TWA at KIOS International Seminar, Helsinki

Tibetan Women’s Association’s Vice President Ms. Samten Chodon attended the KIOS International Seminar on HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE ERA OF POST-2015 AGENDA at Helsinki, Finland from 23-25 September, 2014.
The seminar discussed on the future roles of civil society in promoting justice and accountability. This seminar gathered a group of human rights defenders, civil society activists and development experts to tackle issue on Human Rights.

For the seminar, 58 human rights defenders, civil society activists and development experts from 12 different nations participated in this discussion.
The two-day international seminar focused on few vital qestions:  What is the role of civil society in promoting justice and accountability in the Post-2015 ear? What is the role of human rights in the Post-2015 agenda? What are the future roles of civil society in realizing the Post-2015 development goals?

On 25th September, all the participants were invited by KEPA office to have an interaction session on the works that participants’ organizations and civil right groups carry in their respective countries.  Kepa is Finnish civil society’s leading expert organisation on development policy issues. Kepa provides training and advice for civil society organisations (CSOs) in Finland, and for their partners in developing countries through country and regional offices in three continents.

TWA’s representative Samten Choedon la received opportunity to speak on TWA and current intense situation of Tibetans inside Tibet. Samten la distributed the fact sheet of self-immolation and other books and information kits published by TWA.

In the afternoon of 25th September, the group was invited to visit the Ministry for Foreign affairs of Finland with KIOS Executive Director MS Ulla Anttila and Asst Coordinator Susanna Puukko.

The representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland introduced their high office’s works and then they held a discussion forum, where every participant spoke about their human rights situation in their respective countries. TWA’s representative Samten Choedon la also spoke on the current critical situation of Tibetans inside Tibet and handed appeal letter to each and every human rights activist at the meeting.