Spotlight

New Delhi, 19 May 2007

TWO MILLION INDIAN WOMEN HIV INFECTED

NEW DELHI, May 20 (INFA): About two million women in India have been infected with HIV/AIDS, according to the “Breakthrough”, an international human rights organization. The UN affiliated agency’s office in New Delhi has estimated that most of the infectious are caused by the husbands.

The Breakthrough-India launched a “what kind of a man are you?” campaign in May 2005, encouraging men to wear condoms. The Organisation uses media, education and popular culture to promote the values of dignity, equality and justice.

The innovative structure of Breakthrough, based in New York and New Delhi, promotes a truly transnational way of looking at human rights. Both affiliate agencies share the same vision, mission and strategies, but do not work together on projects unless it makes sense.

Although this structure offers some challenges, according to its founder, Mallika Dutt, it can also give a transnational perspective and shed light on the importance of intersecting identities across cultural and geographical boundaries.

The Breakthrough got a boost last year when former President Bill Clinton, at the second annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, presented Ms. Dutt with a certificate of commitment for the organization’s work on immigrant rights. The event identified and discussed the world’s most presenting problems, brought together a variety of great minds to come up with innovative solutions and sought a specific and measurable commitment from each member to implement solutions.

According to Ms. Dutt, “the human rights framework allows us to move beyond single issues and identities, and understand the interconnectedness of humanity”. The causes represented and the themes discussed underscored the centrality of human rights to so many of the world’s problems.

Highlighting the intersecting identifies found in a globalizing world, Paul Miller, better known by his musician pseudonym DJ Spooky, declared that “sampling is what holds this culture together….we’re all remixes”. Breakthrough plans to convene similar events to encourage bridge-building and the use of a human rights framework in social justice activities.---INFA

CRUSADER AGAINST CHILD MARRIAGE

HYDERABAD, May 20 (INFA): Incredible but true, a 13-year school girl from Ongole has turned into a crusader against child marriages and enlisted the support of the District Collector to thwart the attempts of her parents to perform her marriage with her maternal uncle.

At her tender age Gunti Naga Lakshmi witnessed the vicissitudes of life and displayed a keen observation, a strong will, and determination to achieve her cherished objectives.---INFA