Sahayatra International Alliance for Social Justice

The Global Conference for a Caste Free World (May 25-27, 2025)

CONFERENCE VENUE: 

Canadian Convention Centre

79 Bramsteele Rd, Brampton, ON L6W 3K6

CANADA

Conference Program and Abstract Book

About Conference:

The conference aims to bring together policy-makers, activists, civil society organizations/practitioners, academic and research scholars, students, and other stakeholders from around the world in a common forum to share knowledge about caste system, and its connection to other systems of oppression, and discuss best practices and solutions for how we can work together to end caste discrimination as a shared interconnected struggle for a more equitable and just world. 

The Global Conference for a Caste Free World 2025 - Building Solidarity towards Equality, Social Justice and Abolition of Caste System represents a significant opportunity to mobilize global action and solidarity towards the eradication of one of the most pervasive forms of discrimination in the world today. By harnessing the collective wisdom, expertise, and energy of diverse stakeholders, we can pave the way for a future where caste-based discrimination is relegated to the history books, while paving concrete ways to compensatory reparation to victimized populations of structural casteism such that all individuals are able to live with dignity, equality, and respect.

A set of recommendations will be developed during the conference proceedings in the form of Toronto Declarations for announcement at the conclusion of the conference as well as submission to relevant governments at various levels and international bodies including UN OHCHR.

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Objectives:

1. Raise awareness: The conference will serve as a platform to raise global awareness about the persistence and impact of caste discrimination on individuals and communities.

2. Share knowledge from research and experience: Academic scholars and other participants will share research findings, case studies, experience and testimonies related to caste discrimination, highlighting both the challenges and successful interventions.

3. Foster dialogue and collaboration: The conference will facilitate meaningful dialogue among diverse stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations, academia, and affected communities, to foster collaboration and collective action geared at ending caste discrimination within one's community, nation, and globally.

4.  Identify best practices: Through panel discussions, workshops, and interactive sessions, the conference will identify and showcase best practices in empowering Dalit and caste oppressed groups and in abolishing caste discrimination.

5. Catalyze action: By bringing together key actors and stakeholders, the conference aims to catalyze concrete actions through reparative policy changes at local, national, and international levels to end caste discrimination effectively.

6. Build a strong Dalit Youth Caucus.

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Date, Venue and Preparations

The conference will be organized for a 3-days period, dated 25-27 May 2025 in Toronto, Canada and allowing participants of various walks of life who have human rights and social justice in mind, from around the globe.

For onsite events, the venue arranged for the conference is Canadian Convention Centre, 79 Bramsteele Rd, Brampton, ON L6W 3K6.

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​A designated conference organizing committee will be formed and mobilized to undertake necessary preparatory activities for the conference. The committee will steer the entire preparations of the conference undertaken by various sub-committees within the organizers. A total of 9 months preparatory period, starting May 2024. A collection of arts and artifact products made by traditional occupational caste people who are victimized by the caste-based discrimination will be placed in the Market Place area of the conference venue for promoting their fair-trade in Canada.

There will be a provision and necessary arrangement for registration of participants to the conference – both online and onsite.

Target Audience:

The conference welcomes participation from a diverse array of actors and constituencies viz. policymakers, government officials, civil society organizations, activists, academics, researchers, students, and representatives of marginalized caste communities from around the world.

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Expected Outcomes:

1. Enhanced awareness and understanding of the complexities and nuances of caste-based discrimination among participants. A global community of practice will be formed and mobilized out of this process.

2.  Actionable reparative policy recommendations and strategies developed for addressing caste discrimination at the local, national, and international levels.

3.  Networks and partnerships established among stakeholders to foster collaboration and mutual support in the fight against caste discrimination.

4. Marginalized caste communities will be empowered through the amplification of their voices and experiences and the promotion of solidarity with other marginalized groups.

5. Renewed understanding and commitment from governments, civil society organizations, and the international community to take concrete steps towards the elimination of caste discrimination and the promotion of equality, human rights and social justice for all.

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Conference Solidarity Partners

WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE CONFERENCE CHAIR

Dear Esteemed Conference Participants:

Welcome to this historic conference!

On behalf of the organizing committee, it is my distinct honor to extend warm welcome to you to the Global Conference for a Caste-Free World 2025, taking place from May 25 to 27 in the vibrant city of Brampton, a part of Greater Toronto Metropolitan Area in Canada. This historic event, organized under the auspices of Sahayatra International Alliance for Social Justice, is dedicated to building solidarity toward equality, social justice, and the abolition of caste-based discrimination globally.​

The traditional caste system, a man-made social construct, has perpetuated the oppression of over 250 million individuals globally, particularly affecting communities in Nepal, India, and beyond. This conference aims to critically examine the historical development of caste-based discrimination, assess its current manifestations, and envision a future free from such systemic inequities.​

Our comprehensive agenda encompasses a wide array of topics, including:

• The socio-economic, cultural, and health disparities resulting from caste systems
• Strategies for education and activism aimed at abolishing caste-based discrimination.​
• Policy-making initiatives focused on reparations and social change.​
• The dynamics of caste in diasporic communities, especially in countries like Canada and the United States.​
• The intersection of caste systems and climate change

We are privileged to host over 25 esteemed academic leaders and Caste-free solidarity leaders from the United States, Canada, India, and Nepal and the United Nations, who will deliver keynote addresses and paper presentations.  These globally renowned scholars, numerous researchers, students, and grassroots activist leaders, will share their insights through presentations and interactive sessions.​

At the conclusion of our conference, we will unveil the "Toronto Declaration", a document intended to serve as a guiding framework for future actions and policies aimed at eradicating caste-based discrimination worldwide.​

Your participation is invaluable as we collectively strive toward a more just and equitable society. Together, let us engage in meaningful dialogue, foster enduring collaborations, and take decisive steps toward dismantling caste-based oppression.

Welcome to Toronto, and to a conference that aspires to shape a future defined by equality and social justice.

With warm regards, wishing you a pleasant stay in Toronto during the conference,

Sincerely,

Dr. Drona Prakash Rasali

Chairperson, Global Conference for a Caste Free World 2025

Sahayatra International Alliance for Social Justice

Message from the President,  Sahayata- International Alliance for Social Justice

Dear Esteemed Fellow Conference Participants of the conference,

Across the globe, more than 250 million people continue to suffer from systemic discrimination based on race, colour, ethnicity, and caste. What began as a deeply rooted issue in South Asia has now taken a global form, demanding international attention and unified action. Caste discrimination and untouchability are not just local or national concerns—they are global human rights challenges.

We must confront them collectively through strategic dialogue, policy reforms, and actionable implementation at every level. As the organizing body of the Global Conference on a Caste-Free World 2025, to be held in Greater Toronto (Brampton), Canada, from May 25 to 27.

At this conference, we are committed to uniting voices under the powerful theme: “Building Solidarity towards Equality, Social Justice, and the Abolition of Caste System.” This landmark event aims to foster a global conversation, encouraging the exchange of best practices and collaborative solutions to end caste- and race-based discrimination. We are bringing together diverse communities, experts, institutions, and policy-makers to raise awareness, build solidarity, and influence the creation and enforcement of just laws and inclusive policies. While the conference will address caste-based discrimination at the global scale, special focus will be placed on the situation in Nepal.

The event will culminate in the release of the ‘Toronto Declaration’, a comprehensive call to action for civil society, educational institutions, governments, and international organizations. The recommendations will serve as a roadmap for future initiatives, with collaboration from local, regional, and global stakeholders—including the United Nations. We call upon all allies, advocates, and change-makers to join us in this historic movement. Your participation, support, and solidarity are crucial for the success of this conference and for building a caste-free, just world for all

Best Regards

Mr. Santosh Bishwkarma

President -   Sahayata -International Alliance for Social Justice

MESSAGE FROM GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA

Her Excellency Honorable Mary Simon

Dear Dr. Rasali and Mr. Bishwkarma,

On behalf of Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, I thank you for your letter inviting Her Excellency to speak at the Global Conference for a Caste-Free World 2025, scheduled to take place on May 25, 2025.

