Amnesty International Nepal’s 14th Youth Mela Kicks Off in Hetauda

Amnesty International Nepal is organizing the 14th edition of the Youth Mela in Hetauda, Makawanpur on 27, 28 and 29 December 2021. The theme of the Youth Mela this year is CLIMATE JUSTICE: The Climate is Changing, Why Aren’t We?

With an objective to sensitize its youth members and build their capacity on human rights activism, Amnesty International Nepal has been organizing the Youth Mela since 2006 focusing on its youth members and volunteers. Over the past 14 years, it has so far imparted such trainings to over 1500 young activists.

Over 100 youths representing more than 50 youth networks and supporters of Amnesty Nepal based in different parts of the country are the participants in the three-day event.

The Youth Mela will sensitize the participants on the role of youths in tackling climate change and co-relation between climate change and human rights. In addition, it will enhance their knowledge and skills on various human rights issues including transitional justice, LGBTQI, and disability. It will educate the members on how Amnesty International undertakes its human rights work and how its members, supporters and volunteers contribute to promote and protect human rights across the world. 

The youths at the Mela will take out a public action collecting petitions asking the Rt. Honorable Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to take measures to prevent deaths in custody. They will also take a photo action calling on Afghanistan to ensure justice and reparations to victims and families of war crimes.

Background

Amnesty International Nepal is part of the global human rights movement of over ten million members and supporters, and is active in Nepal since 1969. Amnesty International Nepal now has about seven thousand members in Nepal affiliated through its various Groups and Networks. Amnesty Nepal works to protect and promote human rights in Nepal including the rights of the migrant workers, rights of women and Dalits and other marginalized communities, right to truth, justice and reparation, and also undertakes campaigns for the protection of individuals at risk across the globe as part of its international solidarity campaign.