rights in Asia. We, therefore, provide
aggregated and updated information and news on the Coalition’s projects, activities and events.
Bangladesh
Partner – Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ), Brac University, Dhaka
The Coalition secretariat will work together with Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ) to manage the project’s domestic implementation. Together, AJC and CPJ will hold consultative meetings with women-led civil society groups and conduct a systems-mapping exercise to identify the key legal needs related to international justice and accountability. Following this, AJC and CPJ will design 1-2 interventions in Bangladesh.
CPJ is a multi-disciplinary academic institute of Brac University, which promotes global peace and social justice through quality education, research, training and advocacy. CPJ is committed to identifying and promoting sustainable and inclusive solutions to a wide range of global concerns and issues, including fragility, conflict and violence. CPJ is a founding member of the Asia Justice Coalition.
Systems Mapping Exercise
On 17 and 18 November 2023, AJC and CPJ conducted our first systems mapping exercise in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Together with women-led civil society groups from each jurisdiction, we engaged in a series of exercises identifying dynamics preventing access to justice and accountability.
Exploring Project Ideas Meeting
On 24 April, the Asia Justice Coalition secretariat and the Centre for Peace and Justice co-hosted a day-long discussion on the Women Leaders in International Justice and Accountability (WIJA) Project in Dhaka.
Building on the November 2023 Systems Mapping workshop, the meeting explored the avenues and gaps for int’l justice and accountability in Bangladesh on three thematic areas - refugee/ethnic minorities, post-conflict justice, and international criminal mechanisms.
Programmatic Activities
Ethnic Minority and Refugee Rights in Bangladesh
First Roundtable
Brac Centre, Dhaka
On 17 September 2024, the Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University organised the first Roundtable consultation on ‘Ethnic Minority and Refugee Rights in Bangladesh’.
The consultation focused on the contemporary rights-based issues of ethnic minorities and refugees, the challenges faced by practitioners, the role of domestic and international laws, the gendered aspects of legal practice, and the support needed to enhance inclusivity and access to justice under the “Women in International Justice and Accountability (WIJA)” Project.
Scholars, activists, and practitioners from diverse fields participated in the event to discuss improving access to justice and increasing the visibility and representation of ethnic minority and refugee rights in Bangladesh.
Second Roundtable
Ukhiya and Cox’s Bazaar
On 23 and 24 October 2024, the Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University organised the second Roundtable consultation on ‘Ethnic Minority and Refugee Rights in Bangladesh’ in Cox's Bazar.
The consultation brought together experts and practitioners working with and in the refugee context in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The consultation was organized in two parts - one with the representatives of the Rohingya community and camp-based practitioners at the Refugee Studies Unit, Ukhiya. The Rohingya representatives highlighted the importance of undertaking research and projects to understand on the cultural differences and nuances between the host and the refugee community t bridge the communication gaps to ensure better facilitation of services to the refugees.
For the second part, the consultation had experts and legal practitioners associated with various international and national civil society and partner organisations, sharing their insights on the rights of refugees in Bangladesh, challenges faced by practitioners who work in the refugee context, the role of domestic and international laws and mechanisms, and the gendered aspects of legal practice.
Third Roundtable
Gaibandha
On 4 November, the Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University convened the third roundtable with the experts and practitioners engaged with plainland ethnic minorities in Gaibandha. The day-long consultation witnessed the participation of 15 individuals, including representatives from local NGOs and grassroots community organizations, such as BLAST, BRAC, legal practitioners, and female leaders from across the region. Notably, the consultation also included representation from the Saontal and the Harijon communities, the most prominent plainland minority communities, thereby enhancing the consultation’s inclusivity and participatory nature.
Key discussions during the event highlighted the importance of distinguishing between human rights violation cases and general criminal matters to better address the specific needs and provide necessary legal assistance to the plainland ethnic minorities in Gaibandha. The deployment of female “village police” to improve female victims’ access to legal recourse was also emphasised. To adequately support
female lawyers and leaders, resources—both material and otherwise—are require to supplement their knowledge, capacity, expertise, consciousness, and professional practice. This, in turn, would strengthen their resolve to combat impunity and advance justice and accountability.
Fourth Roundtable
Mymensingh
On 7 November, the Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University, convened the fourth and final roundtable consultation with the experts and practitioners engaged with plainland ethnic minority groups in Mymensingh. The day-long consultation was attended by 15 participants, including representatives from NGOs and grassroots community organizations, such as Caritas, Santi Mitra Kallyan Sanghstha, the Hunger Project, legal practitioners, female leaders, journalists, and community mobilizers from across the region. The attendance from representatives of the Garo, Hajong, and Drong communities, major plainland minority communities, contribute to the contextual knowledge and participatory nature of the consultation.
The event provided a platform to deliberate upon issues regarding contemporary minority rights in the region. Discussions highlighted the necessity of constitutional recognition of individual minority groups, including safeguarding their cultural rights and heritage preservation, as well as the constitution of a distinct land commission to realise minority land rights. Further, participants and the ensuing discussion placed central importance on the historical context of land complexities within these minority areas. The participants advised that the demographic data concerning the minority population, in isolation, will not adequately address the land crisis experienced by ethnic minorities in Bangladesh, advocating for the crucial role of robust land demarcation data.
Asia Justice Coalition and the Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University express our sincere thanks to all individuals who participated in, engaged with, and contributed to the four roundtable consultations conducted as part of the “Women Leaders in International Justice and Accountability” (WIJA) Project.