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The Nepalese organisation, Backward Society Education (BASE), will
receive the 2002 Anti-Slavery Award from the world's oldest international
human rights organisation, Anti-Slavery International, for its outstanding
work against bonded labour in Nepal. The ceremony will be held
on Tuesday 3 December at Waterstones Bookshop, Piccadilly, London.
The Right Honourable Lord Wilberforce will present the award
to BASE's founder and director, Dilli Chaudhary.
BASE has been instrumental in organising bonded labourers, increasing
their awareness of their rights and pressing the Government of Nepal
to end bonded labour. Although bonded labour was prohibited by Nepal's
constitution the abuse has been widely practiced.
In 2000, the Government declared that bonded labour was illegal,
but failed to make any legal or social provisions. As a result,
landlords threw families off the land and out of their homes. Forced
to live in the open, thousands of former bonded labourers were at
risk of starvation and disease.
BASE and other organisations set up makeshift camps and provided
food relief. In addition, they pressed the Government to distribute
land and make bonded labour illegal.
On 21 February 2002, the Government finally passed a law outlawing
kamaiya bonded labour (agricultural bonded labour among the
Tharu minority). BASE is working to ensure the law is implemented
and that freed bonded labourers are registered and given land. However,
BASE estimates almost 4,000 families still have not been officially
recognised as kamaiya leaving them without the support required
under the law and without land, putting their survival at risk.
The Award ceremony also marks the United Nations International
Day for the Abolition of Slavery commemorated on 2 December.
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