I regret to inform you that it will not be possible for Her Excellency to join you on this occasion.

In sending her regrets, the Governor General has asked me to thank you for your kind invitation, and to convey to you her warmest greetings and very best wishes for the success of the conference.

Yours sincerely,

____________

Ismat Barkhouse (she/her/elle)

Assistant Director, Programs | Directrice adjointe, Programmes

Office of the Secretary to the Governor General | Bureau du secrétaire du gouverneur général, 1, promenade Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A1

Telephone | Téléphone 613-301-7823

Ismat.barkhouse@gg.ca

MESSAGE OF WARM GREETINGS FROM NEPAL’S STATE MINISTER OF FOREST AND ENVIRONMENT HONOURABLE RUPA BISHWAKARMA

Warm greetings from Nepal !

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to SAHAYATRA-International Alliance for Social Justice for organizing the ‘Global Conference for a Caste Free World 2025’ in Canada. This conference is a significant milestone in the global movement towards equality, social justice, and the abolition of caste-based discrimination and atrocities, especially in countries like Nepal. Dalits and marginalized communities remain among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. As the State Minister for the Ministry of Forest and Environment, Government of Nepal, I look forward to seeing rigorous discussions on these intersections during the conference. On behalf of the Government of Nepal, I wish the conference becomes great success and reaffirm my commitment to implementing its outcomes.  Together, let us build a just, equitable, and caste-free world.

Hon’ble Rupa B.K., State Minister

Ministry of Forest and Environment

Government of Nepal

MESSAGE OF FELICITATION FROM THE AMBASSADOR OF NEPAL TO CANADA HIS EXCELLENCY BHARAT RAJ POUDYAL

MESSAGE OF FELICITATION FROM CHIEF COMMISSIONER, HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, ONTARIO HONORABLE PATRICIA DEGUIRE

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE: DAY 1 (May 25, 2025)

• 11:00-14:00 (11:00 AM - 02:00 PM): Movie Show: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar- the Movie https://youtu.be/xxHFHft7Y2A?si=DeIBJqnuFhvvxrhH. Participants are encouraged to watch this movie online, if possible, from their own location before arriving at the conference venue.

• 13:00 - 15:00 (01:00 PM - 3:00 PM): Conference Registration and High Tea

15:00- 18:30 (03:00-6:30 PM): INAUGURATION CEREMONY

Hostesses: Grisma,  Arju and Sonia. 

• 15:00-15:20 (03:00 PM - 03:20 PM)- Inauguration Ceremony Preliminaries

• Indigenous, First Nations Hoop dance
• Peace prayers by Rev. Ani Choying Drolma
• Inauguration by the Chief Guest with a Lamp lighting
• Reading out letters from the Governor General’s Office, State Minister of Nepal, Canada’s Federal Member of Parliament and Ontario Human Rights Commission;
• Felicitations of personalities for recognition of dedicated community service for equality and social justice.

• 15:20-16:30 (03:02 PM - 04:30 PM)- Inauguration Ceremony Addresses

Moderator: Bhagirath Yogi, Conference Media Advisor; Rapporteurs: Kaushila Bishwakarma 

• 15:20-15:30 (03:20 PM - 03:30 PM)- Welcome addresses! Conference Chair Dr. Drona P. Rasali
• 15:30-15:45 (03:30 PM - 03:45 PM) - Conference Keynote Address (Global Policy): A caste-free world: A promise of equality without discrimination, by: Prof. Dr. Fernand de Varennes, Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues- ADir-01.
• 15:45-16:00 (03:45 PM - 04:00 PM)- Caste Freedom Status Updates:

• International Conferences on Caste - Mr. D.B. Sagar Bishwakarma, International Commission for Dalit Rights (7 mins)
• Caste Discrimination and Human Rights: 21st Century Status around the World- by: Dr. Karun K. Karki and Dr. Drona P. Rasali, University of British Columbia (8 mins).

• 16:00-16:15 (04:00 PM - 04:15 PM) ADir-11- Invited Speaker’s Remarks: Addressing Caste and Descent-Based Discrimination: A Global Imperative. By: Mr. Paul Divakar Namala, Convener, Global Forum of Descent Communities, 777, United Nations Plaza suite 10 A, New York, NY 10017.
• 16:15-16:30 (04:15 PM - 04:30 PM)- Speech by Dr. Rajratna Ashok Ambedkar, Distinguished Guest from Dhamma Bharat.

16:30-18:30 (04:30 PM - 06:30 PM)- Inaugural Remarks by Distinguished Dignitaries and Stakeholder Leaders:

• 16:30- 18:30 (4:30 PM - 6:30 PM)- 3-5 minutes each

• Honourable Chairman Hon. Mr. Devraj Bishwkarma, National Dalit Commission, Nepal (5 mins)
• His Excellency Mr. Bharat Raj Poudyal, Ambassador of Nepal to Canada (5 mins)
• Honourable Dignitary Local Government [To be Confirmed] (5 mins)
• Honourable Dignitary Federal/Provincial Government [To be confirmed] (5 mins)
• Ms. Durga Sob, Founder President, Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO), Nepal (3 mins)
• Dr. Madan Prasad Pariyar, President, Samata Foundation, Nepal (3 mins)
• Mr. Jai Birdi, Chetna Association of Canada (3 mins)
• Mr. Rashpal Singh Bhardwai, Ambedkar International Social Reform Organization (AISRO) Canada (3 mins)
• Sh. Om Prakash VK Gahatraj, International Dalit Development Forum- Nepal (IDDFN) (3 mins)
• Sh. Kiran Pal Chaudhary, Secretary General, All India Federation of SC/ST Organisations, New Delhi, India (3 mins)
• Dr. Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, Native Arts and Heritage Academy, Kathmandu, Nepal (3 mins)
• Mr. Trilok Chanda Bishwas VK, National President, Nepal National Dalit Social Welfare Organisation (NNDSWO) (3 mins)
• Mr. Gajadhar Sunar, Former President, Dalit NGO Federation, Nepal
• Gopal Bishwakarma (3 mins)
• Dr. Bishnu Maya Pariyar, Founder President, Association for Dalit Women Advancement of Nepal (3 mins)
• Mr. Dharam Bishwkarma, Founder President of Nepal America Social Organisation (NASO) (3 mins)
• Mr. Gopal Prasad Bishwakarm, Ex-President, Nepal America Social Organization, Baltimore, USA (3 mins)
• Mr. Ravilal Sunar, President, Nepal America Social Organization, Baltimore, USA (3 mins)
• Mr. Padam Bishwkarma, President, Global Forum for Elimination of Caste Discrimination (3 mins)
• NRN Representative (3 mins)
• Dr. Chinn Jangam, Department of History, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada (3 mins)
• Dr. Steve Folmar, University of Wake Forests, North Carolina, USA (3 mins)
• Dr. Anne Murphy, Department of History, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (3 mins)
• Dr. Carminda Mac Lorin, President, World Social Forum of Interactions, Montreal, Canada (3 mins).
• Vote of Thanks by Mr. Santosh Bishwkarma, President, Sahayatra International Alliance for Social Justice.

