International Commissison for Dalit Rights (ICDR) is organizing an Interaction Program on

“Internationalize Dalit Rights Movements in Changing Society: Indian Experience”

on Saturday, May 17 2008, from 3.30 PM to 5.30 PM
at the American University, May Garden Centre
Room # 200 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D. C.

Invitation

Greetings from ICDR!

International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR) is pleased to invite you in the interaction program on “Internationalize Dalit Rights Movement in Changing Society: an Indian Experience”. This program will focus on existing movement against the caste based discrimination, social inequalities, poverty and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s conversion to Budhism, who is the chief Architect of the constitution of modern India. The program also shares about the “real life of Dalit people” in the grassroots and its immediate impact in India.

The program will actively engage participants to ask the questions and share their thoughts with a Key speaker. We expect to gain a better understanding of the different dynamism of social exclusion and inequality like caste or work and descent based discrimination, role of religion, current Dalit rights movement, both at the international and ground levels, and their degree of effectiveness towards the social inclusion and justice.

We would like to invite you to participate in the program in an effort to internationalize Dalit rights movement in changing society in May 17 2008 at the American University, Washington DC. Please register your participation in advance.

Please contact Mr. DB Bishwakarma, President-International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR) via email at db@icdrforum.org or Shoshanna Sukma, American University on sumka@american.edu for further information. We would be obliged.

We are looking forward to your active participation in the program.

Sincerely,

Wendy Serafin,
Secretary General,
International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR)
International Secretariat, Washington DC, USA
wendy@icdrforum.org

Key Speaker Mr. Mangesh Dahiwale’s brief biography:

Mr. Mangesh Dahiwale is a prominent civil/Dalit rights advocate in India. He is working as the Director for International Relations at the JAMBUDVIPA TRUST in India, which is based on realization of vision of Dr. B.R. Ambedker to transform society through peaceful means. Mr. Dahiwale has been served as an officer in the Ministry of Commerce of Government of India and WTO respectively. He has a wide range of experience and actively engaged in people centre civil/Dalit rights movement and represented for national as well as international agencies. Many of his articles on social justice, Budhism, caste system and Dalit rights have been published in various media and he has presented many papers at seminars in Indian and abroad. He is also highly involved in the socially engaged Buddhist movement both in Indian and through out the world. He is an electronic engineer by education.

International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR):

ICDR is an independent and impartial global forum whose mission is to enhance, educate and empower civil and political leaders from Dalit Communities and their local and national organizations, as well as other concerned civil and state agencies. The ICDR was formed, and is managed by Dalits; it is supported by academia, development professionals, and international rights activists. Currently, ICDR is engaged in South Asia specifically in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan where we enhance and empower Dalit in socio-political process and collaborate with various stakeholders. These partnerships are established to achieve effective national and global development policies and programs , as well as to alleviate discrimination and extreme poverty.