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Ashwini K.P.

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Ashwini K. P.
Born1986
Chikkaballapur
NationalityIndian
Occupationlecturer
Known forUnited Nations special rapporteur
Termsix years

Asheini K P (born 1986) is an Indian political scientist and university lecturer who became the United Nations special rapporteur on racism in 2022.

Life

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Ashwini was born in Chikkaballapur near the city of Kolar. She is from the low marginalised Hindi cast known as the dalits and her parents were V Prasannakumar and Jayamma.[1]

Her higher education started studying history, Economics and Political Science at Bangalore's Mount Carmel College. She graduated and went on to obtain a master's degree from St. Joseph's College in Political Science. She then took her doctorate in New Delhi in South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.[2]

She was one of three candidates who were considered for the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees's Special Rapporteur at a meeting in October 2022 in Geneva. The UNHCR decided to appoint her as the first Indian to the role - which lasts for six years from 1 November. She is in charge of any investigations she may make into a wide range of xenophobic discrimination. She has a mandate to look into racial intoloerance wherever she decides in the world.[1] These Special Rapporteur experts are appointed by the United Nations and they are unpaid. In 2023 there were 60 of these experts.[3]

As part of a two-week tour of the United States she met a number of leaders and marginalised groups.[4] She attended the World Jewish Congress where she was presented with evidence of an increase in antisemitism.[5] The WJC's lead has seen a rise in holocaust denial on social media. In one report it was said that 50% of the posts on Telegram were denying the holocaust.[6] Ashwini said that she would include this subject in her report in 2025.[5] At the end of the American tour she accused some people of "selective amnesia" by not realising that racial discrimination was still a problem.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b DHNS. "Kolar woman appointed UNHRC special rapporteur". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  2. ^ "Ms. Ashwini K.P.: Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism". OHCHR. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  3. ^ "About special procedures". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b "US suffering 'selective amnesia' on issues of racism and xenophobia: Human rights expert | | UN News". news.un.org. 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  5. ^ a b Congress, World Jewish. "World Jewish Congress". World Jewish Congress. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  6. ^ "Yfat Barak-Cheney - Brandeis Center". brandeiscenter.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
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