18:30 – 20:00 (06:30 PM- 08:00 PM)- Welcome Reception and Cultural Show

PROGRAM SCHEDULE: DAY 2 (May 26, 2025)

08:00- 9:00- Tea and Snacks

09:00-10:30 (9:00 AM-10:30 AM): Plenary Session 1: History of Caste, Race, Ethnicity, Social Movements and Considerations of Religion and Ethics in South Asia

Moderators: Dr. Man Bahadur Bishwkarma; Rapporteur: Prem Pariyar

Remote presentation by Zoom:

• (9:00 AM - 9:15 AM) ADir-04-Invited presentation: The Predicament of Religion: Caste, Hinduism, and Dalit Movements in Nepal, by: Dr. Amar BK (15 mins presentation time: 10 min)
• (9:15 AM - 09:30 AM) ADir-19- Invited presentation: Caste Discrimination and Untouchability in Nepal: Intergenerational Perceptions and Analysis. By: Gopal Nepali (Badi), Senior Researcher,  Samata Foundation, gnepali5@gmail.com, gopal.nepali@samatafoundation.org (12 mins presentation time: 10 mins)
• (9:30 AM - 9:45 AM) ASys-07- Abstract Presentation: In the Shadow: Subject Positions in the Limiting Order of Caste. by: Soma Mandal, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI, India.  (somamandaliitd@gmail.com)                   https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7SDY5-4AAAAJ&hl=en (15 mins presentation time: 12 mins)
• (09:45 AM - 10:00 AM) ADir-09- Keynote address: Dalit Round Table Conference: A platform for forming a unified movement in Nepal. by: Nirmal Kumar Bishwokarma, PhD, (Coordinator for National Dalit Round Table Conference, Former Ambassador of Nepal to  South Africa (15 mins-presentation time: 12 mins)

Podium presentation:

• (10:00 AM - 10:18 AM) ADir-07- Keynote address:  Historical beginning and progress of Dalit movement in Nepal, by: Om Prakash VK Gahatraj (18 mins- presentation time: 15 mins)
• (10:18 AM - 10:33 AM) ADir-17- Invited presentation: Annihilation of Caste Discrimination in Canada and Beyond, by: Jai Birdi, Chetna Association of Canada, Vancouver.  jpbirdi@gmail.com (15 mins, presentation time: 12 mins)
• (10:33 AM - 10:48 AM) ASys-10- Keynote speaker’s address: Establishing Academic Institution for Native Skill, Arts 1nd Culture in Nepal by:  Dr. Man Bishwakarma, Native Arts and Heritage Academy Nepal manbdr.bk123@gmail.com (15 mins presentation time; 12 mins)
• (10:48 AM - 11:03 AM) ADir-17- Untouchability problem and solution by: Gajadhar Sunar, Dalit Human Rights activist, Former President Dalit NGO Federation and Dalit Welfare Organization, Country Representative of ICDR and IAFSJ, Nepal. gdsunar70@gmail.com (15 mins presentation time 12 mins)
• (11:03 AM - 11:18 AM) ASys-18- Caste-Based Discrimination, Untouchability and Justice in Nepal: Engagement of National, and International Laws, by: Trilok Chand Vishwas V K, Nepal National Dalit Social Welfare Organization (NNDSWO), Nepal http://www.nndswo.org.np nationalpresident@nndswo.org.np. (15 ins presentation time: 12 mins)

(11:18 AM - 11:25 AM)- Bio-Break

11:25-12:45 (11:25 AM- 12:45 PM): Plenary Session 2: Caste Theory, Struggle and Freedom, Status & Triumphs of Activism:

Moderator: Dr. Drona Rasali; Rapporteur: Kishor Gotame

Podium presentation:

• (11:25 AM - 11:45 AM) World Social Forum for Intersections, by: Dr. Carminda Mac Lorin, Executive Director, Katalizo.org, Quebec, Canada. (20 mins- presentation time 12 mins)
• (11:45 AM - 12:05 PM) ADir-10- Keynote address: Developing a Relationship Between Critical Caste Studies and Critical Race Theory. By: Dr. Rajesh Sampath, Associate Professor of the Philosophy of Justice, Rights, and Social Change, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA. rsampath@brandeis.edu  (20 mins- presentation time 18 mins)

• (12:05 AM - 12:25 PM) ADir-02-Keynote address: Wellbeing, Ritual and Caste Freedom ...castes naturalize fallaciously a true culture. (Claude Levi-Strauss 1963), by:  Dr. Steve Folmar, Department of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, United States. folmarsj@wfu.edu (20 mins -presentation time 18 mins)
• (12:25 PM- 12:45 PM) ADir-14- Keynote Speaker: “The Global Theory of Dalit” by: Dr. Suraj Yengde, Harvard University. surajyengde@fas.harvard.edu (20 mins- presentation time 18 mins)

12:45-13:45 (12:45 PM- 1:45 PM): POSTER & VIDEO PRESENTATION SESSION

Simultaneous poster presentation:

• (12:45 PM- 1:45 PM) ADir-04- Abstract Presentation: Human rights and caste discrimination situation in Nepal. by: Dr. Drona Prakash Rasali, Nepaldalitinfo International Network, Canada. nepadalitinfo@yahoo.com
• (12:45 PM- 1:45 PM) ASys-02-Abstract Presentation: Sikh Hermeneutics of Jati and the Egalitarian Vision of Begumpura. by: Shamsher Singh (shamshergns.rsh@gndu.ac.in), India, Research scholar
• (12:45 PM- 1:45 PM) ASys-17- Abstract Presentation: Empowering Marginalized Communities Through Education and Inclusion: A Grassroots Case Study from Rural Nepal. by: Nitin Priyadarshi, MDNF (Madheshi Dalit NGO Federation), Nepal nitinpriyadarshi70@gmail.com 
• (12:45 PM- 1:45 PM) ASys-1- Abstract paper: Ethical Considerations in Community Engagement: A Holistic Framework for Sustainable Development. Authors: Derrick Mirindi (demir1@morgan.edu), United States, Morgan State University; Frederic Mirindi (mirindif@myumanitoba.ca), Canada,  University of Manitoba; Modestine Mirindi (mirindimodestine@gmail.com), Rwanda,  University of Kigali.

Simultaneous poster presentations (Each Video clip will be played for more than one cycle):

• (12:45 PM- 1:45 PM) Pre-recorded video briefing - Nepal’s Dalits in Transition: A Briefing on a Book and Related Research Projects in Nepal. Prof. David Gellner and Dr. Krishna Adhikari, Anthropology, Oxford University, UK.
• (12:45 PM- 1:45 PM) ADir-22- Reflective talk on enduring issue of caste-based discrimination in Nepal. By: Simone Galimberti, Development Practitioner, Trainer and Facilitator and Opinion Writer in Kathmandu, Nepal

12:45- 14:00 (12:45 PM- 2:00 PM) Lunch Break- Transition (1 hour 15 mins)

14:00-15:30 (2:00 PM- 3:30 PM):  Plenary Session 3: Global Caste, and Factors Affecting Caste, Equity and Inclusivity of Caste in  Gender, Sustainable Community Development, Environment and Climate Change Issues

Moderators: Bhagirath Yogi; Rapporteur: Kishor Gotame

Podium presentation:

• (2:00 PM- 2:20 PM) ADir-06- Keynote address: Differential Impacts of Climate Change and Climate Injustice on Dalits: A case study from Nepal. By:  Dr. Madan Prasad Pariyar, Chairperson, Samata Foundation, Sanepa, Lalitpur, Nepal. madan.pariyar@samatafoundation.org (20 mins-presentation time 18 mins)
• (2:20 PM- 3:40 PM) ADir-05- Keynote Address: Intersectionality and Inclusivity in Action: Addressing Challenges on Caste and Gender Based Discrimination in Nepal by:  Ms Durga Sob* & Dr. Rabina G. Rasaily, Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO), Lalitpur, Nepal. durgasob@hotmail.com, rabras34@gmail.com (20 mins-presentation time 18 mins)
• (2:40 PM- 2:55 PM) ADir-09- Invited presentation: Determinants, Mediating Factors, and Systemic Impact of Structural Casteism on Mental Health Stigma in Nepal, by: Dr. Drona Prakash Rasali, Sahayatra International Alliance for Social Justice, Canada,  Emotional Well-Being Institute-Canada; (drona.rasali@ewbi-canada.org) (15 mins-presentation time 12 mins)
• (2:55 PM- 3:10 PM) ADir-15- Abstract Presentation: Potlatch, the Legend of Kannappa and Dalit/Queer Joy as Linchpin of a Theory of Personal, Social and Planetary Transformation: Kidocracy  by: Siddan Chandra. (15 mins- presentation time 12 mins)
• (3:10 PM- 3:25 PM) ASys-11- Abstract Paper: Unveiling Caste-Based Health Inequities to Advancing Equity and Inclusion in South Asian Health Research in Canada: The Research Protocol, by: Dr. Ananya Banerjee, McGill University, Canada ananya.banerjee@mcgill.ca;  Anita Lal, Poetic Justice Foundation; Moving Forward Family Services, Canada contact@anitalal.com (15 mins- presentation time 12 mins)

