Introduction
People Forum for Human Right (People Forum) is a Non-Governmental Organization established for the protection of human rights and promotion of rule of law in Nepal. Since its establishment, it has been working for free legal aid, advocacy and lobby for policy reformation and generating awareness at the community level through training, workshop and interaction program. It has been conducting different types of programs in the field of migration, prisoners’ rights and human rights. Since, the organization has been established by legal professionals including lawyers and law scholars currently, its executive committee comprises of professionals from diverse academic and social backgrounds realizing the principle of social and gender inclusion.
People Forum is registered in District Administration Office, Kathmandu and is affiliated with Social Welfare Council. It has been conducting regular audit and evaluation of its projects by independent consultant and professional auditors. In this milieu, this organization auditing has been done in national level and global audit where it was ranked as “A graded” in the audit of global auditor, Moore and Stephens, U.K in the year 2013. The organization has been bench marked for its sound administration and maintaining organizational good governance.
Background
After the restoration of Democracy in the year 1990 in Nepal, a several civil society groups have emerged. The civil society activist and social workers, community based organizations, business groups, women’s organizations have become active in playing their role in the development of the society.
Local NGOs proliferated in the vacuum situation before the institutionalization of democracy throughout the country by setting themselves up as social service delivery agents. They addressed the areas such as agriculture extension, public health, education, water and sanitation, vocational training, micro-credit schemes, human right, women’s income generating schemes, gender balance, and peace building schemes, legal assistance and rehabilitation.
Though the constitution of Nepal has rightly guaranteed fundamental human right the implementation part could not be brought down up to the community level. Even after the enactment of democratic constitution, people remained unaware about the rule of law and their rights. Economic, social and cultural rights of people were mostly neglected.
In this social and political milieu, a group of law professional decided to form an organization that could help to aware people on their rights expecting that all the people of Nepal could be able to be in the state of enjoying good governance and basic rights. People Forum for Human Rights (People Forum) was formed to contribute on the protection of human rights and the fundamental rights of Nepali People.
Objectives
The prime goal of the organization is to ensure human rights of the Nepalese and strengthen rule of law in the country. The most pressing needs of the target groups are identified through meetings with community leaders and possible solutions are traced out in partnership with them. People Forum has gained expertise on the sector of law and policy as its core component of proficiency.
The key objectives of the organization are:
- To work for the promotion of people’s political, economic, social and cultural rights
- To provide free legal aid service for promoting access to Justice
- To carry out research activities on the issues of law, justice and human rights
- To file Public Interest Litigation cases for the benefits and welfare of people at large.
- To work for the promotion of legal rights of minorities, women, children, dalits, persons with disability and, people from different ethnic and indigenous communities
- To work for the reformation of Criminal Justice System and Penal System of Nepal
- To work for the protection and promotion of migrant workers’ rights
