2007 - The Media, Eminent Personalities, and the CHR

1. Regional Media Workshop on Nonviolent Transformation:

Group discussion during the CHR Media Workshop

While participating in Regional Media Workshop on Nonviolent Transformation, I shared views on Responsible media and CHR [1] was distributed among about 40 journalists from South Asian countries.
The Group Editor of “Dainik Bhaskar”, India’s fastest growing Newspaper and group of publications in Hindi and Gujarati, with more than a million readers, has proposed to bring out the CHR in their publications.
Apart from these journalists, several individual journalists have been contacted with the CHR.

IX. The CHR and Eminent Personalities

Dialog with some of the spiritual leaders, scientists, politicians, elected representatives, bureaucrats and business people has been going on to bring them together on a common platform to discuss about the sharing responsibilities and concrete actions in their respective areas of interest.

Swami Agnivesh, President of International Arya Samaj, highly respected Social Activist is appreciative of the CHR and refers to the CHR in his speeches and volunteered to get the revised CHR translated into Hindi.

Dr. Chiranjiv Singh, a highly respected former Chief Secretary of Karnataka Government and worked in UNESCO revealed, ‘Responsibilities’ has been discussed at UN level at some point of time with suggestion to include in the ‘Human Rights Declaration’.

Mr.Vijay Pratap, a well-known social Activist, intellectual, writer, convener of ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam(Earth family)’ and ‘South -Asian Dialogue on Ecological Democracy’ has admired the idea behind the CHR and inclusiveness. He has taken the CHR for dissemination.

Dr. Marulasiddaiah, retired Professor of Social work in Bangalore University has written an article on the CHR in Kannada and published in an intellectual magazine ‘Maha mane.’

It is enlightening to listen to genuine concern and commitment about ethics about the legal & judicial reforms in India from eminent judges and advocates.
For instance: Justice V.S. Malimath, former Supreme Court judge, member of Human Rights commission has been insisting on Human Responsibility along with human rights in Human Rights reports. He says, ‘Human Responsibilities and Rights are two eyes, by losing even one eye no individual, society or institution can function in harmony’.
Justice Nagmohan Das, a well known senior judge, who has firmly stood by application of human rights for common people, has been advocating for progressive, enlightened judicial reforms in the country. He suggested introducing the CHR in the training of judges and lawyers.

Dr. C.S. Dwarakanath, Human rights advocate and the chairman of Backward Castes Commission agrees that the importance of reviving the culture of Responsibility in our societies in the realm of market driven, competitive economies. As mentioned earlier, the spontaneous impact of a direct one -to - one contact with eminent personalities has much more human and sustained effect on establishing durable networks.

There was an encouraging response from Mr. John Samuel of Action aid International based in Bangkok, that he was very glad to hear about the Charter (he is aware of it) and assured to use the Charter in his ongoing activities.