15:25-15:30 (3:25 PM- 3:30 PM) Bio-Break & Transition

15:30-17:30 (3:30 PM-5:30 PM): Plenary Session 4: Education, Higher Education and Employment and Law/Policy Related to Caste (90 mins)

Moderator: Dr. Tulsi Dharel, Professor, Centennial College, Toronto, Canada; Rapporteur: Maheshwari Kausalya

Podium presentation:

• (3:30 PM - 3:50 PM) ASys-10- Invited Paper Presentation: Casteism in South Asia and its Diasporic Impact in Canada: Social Work Praxis for Decolonizing Caste-Based Trauma By: Dr. Karun K. Karki and Dr. Drona P. Rasali, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada & Emotional Well-Being Institute-Canada (15 mins- presentation time: 12 mins)
• (3:50 PM - 4:10 PM) ADir-13- Keynote Speech: Role of higher education in abolishing caste systems by: Dr. Uttam Gaule, Professor, Community College Leadership Program, Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy: Community College Leadership Development Program, Morgan State University, and President, STAR Scholars Network, Baltimore, MD, USA. uttam.gaulee@morgan.edu (20 mins- presentation time: 18 mins)
• (4:10 PM- 4:25 PM) ADir-8/ASys-16- Abstract Presentation: Anti Caste Activism and EDI in Canadian Higher Education by: Kavya Harshitha Jidugu, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada. (15 mins- presentation time 12 mins)
• (4:25 PM- 4:40 PM) ASys-14- ASys-03-Abstract Presentation: Status of Dalit Human Rights in Nepal: Assessing the Legal Framework and Law Enforcement Response to Caste-Based Discrimination.by: Tirupati Pariyar, Samata Foundation, Nepal. tirupati.pariyar@samatafoundation.org), http://samatafoundation.org (15 mins-presentation time: 12 mins)
• (4:40 PM- 4:55 PM) Abstract presentation: Global Legal and Policy Frameworks for a Caste-Free World, by:  Ranjana Bishwakarma, Department of International Law and Diplomacy, Australian National University, Australia. ranjana.bishwakarma@anu.edu.au (15 mins- presentation time: 12 mins)
• (4:55 PM- 5:10 PM) ASys-15- Abstract presentation:  Empowering Dalit Youth Through Digital Literacy, by: Nitin Priyadarshi (nitinpriyadarshi70@gmail.com), Narendra Paswan, India, MDNF (Madheshi Dalit Ngo Federation) https://www.mdnfnepal.org/ (15 mins- presentation time: 12 mins)
• (5:10 PM - 5:25 PM) Adir-12- Invited Conference Presentation Dr. PRAMOD DHAKAL (15 mins- presentation time: 12 mins)

(5:25 PM- 5:30 PM) ANNOUNCEMENTS by: Conference Organizing Committee

PROGRAM SCHEDULE: DAY 3 (May 27, 2025)

08:00-08:30 (8:00 AM- 08:30 AM): Tea and Snacks

• 08:30-10:00 (8:30 AM- 10:00 AM): Plenary Session 5: Diasporic Caste, Ethnicity Tensions in North America

Moderator: Jai Birdi

Rapporteur: Kishor Pariyar

• (8:30 AM- 8:50 AM) ASys-06- Keynote address: Caste in Canada: Oral History Methodology and the lived experience of caste. by: Dr. Anne Murphy, University of British Columbia, Canada; anne.murphy@ubc.ca   https://history.ubc.ca/profile/anne-murphy/ (20 mins-presentation time 15 mins)
• (8:55 AM- 9:15 AM) ASys-13- Invited speech: “With Liberty and Justice For All”: American Ideals and a Caste-free World by: Dr. Benjamin Welsh, Morgan State University, United States, benjamin.welsh@morgan.edu http://www.morgan.edu (20 mins-presentation time 15 mins)
• (9:15 AM- 9:30 AM) ASys-08- Invited speech: From Classroom to Capitol: Grassroots Organizing for Caste Equity in Social Work Education and California Policy through SB 403, by: Prem Pariyar, University of San Francisco / Equality Labs,  (prem@equalitylabs.org) (15 mins-presentation time 12 mins).
• (9:30 AM- 9:45 AM) ASys-05- Abstract Paper: Caste, Migration and Canadian Dalits: An ethnographic study by Dr. Seema Mahi (seema.mahi@ubc.ca), India, University of British Columbia.(15 mins- presentation time 12 mins)
• (9:45 AM- 10:00 AM) ASys-12- Abstract presentation: From Caste Equity to Caste Abolition: Struggling Towards Begumpura, Authors & Affiliation: Manmit Singh, Poetic Justice Foundation; University of British Columbia, Canada; Anita Lal, Poetic Justice Foundation, contact@anitalal.com, contact@manmitsingh.com (15 mins- presentation time: 12 mins)

10:00-10:30 (10:00 AM- 10:30 AM): Bio Break

10:30-11:30 ROUND TABLE PANEL DISCUSSION SESSION (Conducted in Nepali and English)

Topic: Dalit Rights Solidarity Partners’ Round Table Discussion

Moderators: Sh. Kiran Pal Chaudhary and Mr. Santosh Bishwkarma

• 11:30-12:30 (11:30 AM- 12:30 PM): Discussion Forum on Caste Discrimination System in Nepal, India and North America (Session in Nepali, Hindi/Punjabi and English Mixed)

• Introductory talks by both moderators to set the stage (5 mins each)
• “The Voices of the Strings: Empowering the Marginalized Gandharba Youth for a Caste-Free Future” by Pujan Gandharba (10 mins- presentation time: 8 mins).
• Caste and Drought: How Caste-Based Institutions Shape Social Vulnerability to Climate Change in Nepal. by: Khem Lal Bishwakarma, 1. Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal, 2. Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. khem.century@gmail.com (10 mins- presentation time: 8 mins).
• Status of Discrimination and untouchability within the Dalit community: A case study of Rukum District Nepal. Karna Bahadur Nepali- Human Rights Activist/ Good Governance Expert M.Phil-PhD scholar (International Relations and Diplomacy)-TU (10 mins- presentation time: 8 mins).
• Presentation of Ambedkar International Social Reform Organization (AISRO) Canada by Rashpal Singh Bhardwaj- President, AISRO CANADA and Our organization's Media coordinator, Mrs Kamlesh Ahir, Social Reformer and AISRO CANADA's Media Coordinator. (12 Mins- Presentation time: 10 mins)
• Round the table remarks and open discussion.
• Participants: All interested participants of the Conference.

12:30-13:30 (12:30 AM- 01:30 PM): CLOSING PLENARY SESSION

• Concluding Session: Toronto Declaration

• Chaired by Chief Guest: Honourable Devraj Bishwakarma, Chairman, Nepal Dalit Commission (Constitutional Body of Nepal)
• Reading of Toronto Declaration- Conference Chair Prof. Dr. Drona Rasali
• Remarks by the Chief Guest
• Vote of Thanks by Mr. Santosh Bishwkarma, President, Sahayatra International Alliance for Social Justice.

