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Hindus for Human Rights is an international faith-based organisation dedicated to promoting human rights, social justice, and pluralism. It was founded in the United States and completes five years of operations this month. Sravya Tadepalli, a Hindus for Human Rights Board member is visiting Australia and will talk about some of the lesser-known organising and advocacy work that is underway in the US to build social cohesion and resist the rise of extremism within the diaspora. She will also discuss coalitions and partnerships with other organisations that have helped in base building and strengthening of progressive voices.
Hindus for Human Rights, Australia was founded in 2021 and was run as a volunteer organisation with its first staff member coming on board in February 2024. In these four years it has initiated and participated in several advocacy and community engagement efforts against majoritarianism and religious extremism, and towards building social cohesion. Activities this year have included parliamentary briefings, 1-1 sessions with lawmakers, engagement with federal agencies, community cultural events, and standing in solidarity with other progressive and faith-based organisations, community organisers and leaders, both from within the diaspora and with other minority groups.
Speaker: Sravya Tadepalli is a board member of Hindus for Human Rights and has organised several advocacy campaigns to combat Hindu nationalism in the United States. Her writing has been published in The Washington Post, Scroll, and other publications, and her most recent play, “Parivaar,” had its world premiere in February at the Ordway Theater in Minnesota.
Sravya's talk will be followed by a Q&A session and discussion on ways in which the diaspora can organise more effectively in presenting a unified voice of resistance to religious extremism and caste discrimination, while building more inclusive communities and expanding empowered representation to government.
Moderator: Nandini Sen Mehra serves as the Comms and Policy Adviser for Hindus for Human Rights, Australia, is a member of the Humanism Project, and hosts Pause with Nandini as the Culture Editor at NRI Affairs. Her debut book of poetry was Whorls Within (Amaryllis 2020) and her second book, Unburden was commissioned by Penguin in 2022. She has been published in Outlook, The Usawa Literary Review and Punch magazine.