People’s Watch initiated this pioneering education programme in select schools in Tamil Nadu. The Institute of Human Rights Education (IHRE), began as an experiment started in 1997 in a few schools of Tamil Nadu, during the UN Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004). The philosophy behind the initiative was to see schooling as a tool for social change. In the following years, it expanded in to become the largest programme on human rights education in India. It was a part of the United Nations World Programme for Human Rights Education from 2005-2009 during which it was obligatory for the states and civil society organizations to introduce human rights education in the school system. IHRE has been implementing human rights education in 21 states across India.
The human rights through education initiative of IHRE began as an experiment in 1997 in Class 9 in nine schools of TN and then spread to 300 government SC/ST schools in the state, reaching out to students in classes 6-8. Although the institute had independently launched the Human Rights Education programme, it soon opted to come under the umbrella of the UN Decade of Human Rights Education (1994-2004). This was seen as a meaningful opportunity to promote and foster the concept of human rights through educational interventions. IHRE promotes and fosters a culture of respect for human rights; in which education is a tool for social change; in which students are “human rights ambassadors” who through their thoughts, words and deeds demonstrate that all humans—irrespective of sex, gender, class, caste, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity—are entitled to a gamut of rights based on the principles of dignity, equality and liberty.
People’s Watch initiated Human Rights Defenders Alert – India (HRDA) in 2010. Initially a national desk on human rights defenders, it has currnently grown to become one of the largest platforms of human rights defenders in India. It helps defenders to navigate and overcome the daunting challenges from the state and non-state actors in the quest of promiting, protecting and defendign human rights. HRDA attempts to create a safer environment for defenders to operate without fear of intimidation, threats and repercussions. HRDA is committed to support those indivuduals who strive to make all human rights recognised, fulfilled and respected, sometimes at the risk of their own lives and the wellbeing of their families. In recent years, HRDA has dedicated its efforts in providing direct support to the targeted groups of human rights defenders working with non-violent means on sensitive thematic issues such as governance, impunity, corruption, minorities, indigenous people, natural resources, sexual minorities and gender identities. In the past six years, through its regional desks at New Delhi, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Pune and Jorhat, HRDA has trained more than 1000 grassroots human rights defenders. HRDA has initiated more than 400 urgent appeals with National Human Rights Commission of India and with the United Nation Special procedures for protection of human rights defenders. HRDA has also intervened in cases where defenders face security concerns, extended assistance in the form of legal and medical aid etc. In the extreme cases, HRDA has also supported the temporary relocation to defenders at risk to safe places in another part until the situation allows them to return home.