GUIDELINES FOR SPEAKERS GIVING PRESENTATIONS AT CFWC2025

1. The best approach to giving a “good” oral presentation is careful preparation. Some of the key elements for an effective oral presentation include knowing your audience, delivering a clear message, managing your time wisely within the limit, connecting with the audience with respect and dignity.
2. Please limit yourself necessarily within the time allotted for your presentation.
3. If you are invited to speak only for 3-5 minutes such as in giving your remarks in the Inauguration Ceremony, it are requested to write your speech in advance and read out clearly to save time and for getting your message clearly across the audience.
4. If you are not using the PowerPoint slides for your presentation, you are requested to prepare your speech and read out the speech from your prepared speech, but not a free oration to remain within your allotted time limit.
5. if you are using PowerPoint for your presentation, still you will need to remain within your allotted time.
6. If you are presenting virtually by zoom, it is necessary that you submit by email to info@shahayatraintl.com your pre-recorded video or its link for download 24 hour prior to your scheduled presentation time slot, to avoid technological barrier, and be available online for questions and answers.
7. The language of all deliberations will be in English only, and must be respectful keeping up to the principles of ethics, human rights and human dignity. No words of abuse, insult or slurs to any person or groups will be acceptable. Healthy criticism in favor of 21st century humanity is acceptable.
8. For those presenters opting for poster presentation can contact the organizer at info@sahayatraintl.com  for guidance in the preparation of a Poster using PowerPoint software.

CONFERENCE CONCLUSION WITH TORONTO DECLARATION

Humanity’s origins are rooted in natural evolution, not in a magical divine descent, and yet societies have historically divided themselves into ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders.’ This division, entrenched over millennia, turned into a structural hierarchy through the merging of ancient civilizations, particularly in the Indus Valley, where caste and racial discrimination took root alongside early agriculture. This social construct spread globally, manifesting in various forms of oppression. As we stand in the 21st century, such divisions are no longer justifiable in an interconnected world that shares finite resources. This conference is planned to conclude with a “Toronto Declaration” that sets a firm deadline—by the end of 2025—for the eradication of caste and race-based discrimination, with a transition period of an another decade for defaulter nations to clean up the mess. Governments, human rights organizations, and academic institutions must work collectively to dismantle these structures through policy reforms, economic redress, and cultural transformation. The time for action is now—humanity must free itself from the burden of caste and racial hierarchy to ensure justice and equality for all.

Liste des entités | Forum social mondial des intersections (FSMI)

ABSTRACTS OF PRESENTATIONS

Abstract # ADir-1: Inaugural Address

Title: A caste-free world: A promise of equality without discrimination

The author: Fernand de Varennes, Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues

Abstract:

A caste-free world is a world where the commitments of international human rights law are not merely lip-service, but where human rights are implemented. For caste-based minorities such as Dalits and others, deeds must reflect the words and commitments which human rights promise. Caste discrimination is perhaps one of the lesser known though profoundly disturbing areas where people find themselves marginalised and even dehumanised, and their rights most vulnerable, because of their so-called caste. The fight for a caste-free world where individuals are denied basic human dignity and equality  because of their family, lineage and hereditary occupation is one which is far from won yet, though there have in recent years been some positive recognition and developments. However, in a world where some governments are turning towards more nationalistic policies and simultaneously appear to move away from the multilateral legal protection of human rights, the fight for a caste-free world must combine with others for a stronger global drive to protect the universal human rights of all of us.

Keywords: Human rights; equality; discrimination; minorities.

Abstract # ADir-2 (Keynote address)  

Title: Wellbeing, Ritual and Caste Freedom

...castes naturalize fallaciously a true culture. (Claude Levi-Strauss 1963).

Author:  Steve Folmar, Department of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, United States. folmarsj@wfu.edu

Abstract:

In this presentation I address the all-important dimension of wellbeing as a key to freedom from caste oppression for Dalit people. I seek to do so by centering the role of ritual for bolstering the overall quality of life. First, I acknowledge the millennia through which Dalits have suffered the worst effects of caste oppression. Then I attempt to locate our current position on the journey to caste freedom, which will be achieved only when innumerable injustices are finally rectified. Among these injustices are the many assaults on the wellbeing of Dalit people many of which are enacted through rituals of oppression. Recent research and analysis strongly link the power of liberating rituals to improve wellbeing for Dalits, most powerful among them counter-rituals. We must understand this power in light of the tremendous resistance to equalizing caste that exists in today's world. Advances in wellbeing will be achieved slowly, through small but progressively effective steps taken toward erasing the mindset that caste is anything but unjust for the lived experience of Dalits. Advancing down a righteous path toward ultimate equality will depend on Dalit people drawing on the indefatigable strengths they have demonstrated in the past, of endurance, strength, creativity, and persistence. As these characteristics prevail over the deleterious effects of oppression, discrimination, exclusion and humiliation, Dalits' goals of equality will be ever more within their reach.

Abstract # ADir-3  (Poster presentation)

Title: Human Rights and Caste Discrimination Situation in Nepal

Author:  Drona Prakash Rasali, Nepaldalitinfo International Network, Canada nepaldalitinfo@yahoo.com.

Abstract:

Nepal has experienced significant fluctuations in human rights over time, as reflected in the Human Rights Index as per V-Dem (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. The country’s score has improved sharply as democratic system of government transitioned progressively greater democracy in various time points (Chart 1) in 1951 (2007 BS), 1959 (2015 BS), 1991 (2046 BS) and 2015 (2072 BS), from authoritarian monarchial rule. Especially in the 21st century’s first decade surpassed the global average at certain points. However, despite legal reforms, caste-based discrimination remains a pressing human rights issue, particularly affecting Dalit communities. The level of overall (composite) discrimination and various other forms of discrimination across caste/ethnicity groups as shown by the indexes derived by the Nepal’s National Social Exclusion Survey, 2018 is appalling that Hill Dalits and Terai Dalits suffers the most from all forms of discrimination.

The situation analysis findings includes the following:

1. Legal Protections vs. Ground Reality:

a) The Caste-Based Discrimination and Untouchability Act (2011) criminalizes such practices.

b) Nepal's Constitution (2015) prohibits caste-based discrimination.

Despite legal frameworks, Dalits face systemic exclusion in political representation, education, employment, and access to justice.

2. Evidence of Human Rights Violations:

a) Violence & Discrimination situation::

The National Human Rights Commission (2019) recorded 49 caste discrimination cases, but this spiked to 753 cases in 2020, including 34 murders. Dalit women face intersectional discrimination, suffering from higher rates of violence, exclusion, and forced labor. Inter-caste marriages between Dalit and Non-Dalit young people have been facing fierce opposition leading to violence even up to murders of Dalits.

b) Economic & Social Inequality:

Dalits make up 13.09% of Nepal’s population, yet remain underrepresented in leadership and resource distribution. Restricted access to land, education, and healthcare continues to hinder socio-economic mobility.

3. Human Rights Index & Caste-Based Discrimination:

a) Nepal's Human Rights Index shows marked improvement since 2006, coinciding with the end of the Maoist conflict and constitutional changes. However, caste-based discrimination persists despite Nepal’s human rights gains, revealing a gap between policy and real-life experiences.

Call to Action is recommended as follows:

1) Stronger law enforcement to implement anti-discrimination policies effectively.

2) Educational reforms to promote caste equality from an early stage.

3) Community-led initiatives to empower Dalit voices and leadership.

4) Continued monitoring of Nepal’s Human Rights Index to ensure inclusive progress.

Author keywords: Human rights, caste discrimination, Situation analysis, Nepal dalit info

Abstract # ADir-4 (Invited Speaker)  

Title: The Predicament of Religion: Caste, Hinduism, and Dalit Movements in Nepal

Author: Amar BK, University of Pittsburgh, United States.   amarbbk@gmail.com.

Abstract:

Religion has been central to anti-caste thoughts and movements since at least the early twentieth century, as seen in the thoughts of Jyotirao Phule and B. R. Ambedkar in India and Bhagat Sarbajit in Nepal. However, for Dalit activists and scholars, religion—particularly Hinduism—remains an unsettled and contested question. Within anti-caste movements, perspectives on Hinduism vary significantly, often in contradictory ways. The dominant view considers caste as an essential component of Hinduism and, hence, finds it impossible for the religion to exist without caste. This view contends that a casteless society can be envisioned only outside Hinduism. Another view conversely assumes that Hinduism can be acceptable for Dalits if it eliminates caste-based discrimination and untouchability. These thoughts have shaped different responses: while some Dalits have converted to Christianity and Buddhism, others, particularly those influenced by Marxist thought, have embraced atheism, and still others have sought their emancipation within Hinduism.

