HURF Nepal is the first NGO established in Ilam district to work in the issues of Human Rights. Human Rights violation is one of the crucial issue in the context of Nepal. Since the decade long armed conflict, the situation of Human Rights violation was worst. After the restructuring of Nepal and adoption of federal system, discussion on the issues of human rights is increased and focus on social, cultural, economic rights is increased. Still there is impunity, exploitation exist. Rights and Human Rights is one of the major thematic issues of HURF Nepal since its establishment. HURF focuses on the following major aspects on this thematic issue : HURF Nepal carry out monitoring and documentation and release district and province level human rights situation report of human rights violation in Koshi province.
 

Thematic objective : Improved protection and promotion of Human rights and rights of the target groups & communities.

Program and projects

•  Human rights and Rights
•  Promotion and protection of Human Rights
• Human Rights education, Human Rights Monitoring and Documentation
• Civil, Political, Socio-cultural and Economic Rights
• Child rights
• Women rights
•  Rights of the Adibasi/Janajati& Minorities
•  Campaign Against Caste based discrimination, untouchability & Dalit Rights
•  Consumer Rights (quality goods, services, ecology and public health)
• Labour rights, migrant workers' rights, safe entrepreneur and economic activities
• Rights to basic services
•  Fundamental rights ( safety, security, development & participation)
• Anti- Human trafficking campaign,
• Victim support
• Networking
• Awareness raising and dialogue of the related laws and policies

 
HURF Experiences on the field of Rights and Human rights

Human Rights Education Program:

HURF's journey of Human rights education program was started since 1998 with human rights education and child rights education. Practice of Inclusive group formation, participation of women, dalits and marginalized groups were the first step. HURF had capacited and mobilized human rights defenders during the armed coflict. Latter, 1 VDC 1 activist campaign developed approx. 150 defenders from 3 different districts focusing more potential violent conflict area. 

HURF also capacitated different 13 organizations in Koshi province 1 organization from each district. As a concept of collective advocacy and localization of knowledge HURF works with those ogranization as a province level network. Likewise, these organizations have their district level networks of human rights defenders too. 

HURF has established Human Rights Journalist of the Year Award at Province Level. Many journalists have been awarded with this award. HURF has worked with different national and international partners especially NHRC, INSEC, ZFD-GIZ and coordiantion partners in respective districts.
HURF also provides trainings on Human Rights to the members of political parties and to government officials and security personale and celebrates regularly special days like International Human Rights Day, International Women's Day and Democracy Day.

Human Rights Monitoring and Documentation:
 
Human Rights Monitoring and documentaiton is one of the regular activities of HURF Nepal.

 HURF Nepal is known as a resource center for human rights documentation in Eastern Nepal. HURF regularly carries out monitoring, documentation of human rights at province level. HURF has capacitated partners organizations in all 14 districts of Koshi Province. This  team of 14 partner organizations work as province level lose network. Furhtermore, there is another layer of partners network at district level. In every district there is a district level network to discuss and assess the human rights situation. HURF regularly releases Human rights situation report and holds discussions with concern stakeholders. 
 
Child Rights
After the restructuring of Nepal with federal system, local governments are now active and they have power to make laws, policies and plan for children. But there is lack of expertise in local level to prepare laws, policies and plan which is blocking the will of local government to contribute for children and the needs of children that has to be addressed. In this sense, we are focusing to manage  the linkage between local governments and the children supporting, sensitizing and collaborating with these stakeholders. Because, of the lack of these services and linkage impunity, crimes and malpractices are in increasing trend.
 

Children's Rights Awareness Program:
HURF has been conducting different programs in the filed of  CHILD RIGHTS   since 1998. The Child Rights Awareness Groups (CRAG) were founded in secondary schools of several VDCs of Ilam District. Children and so-called protection teacher receive trainings on children's rights and they teach fellow students of their classes. The structures of the program like Child Clubs, concept of Protection Teacher, and Protection Committee is  replicated  by District Child Welfare Committee (the government), similarly Child rights is involved in school curriculum. HURF Nepal worked with INSEC while conducting this program
Child Rights and peace education Project 2013-2019 : This project was focused to regulate the existing policies and laws in local level educating the relevant stakeholders on the provision and their duties and responsibilities, and raising advocacy through capacitating children, uniting them in child clubs and networks, and capacitating teachers on non violent way of teaching and the concept of peace education. The project was implemented in 7 district in province 1. The project has reached the then 135 local units and the same numbers of schools. The concept of Peace Education in Schools has been lunched very first in Nepal.  This project was supported by Kindermissionswerk, Germany.
 
Solidarity for child rights protection 2020-2023 :

As a continue process of child protection and peace education, this project is in action at the moment  to address the changed scenario after the adoption of federal system in Nepal. The project has focused to support the local government to prepare their child rights law, policy, procedure and planning in all local governments of province 1. The project is jointly hosted by 14 organizations from 14 districts leaded by HURF Nepal. The project is supported by Kindermissionswerk Germany. Support for abused children and awareness programs: HURF Nepal has been providing legal, psychosocial, emergency shelter support for the children in need. 

The current focus of this intervention is to materialize the legal provision through effective implementation. Child Rights felt by children. 
 

Women Rights
Women Rights Program: (2009-2015) This program was supported by GIZ. HURF  forms and provides for  Women Rights Groups ( WRGs) trainings on women's rights, Domestic Violence, Domestic violence act, Gender and mediation in the VDCs of Ilam District. The trained members of the women rights groups themselves conduct awareness programs,  mediate cases of Domestic Violence and women rights violence and provide advice for victims on the local level. HURF empowers and encourage women to participate actively in decision making committees on VDC-level and take part in the budget allocation meetings of the VDCs to request for the budget which is reserved for women.  
Access to Justice of Women & Dalit  was another project which focused the effective participation of women and Dalits in the then VDCs/Municipalities empowering women and dalit groups and networks. After the restructuring of Nepal, the issue is now focused to capacitate the women and dalit representatives to raise their issue in local government.
 HURF capacitated  VDC-secretaries and police-officers of District Ilam about Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence act and mediation, so that they are able to support in cases of Domestic Violence. HURF has been capacitating women representatives especially deputies of local governments in province 1 with the training of Judicial committees. Furthermore, HURF capacitate the citizen on Gender based violence, inclusion, capacitates local government to prepare women policies and planning.
 

Labour & Economic Rights, rights of migrants workers, Social reintegration & campaign against human trafficking
HURF Nepal is working on issues of labour rights focusing safe labour migration, safe labour market, formal employment, entrepreneur and vocational skill development of youth for sustainable livelihood options. HURF Nepal is empowering and mobilization local youths to work for labour rights and fight against human trafficking.
 

Networking:
HURF is a member of the Central Committee of the Human Rights Alliance. The Alliance supports to raise voice in cases of Human Rights violations. HURF Nepal is also member of Human rights alliance in district