On 20 February 2022, Amnesty International Nepal and Samata Foundation jointly organized a virtual discussion programme entitled “Turning Social Justice into a Reality: Key Challenges” to mark the World Day of Social Justice 2022. The theme of this year’s social justice day is “Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment.”
Nirajan Thapaliya, director of Amnesty Nepal, welcomed the participants and shared the objective of organizing the joint event. He said that the programme was aimed at sensitizing and educating members of the public, rights holders and the duty bearers on how the implementation gaps and long-standing systemic challenges are posing as barriers in realizing social justice in Nepal although progressive changes in laws and regulations including the Constitution have been ensured.
The discussion was divided into two core parts. Advocate Raju Prasad Chapagain and Mohna Ansari, former commissioner of National Human Rights Commission, delved into the topic of social justice analyzing the normative and institutional framework of the concept of social justice and then driving the participants to the wide range of existing barriers and challenges in its realization.
The second part of the discussion was focused on sharing the existing reality and key challenges on realizing different aspects of social justice.
Advocate Prakash Nepali spoke on the issues of discrimination, violence and marginalization faced by the Dalit communities. Bhagavati Adhikari of Nepal Mahila Ekata Samaj dwelt on the long-standing problems relating to right to housing and access to land faced by the landless squatters and informal settlers in Nepal.
Shyam Sah, a woman human rights activist, shared the legal, institutional and practical challenges faced by women and girls in accessing justice and reparations.
Activist Deepsh Shrestha dwelt on the ongoing identity battle as well as the discrimination and violence faced by the LGBTQI+ communities.
Activist Suman Adhikari spoke on transitional justice dwelling at length on how the victims of conflict have been left to fend for themselves even as 15 years has lapsed since the end of the conflict with the State’s utter disregard to the orders from the Supreme Court to amend the transitional justice law ensuring impermissibility of amnesty and forced reconciliation on grave human rights violations and serious crimes.
The programme was concluded by Pradeep Pariyar, Executive Director of Samata Foundation. “From the discussion, what we can conclude is that the rights relating to social justice enshrined by the constitution are yet to be realized. In the context of Nepal, we cannot achieve or realise social justice without struggles. Hence, we all need to join our hands to work together to turn social justice into a reality in a true sense,” said Pariyar, thanking all the speakers and participants.
In the context of Nepal, we cannot achieve or realise social justice without struggles. Hence, we all need to join our hands to work together to turn social justice into a reality in a true sense.
Pradeep Pariyar, Executive Director, Samata Foundation
The programme was also livestreamed in the Facebook pages of both organizations. The recorded live can be watched here.