In this presentation, I examine contemporary Nepali discourses on caste, religion, and the approaches for ending caste that are largely shaped by an understanding of caste in relation to Hinduism. I also explore the implications of these divergent views and approaches for the future of anti-caste movements. I will address the following questions: How has our understanding of caste and its relationship to Hinduism shaped our thoughts and anti-caste movements? What are the consequences of these divergent thoughts and approaches to the anti-caste movements? Has the debate over the relationship between caste and religion been beneficial, or has it created an impasse? Do we need new ways of thinking beyond religion?

Drawing on my observation of Nepali anti-caste movements, including interactions with Dalit activists, scholars, and ordinary people and a review of scholarly and public writings, I will interrogate the enduring dilemma on the relationship between caste and Hinduism in shaping Dalit resistance and visions of emancipation.

Author keywords: Religion, Caste, Anti-caste movement, Nepal. 

Abstract # ADir-5  

Title: Intersectionality and Inclusivity in Action: Addressing Challenges on Caste and Gender Based Discrimination in Nepal

Authors and affiliation:  Ms Durga Sob* & Dr. Rabina G. Rasaily, Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO), Lalitpur, Nepal 

Abstract:

In Nepal, caste-based discrimination and gender inequality intersect to create a complex web of social exclusion and injustice, particularly affecting Dalit women. These women face multiple burdens, one rooted in the caste system that relegates them to the status of untouchables and the other based on patriarchal gender norms that restrict their rights and opportunities. This presentation, titled “Intersectionality and Inclusivity in Action: Addressing Caste-Based and Gender Discrimination in Nepal”, seeks to examine the compounded challenges faced by Dalit women through an intersectional lens and propose pathways toward a more inclusive and just society.

Caste and gender-based discrimination are deeply entrenched in Nepalese society, with the Dalit community subjected to systemic marginalization and economic deprivation. The multiple discrimination experienced by Dalit women manifests in limited access to education, healthcare, employment, economic and participation in social and political spheres. These barriers not only hinder their personal development but also perpetuate cycles of poverty and inequality across generations. The intersectional approach allows for a deeper understanding of how caste and gender roles converge to exacerbate the exclusion of Dalit women, making them more vulnerable to various forms of violence, including domestic abuse, sexual violence, and forced labor.

The presentation will focus on the structural inequalities that limit the agency of Dalit women, exploring how their lived experiences are shaped by the interaction of caste-based discrimination and patriarchal gender norms. It will discuss the impacts of these intersecting oppressions on the rights of Dalit women to live with dignity, access resources, and exercise their agency.

Furthermore, this session will highlight the importance of inclusivity in policy and program design, particularly in addressing the needs of Dalit women. Drawing from grassroots initiatives and advocacy efforts led by organizations such as the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO), the session will explore best practices and strategies that promote the social, political, and economic empowerment of Dalit women. The focus will be on creating platforms for their voices to be heard, facilitating their participation in decision-making processes, and ensuring that government policies and donor-funded programs are sensitive to the intersecting realities of caste and gender.

Ultimately, this session aims to inspire a collective effort toward breaking down the barriers that perpetuate caste and gender discrimination in Nepal. It calls for a united approach that fosters intersectionality and inclusivity, ensuring that Dalit women’s rights are recognized, respected, and protected, leading to a more equitable and just society for all.

Author keywords:: Intersectionality, inclusivity, caste-based discrimination, gender inequality, Dalit women, Nepal, social justice, empowerment.

Abstract # ADir-6  

Title: Differential Impacts of Climate Change and Climate Injustice on Dalits: A case study from Nepal

Author:  Dr. Madan Prasad Pariyar, Chairperson, Samata Foundation, Sanepa, Lalitpur, Nepal. madan.pariyar@samatafoundation.org

Abstract:

In 2022, Samata Foundation, a leading NGO that works on Dalit issues, conducted a study on Causes of Climate Vulnerability, Conflict Dynamics and Existing Local Adaptive Capacities of Dalit Communities in Nepal. The study dealt with several issues and challenges, e.g., climate change hazards and risks, causes and drivers of climate vulnerability, coping strategies adopted by Dalits, and existing local adaptive capacities. It uncovered several important findings. Climate change has affected differently to different sect of people in Nepal. The Dalits who have less resilience capacities and resources, are victimized the maximum, and their plight to adapt to climate change, recover from climatic shocks and stresses, and access rescue and relief amenities during the climatic disaster are largely unaddressed. Dalits are more vulnerable to both natural and human-made disasters compared to non-Dalits due to their marginalized social position, the location of their homes (usually in marginal lands in the periphery of settlements), their vulnerable occupations (such as rubbish and sewage disposal, casual farm labour), and the nature of their housing (usually mud-built houses with thatched roofs).

Reflecting on the differential impacts of climate change and climate injustice on Dalits, the study points out that Dalits are not only more vulnerable prior to climate-induced disasters, their marginalization (emanating from caste-based hierarchy and untouchability) means they face discrimination during the rescue, relief and rehabilitation during and after climate-induced disasters. Women among the Dalits are hit the most from the climate change. The study points to multiple cases of climate injustice resulting from inequitable distribution of relief materials during and after disasters. It also shows that governments do not have disaster preparedness or recovery plans focused on Dalit communities.

More broadly, the relationship between caste discrimination and climate change reflected by the study offers some important insights into the emerging field of climate justice in Nepal and elsewhere in the Global South. In particular, the study emphasizes that in the discourse of climate justice, the climate crisis should be recognized as a social and political problem. Dalits being at the lowest strata from socio-political and economic perspectives are most affected by climatic disasters, and to ensure climate justice to these most disadvantaged communities in Nepal, their sufferings aggravated by differential impacts of climate change should be rightfully addressed.

Finally, the Samata Foundation's report on climate change and Dalit communities is the first of its kind but it only provides a broad overview of the topic. As such, more detailed studies should be done to examine the specific needs and priorities of Dalits related to climate change.

Author keywords: Differential Impacts. Climate Injustice, Caste Based Discrimination

Abstract # ADir-7

Title: Historical beginning and progress of Dalit movement in Nepal

Author: Om Prakash VK Gahatraj, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 

Abstract:

After getting back from India to Baglung of western Nepal in 1940 (1997 B. S.), Bhagat Sarvajeet Vishwakarma started Dalit movement to be free from untouchability and caste-based discrimination. Bhagat Ji requested all Dalits not to run workshops to produce agricultural tools unless and until non-Dalits stop untouchability and caste-based discrimination. On the petition report of some Brahmins led by Haegriv Dev Pant, Bhagat Ji and his friends were arrested by the local administration and were sent to jail in Baglung and Palpa. After a few years of the campaign they established ‘Vishwo Sarvajan Sangh‘ as the first formal organization of Dalit community in 1946 (Early of 2003 B.S.) to fight against untouchability. Vishwo Sarvajan Sangh had published a pamphlet by the name ‘Ghosana Abbhyas’ (Declaration Practice) to make people aware against untouchability. One day while Bhagat Sarvajeet and his friends were in a meeting on 21 August 1946 (5 Bhadra 2003 B.S.) in Baglung, the Zonal Commissioner of the government arrested them and imprisoned for two months on the request of local Brahmins. They established a primary school in Hiliyapani of Baglung in 1948 (2005 B.S.) giving focus to educate Dalit children. Later it was named as ‘Vishwakarma Primary School’. That school got the recognition by the government on 2 April 1953 (20 Chaitra 2009 B.S.). The school has been running in Kalimati of Baglung and is upgraded to a higher secondary school now.

