President of International Institute for Human Rights, Environment and Development (INHURED International), Special Consultative Status, UN-ECOSOC, Dr. Siwakoti is in a high-profile leadership position of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN). Besides regular representation on various UN forums, he has also been honored as a guest-lecturer on human rights, transitional justice, forced migration, refugee protection, SDGs, and freedom of elections at various universities in all continents. As a Senior International Observer at Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), he has joined observation missions in Asia, Africa and North America. He has authored several books, research, and knowledge products on refugees, electoral freedom, transitional justice, disaster displacement, climate and safer migration. He’s also the recipient of multiple awards in these disciplines.
As a lifelong advocate for the rights of Dalit and women, she is the founding President of the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) and the former president of DNF. She was the member secretary of the National Dalit Commission. Board of Directors of the International Movement Against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism – Japan (IMADR), Vice-Chair of Asian Dalit Rights Forum (ADRF). She is a Board member of Global Forum on Discrimination Based on Descent and Work. She was an Advisor of Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG) for UN Women, Nepal. She is the immediate past president of SANKALPA. This wide range of experiences have also meant that she has been involved in numerous creative and innovative approaches on social inclusion, participation and human rights of Dalit/women, who have been systematically excluded both traditionally, as well as in the new post conflict reality of Nepal. She is actively engaging in the SDGs at national, regional and global level including UN processes.
Mr. Taranath Dahal is a prominent journalist and civic rights activist. He is the founder Chairperson and currently Executive Chief of Freedom Forum Nepal. He is a former President of Federation of Nepali Journalist (FNJ), an umbrella trade union of all Nepali journalists and executive chair of National News Agency (RSS). He has been contributing at the national, regional and international level in the sector of democracy, peace building, freedom of expression and association, right to information, budget transparency, open government, media freedom and internet governance. He is also affiliated in various global networks in the field of journalism, freedom of expression, right to information and transparency such as IFEX, IPI, FOINET and IBP.
Lily Thapa is a pioneer to establish an organization which solely focuses on the issue of widows. She is the founding president of Women for Human Rights (WHR) that has been working for the social, political, economic and legal rights of widows in Nepal and in South Asia for the past 25 years. She is also the General Secretary for the South Asian Network for Women’s Empowerment in Development, (SANWED) where she actively lobbies various issues pertaining to women across South Asia. She has also been nominated as a Think Tank member in the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen since 2016. Ms. Thapa is also serving as the President in a Women’s Alliance for Peace, Power and Participation – Sankalpa since 2018. Her efforts have been recognized by numerous national and international awards, including the recent one in 2019 from the President of Nepal on her work towards women empowerment and the award for peace. She is also nominated as Woman Manager of the Year by Management Association of Nepal for her leadership to organize single women groups all over the country. By profession Ms. Thapa is a Lecturer in the University of Nepal teaching Sociology and Gender.
Mr. Pradip Pariyar serves as the Executive Chairperson of Samata Foundation and brings nearly two decades of expertise in formulating national and international policies for youth, peace and social justice. Samata Foundation is a leading independent think-tank with specialization in the area of caste-based discrimination and marginalization. Since its establishment, Samata Foundation has been engaged in knowledge production to provide concrete and scientific information to conduct evidence-based informed policy advocacy, to help formulate new policies, and amend the existing policies concerning the welfare of the Dalit and most marginalized communities. For his contribution and commitment towards empowering youth and promoting social justice, the World Economic Forum this year has recognized Mr. Pariyar in its 2020 class of Young Global Leaders. Previously, Mr. Pariyar won the Asia 21 Young Leaders Award in 2018 from the New York-based Asia Society and the Youth Leadership Award in 2015 from the Ministry of Youth and Sports. He was a Youth Fellow of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in 2011.