The Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre (IRAC) is a not-for-profit organization that advocates for the rights of indigenous peoples in India.
The organisation is run and led by a diverse team comprising of committed indigenous rights defenders and lawyers. Under the able guidance of an Advisory Board, the team is led by human rights lawyer Dilip Kanti Chakma.
IRAC seeks to combine practice, research, advocacy and collaboration as an effective method to promote and protect the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples.
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What We Do
Research
We carry out research on current and ongoing challenges pertaining to Indigenous Peoples’ rights and well-being. IRAC seeks to collaborate with relevant international organizations, academic institutions and indigenous and other civil society organizations to encourage interdisciplinary approaches to current issues in Indigenous Peoples’ studies.
Advocacy
IRAC engages in coordinated and strategic advocacy actions to promote meaningful reforms by state and non-state actors to improve protections for indigenous people’s rights. It supports Indigenous Peoples rights in India and in the South Asian region by strengthening local indigenous rights movements to bring awareness and international pressure to their struggles while enhancing Indigenous communities’ capacity to demand and assert their rights outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Interventions
We make timely and effective interventions on rights violations of the indigenous peoples in India. The interventions are both at the legal and policy level.
Capacity Building
We impart and facilitate training and capacity building programs for individuals and organisations within the indigenous communities in India to build skills and tools to protect against rights violations.
The aim of the training programmes are to improve the situation of indigenous peoples in the country through capacity building and awareness raising on indigenous peoples’ issues.
Legal Support
We provide free legal support and representation to victims of rights violations, specially to IP Human Rights Defenders and WHRDs. We also run a free LEGAL HELPLINE manned by volunteers.
Collaboration & Solidarity
IRAC believes in collaborative alliances and actions in particular those working with and supporting human rights defenders, especially indigenous land and forest defenders and local communities.
IRAC collaborates and works together with like minded organisations working for indigenous peoples rights in the region and globally; and for the protection, promotion and defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms across the world.
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