Bhagat Sarvajeet Vishwakarma, Mr. Luxmi Narayan Vishwakarma and Mr. Manbir Vishwakarma went to Kathmandu in 1949 (Jestha 2006 B.S.) and gave a request letter to Prime Minister Mohan Shamsher Rana asking him to make them free from untouchability, to allow them to put on sacred thread (Janahi) and to free from Goljhara cost. Bhagat Sarvajeet discussed with the authority personnel and convinced them that there was no untouchability in religion, so they should be free from that problem and should be allowed to put on the sacred thread. On the recommendation of the officials, the Prime Minister Rana fulfilled their demand at that moment. After getting back to Baglung when they started to exercise the approved rights the local administration arrested Bhagat Sarvajeet Vishwakarma and his friends and sent them to prison on 1 August 1949 (17 Shrawan 2006 B.S.) on the request of local Brahmins and after one week they were transferred to Tansen Jail. The District Commissioner of Palpa Mr. Rudra Shamsher Rana himself went to Tansen jail and asked Bhagat Ji to beg pardon but Bhagat Ji rejected his proposal. Then Commissioner Rana started to beat Bhagat Ji with his iron nailed boots till his teeth were broken. Ultimately, Bhagat Sarvajeet Vishwakarma along with his friends was freed from Tansen jail in January 1951 (Poush of 2007 B.S.) because of the pressure of democratic movement of that time. When Bhagat Ji was freed from jail he was suffering from tuberculosis. Bhagat Ji died in 1955 (2012 B. S.) in Balarampur in India.

Author keywords: Historical beginning of Dalit movement, Declaration Practice, Democratic movement.

Submitted April 12, 2025.        

Abstract # ADir-8/ASys-16  

Title: Anti Caste Activism and EDI in Canadian Higher Education

Author:  Kavya Harshitha Jidugu , PhD Student, Faculty of Education, Queen’s University. Kingston, Canada.  (23gwk@queensu.ca)

Abstract:

For many, higher education represents a promise of mobility, opportunity, and transformation. Yet, for Dalit students, higher education is not a straightforward path. Although it is viewed as empowering and, has the potential to uplift the marginalized, it is also a site of caste-based exclusions. As an international Dalit doctoral student and anti-caste activist in Canada, I navigate a higher education landscape that simultaneously markets equity, diversity and inclusion, homogenising the South Asian identity while remaining unprepared to acknowledge and address caste oppression which is a bifactor of the diversity. This article, written as an autoethnographic account, weaves together personal narratives with critical literature to examine how caste structures operate within the Canadian higher education institutions in their policies and on campuses and how anti caste activism is offering a critique to these institutionalized inequalities. While privileged caste South Asian students arrive in Canadian higher education with caste capital, social networks, economic security, and institutional familiarity, Dalit students often enter these spaces without such advantages. Moreover, their concerns and epistemologies are erased through the homogenized South Asian identity leading to their exclusion. In Canada, caste discrimination is compounded by racism and patriarchy, creating layered exclusions that shape academic, social, mental and professional experiences of Dalit students. While Canadian universities promote diversity and equity, caste remains largely absent from institutional policies, leaving Dalit students without the recognition or protections afforded to other marginalized communities. Beyond the university, the South Asian diaspora in Canada plays a crucial role in maintaining caste structures through social networks, student organizations, and cultural spaces that uphold Brahminical dominance. Any critique of South Asian experiences in Canadian higher education remains incomplete without addressing Brahminism. Hence, this paper argues that Dalit students and anti-caste activists are offering this critique and contributing to the equity diversity and inclusion in Canadian higher education institutions. Thereby it presents how they are disrupting these silences, pushing for the recognition of caste oppression and advocating for institutional accountability through authors own experiences and from the existing literature. Through anti caste activism and scholarship, Dalit communities are not only asserting their presence but also critically reshaping the discourse on South Asian diaspora, access to higher education, international student mobility and internationalization of higher education policies. By centering Dalit experience and perspective, this paper through anti caste activism as a theoretical ground challenges the dominant narrative of homogenized South Asian identity and calls for an anti-caste approach to equity in higher education.

Abstract # ADir-9  

Title: Dalit Round Table Conference: A platform for forming unified movement in Nepal

Author: Nirmal Kumar Bishwokarma, PhD, Coordinator for National Dalit Round Table Conference and Former Ambassador of Nepal to South Africa, Email: nirmalkumarbk@gmail.com 

Abstract:

Nepal’s new constitution 2015 was expected to address and solve the manifold issues of Dalits and other marginalized communities in the country. However, in the period of its implementation it has not been working towards the expectations of Dalits. Based on this paper presenter’s personal experience and practice gained during the activism, this paper will present current marginalized situation of Dalits in terms of their representation in the power structure, redistribution of state resources such as land reform, government budget allocations, access to education and health infrastructure, impunity in caste-based torture to Dalits and reform in Hindu religion. The presentation will specially delve into a diverse movement of Dalit political and human right activists to oppose the current exclusionary practice of ruling castes, and their agreement among to organize Dalit Round Table Conference a way forward.  

This presentation will discuss in detail on structure and process of the conference, major findings of the conference on review of the Dalit right movement so far in Nepal and its strength and weakness, as well as agreed philosophy, strategy and agenda for further unified Dalit movement in Nepal  which provide sustainable solution for Emancipation of Dalit Community from all form of exclusion and marginalization. It will also present major conclusions on typical issues regarding Dalits liberation such as history and identity of Dalits, power structure transfer, state resource redistribution, legal justice to Dalits, inter-Dalit discrimination, Hindu religion reform, and short-medium- and long-term strategies. The conclusion of this paper will contribute to co-create common understanding and networking in some issues of Dalit movement among the participants during the Global Conference for a Caste Free World 2025.

Key words: Dalits, exclusion, round table conference, Dalit liberation 

Abstract # ADir-10  

Title: Developing a Relationship Between Critical Caste Studies and Critical Race Theory

Author:  Rajesh Sampath, Associate Professor of the Philosophy of Justice, Rights, and Social Change

Bioethics Comparative Religion Ethics Political Philosophy Sociology of Sex and Gender Moral philosophy Development ethics Critical race theory, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA. rsampath@brandeis.edu 

Abstract:

This presentation will explore the similarities and differences of race and caste in Western historical contexts given the longer-standing oppression of racism with the legacy of Black slavery in the Americas. Inversely, we will explore similarities and differences between caste and an emergent racism in contemporary South Asia, particularly in India. Given that caste is a millennia-old form of inequality and oppression, astutely diagnosed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the emergent racism of twenty-first century postcolonial India based on a Hindu majoritarian nationalist sensibility constructs racialized non-Indus others, which leads to various forms of marginalization, exclusion, and oppression. This new form of racism can be contrasted from white British colonial racist structures as a form of oppression of non-Western colonized subjects, a topic analyzed to its creative depths in the works of Frantz Fanon. In summary, we want to compare a Western context like the U.S. on race and caste with a South Asian context, particularly India, of caste and race in the historical dimensions and current manifestations. We hope this can foster a constructive dialogue between Critical Race Theory here in the West and Critical Caste Studies here and the Global South/East as a global research exchange platform.

Key words: Race and caste similarities and differences.

Abstract # ADir-11  

Title: Addressing Caste and Descent-Based Discrimination: A Global Imperative

Author: Paul Divakar Namala, Convener, Global Forum of Descent Communities,  777, United Nations Plaza suite 10 A, New York, NY 10017. pauldivakar@theinclusivityproject.org 

Abstract:

Descent Communities are socially marginalized groups worldwide who face systemic discrimination based on ancestral occupation and caste hierarchies. These communities — including Dalits in South Asia, Burakumin in Japan, Haratine in Mauritania, Osu in Nigeria, Al-Akhdam in Yemen, and Roma across Europe — though culturally and geographically diverse, share common experiences of exclusion and oppression. Historically relegated to stigmatized and devalued occupations, they continue to endure structural barriers in education, employment, housing, political participation, healthcare, and dignity.

