Budhwar Peth Project
Budhwar Peth is home to most of the commercial sex workers of Pune. The members of the HRC work in collaboration with local NGOs in order to protect the rights of these commercial sex workers. The cell puts forth the problems faced by them to both the local NGOs who work in their interest and to the state. Further sensitizing and educating these workers is another important task undertaken by the members of the cell.
The project members are divided into a Research Team and a Fieldwork team. The Research Team carries out extensive research on the legal provisions regarding the rights of sex workers. The Fieldwork Team concentrates on visiting these areas regularly and addressing the relevant issues that concern these workers. It aims at facilitating a better communication between students and sex workers and thus enables the cell to apprise the workers of their rights.
In order to facilitate this broader agenda, the cell has conducted three workshops for Sex workers in the following areas of law.
- Constitutional Rights
- Medico-Legal Rights
- Rights against Police Detention
The Orphanage Project
The members of the HRC frequently visit a local orphanage, which serves as a home to infants and children below the age of ten. This is done with the view of giving exposure to the children and engages them in activities such as reading, dancing, singing and sports. This not only proves an enjoyable experience for the children, but invariably serves to also benefit the visitors.
Research Wing
It has been HRC’s constant endeavor to be beyond a socially responsible student organization. In this interest HRC seeks to encourage the contribution of novel and practical ideas on human rights issues. The HRC has been actively pursuing a course of fieldwork supplemented by research work and study. We, at the HRC, believe that background research is essential for working in a highly sensitized atmosphere. This enables us to address human rights issues in the correct and requisite perspective.
Our extensive research has been effectuated in a number of efforts both within and outside college. As a research-based organization, our members have also written a number of articles and case reports on human rights issues. We have presented working reports and case papers on human rights issues in the various seminars held at our college, organized by the HRC.
The Human Rights Journal is an annual feature where the country’s renowned jurists are invited to send articles on various human rights issues. The Journal is a coordinated effort between members of the HRC, senior students of the college and the faculty to bring out a qualitative compilation of socially relevant commentaries.
Make a Difference
The Make a Difference project is a recent initiative of the HRC. What began as a project of 5 members now boasts of thirty members and volunteers. The project concentrates on education of the children of the subordinate staff of Symbiosis Law School. “Make a Difference” is an endeavor to supplement their school education and provide exposure through extra – curricular activities. The “Make a Difference” Project and the Youth theatre organized an event called ‘Kalasmriti’. A play was staged and funds were collected with the proceeds being used for the benefit of the project.
Street Children Drive
The Human Rights Cell has been making continual efforts towards the rehabilitation of street orphans. The ‘Street Children Drive’ is a local initiative undertaken by the Cell with the support of Janseva, a Pune based NGO.
The members of the cell are involved in field trips covering Pune’s streets. They identify street orphans and collect data on their education, nutrition, health and family background. The members also concentrate on follow-up visits in order to equip themselves with a basic understanding of the living conditions of street children. These interactions serve to reveal their problems and the challenge lies in building a relationship of trust and confidence with the children which could facilitate the rehabilitation process in the long run.
A case in point was the rehabilitation of a 9 year old, Noor Jehan. She was rescued from her uncle who intended to sell her for the purpose of prostitution. The example of Noor Jehan has encouraged future endeavors of the Cell. It is indeed a matter of pride that HRC has rehabilitated eleven children since then with the support and guidance of Janseva.
Corporate Funds Wing
The Corporate Funds Wing is a recent development in the Human Rights Cell. It functions as the funding arm of the HRC. The steady growth in the Cell’s activities required an increase in its funds. The Corporate Funds Wing has been constituted to secure funds and financial assistance from corporations and business houses.
The Corporate Funds Wing again comprises two broad divisions, the Research Team and the Fieldwork Team. The Research team studies and analyzes projects which could be undertaken by the H.R.C. from a financial perspective. It performs feasibility research on various aspects of the project keeping in mind the project’s coherence to the HRC’s objectives, practicality of undertaking the project, possibility of funding the project and extent of coordination required with external agencies.
In addition, the Research Team identifies business houses and corporations for prospective funding and maintains a database. It prepares corporate proposals and presentations, FAQ-based questionnaires which allow for responses of corporate proposals as an information sheet for presentation.
The Fieldwork Team takes the initiative of approaching various business houses and corporations for funding. It coordinates appointments and meetings with concerned authorities. It also studies and prepares for corporate presentations relying on groundwork research, FAQ questionnaires, project reports and corporate proposals. The activities of the Fieldwork Team also entail coordination of efforts with the College and Corporations through the entire progress of projects undertaken.