Discrimination based on work and descent is deeply entrenched, passed down through generations, and persists despite international human rights commitments. The challenges faced by Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) are severe:

• Social Stigma and Segregation: Segregated living, exclusion from public spaces, and daily humiliation limit social mobility and reinforce marginalization.
• Limited Access to Education and Employment: Systemic biases hinder access to quality education and confine individuals to insecure, low-paying work regardless of ability.
• Violence and Discrimination: High rates of violence, hate crimes, and police brutality occur with little legal protection or accountability.
• Political and Legal Exclusion: Underrepresentation in governance and weak enforcement of protective laws impede justice and inclusion.
• Lack of Recognition and Data: Limited recognition and data collection exacerbate invisibility and hinder effective policy responses.

Eliminating caste and descent-based discrimination requires collective global action. Solidarity across borders builds collective power, amplifies voices, and facilitates the exchange of strategies and resources. This movement aligns closely with global objectives, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which prioritize reducing inequality, promoting inclusive societies, and ensuring access to justice.

In conclusion, addressing the rights of Descent Communities is essential to building a just, equitable, and inclusive world. By uniting efforts globally, we affirm the inherent dignity of all individuals and move decisively towards dismantling historic systems of oppression.

Abstract # ADir-12  

Title: Casteism in Nepal and its Diasporic Impact in Canada: Social Work Praxis for Decolonizing Caste-Based Trauma

Authors: Dr. Karun K. Karki, Faculty of Arts, and Dr. Drona P. Rasali, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada &  Emotional Well-Being Institute-Canada

Abstract:

Nepal legally abolished caste-based discrimination in 1962, and its 2015 federal constitution provisioned ending casteism to foster an egalitarian society that ensures economic equity, prosperity, and social justice. Despite these statutory guarantees, the state has failed to take substantial action to dismantle the deeply entrenched caste hierarchies that continue to shape social structures. The state’s failure to enforce constitutional safeguards has allowed caste-based inequities to persist, resulting in ongoing socio-economic exclusion and discrimination. Moreover, casteism is not confined to Nepal; it transcends national borders, continuing to shape social hierarchies and perpetuate discrimination within diasporic communities, especially in countries like Canada, where caste-based prejudice is often reinforced by cultural silence and the lack of legal code protections. Reports indicate that casteism persists within South Asian diasporic communities in Canada, yet a significant gap remains in understanding its manifestation, particularly within the Nepali diaspora. The experiences of this group are frequently subsumed under a homogenized "South Asian" framework that fails to consider Nepal’s unique history of centuries-old feudal caste hierarchies and the incomplete nature of caste reforms. The absence of empirical research focusing specifically on the Nepali diaspora, and particularly on Dalit communities, means their experiences remain underexplored and their struggles largely invisible. This academic silence reflects a broader systemic erasure of Dalits, both in Nepal and in the diaspora in Canada. Both Nepal and Canada exhibit patterns of inaction regarding casteism. In Canada, caste is not recognized as a protected category under human rights legislation despite the country's professed commitment to human rights, multiculturalism and equity. Similarly, Nepal’s failure to transform constitutional promises into tangible reforms and Canada’s general apathy against caste issues within its diaspora reveal transnational patterns of state complicity. The legal recognition of caste as a protected category under human rights legislation in Canada, coupled with affirmative action measures in Nepal to combat caste-based discrimination, is crucial but remains insufficiently addressed. This gap constitutes a form of structural oppression against Dalits and other historically oppressed caste groups.

In this paper, we critically explore the intersection of caste-based discrimination in Nepal, its transnational continuation within the Nepali diaspora in Canada, and the role of social workers in addressing and challenging these systemic injustices. We argue that caste-based oppression must be recognized as a transnational issue that persists across borders and is reproduced within diasporic communities. Canada’s multicultural framework, while lauded for promoting diversity, paradoxically obscures caste-based discrimination by prioritizing performative diversity over substantive equity. The reluctance to legally recognize caste as a protected category undermines the detrimental implications of caste-based discrimination in Canadian society. Often constrained by Eurocentric models, social workers must move beyond individualistic approaches and adopt decolonized practices that acknowledge and address caste-based trauma. Supporting Dalit-led movements and advocating for legal reforms and policies that specifically target caste discrimination are crucial steps in challenging caste hierarchies both locally and globally. This paper calls for a comprehensive re-evaluation of existing frameworks and practices to ensure that caste-based oppression is fully acknowledged and addressed.

Abstract # ADir-13  

Title: Role of higher education in abolishing caste systems

Authors: Dr. Uttam Gaule, Professor, Community College Leadership Program, Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy: Community College Leadership Development Program, Morgan State University, and President, STAR Scholars Network, Baltimore, MD, USA.

uttam.gaulee@morgan.edu

Abstract:

This paper looks into how higher education is able to dismantle the social caste system prevalent in various cultures. In this regard, higher education clearly acts as an avenue for social mobility by promoting equitable access to education. The essay evaluates the ways in which educational institutions empower the oppressed with professional knowledge as skill by including policies and curriculum going beyond the traditional caste system. A historical analysis alongside contemporary case studies provides insight on the obliteration of discriminatory mindsets and the encouragement towards democratic societal structures facilitated by education. The enabling aspects of education also provide the sustained focus on inclusivity, affirmative action, and representation throughout all levels of higher education as fundamental to obliterating discrimination based on caste. The paper finally recommends active involvement at the community level, policy changes, and advocacy as means to fortify education as a pathway for the abolishment of caste discrimination and to further social justice.

Key words: Higher education, Curriculum, Policy change, Abolishment of caste discrimination

ADir-14- Invited Speaker: “The Global Theory of Dalit” by: Dr. Suraj Yengde, Harvard University. surajyengde@fas.harvard.edu 

[Abstract not available yet]

Abstract # ADir-15:

Author: Siddan Chandra cgsiddan@sympatico.ca

Title: Potlatch, the Legend of Kannappa and Dalit/Queer Joy as Linchpin of a Theory of Personal, Social and Planetary Transformation: Kidocracy

Abstract:

In this paper, I present kidocracy, a new theory of liberation from all systems of oppression—racism, casteism, capitalism, patriarchy, homophobia, ableism, adult supremacy, planetary extractive ecocide, and others—that erupted from my participation in the Idle No More movement in Canada in 2012. There, I learned from native women and children how both the Canadian state and church facilitated a continent-wide capitalist land grab via (1) the banning of the potlatch (1884–1951) as “wasteful, reckless and unchristian,” and (2) residential schooling and the killing of native children. The potlatch—orgiastic gift-giving festivals marking major life events—was described by Marcel Mauss as an economy of competitive gift giving, where the ultimate goal was to give an unreturnable gift, even if it resulted in the giver’s total impoverishment. Georges Bataille further theorized the potlatch as the prototype of an anti-capitalist economy of expenditure, loss, and sacrifice.

Bataille’s vindication of Vincent van Gogh’s gift of his ear as an unreturnable gift helps me understand the legend of Kannappa, a Chenchu Adivasi saint who offers his eye to heal the bleeding eye of Shiva—a pre-Vedic earth god—as embodying the potlatch. Parsing this legend as expressed in 12th and 16th-century poetry and a 1954 film through five questions posed by Prof. Sudharshan Durayappah, I underscore the subversive indigenization and toppling of Brahminical purity through Kannappa’s transgressive gifts of meat and acts of love. I further highlight Bataille’s concept of base materialism as a countermeasure to fascism.

I formulate Kannappa’s sacrifice as Queer Joy by contextualizing it in the framework of ecosexuality (or sexecology), a contemporary base materialist environmental movement led by Queer activist couple Elizabeth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle, who “married” a mountain to protect it from mountaintop removal. They promote viewing the Earth as lover, to be cared for, rather than mother, to be extracted from.

Returning to another lesson from Idle No More—where I, as a survivor of and refugee from adult supremacy, casteist fascism, and patriarchal heteronormativity (explored in my auto-ethnographic film Remembrance of Things Present, 2007), observed that native children were both minors and minorities—and coined the term kidocracy in my Kidocratic Manifesto (2013). It calls for the rule of minors and minorities to dismantle both adult supremacy and fascism/casteism simultaneously.

Braced by movements like BLM, Arab Spring, Occupy, Fridays For Future, the Rohith Vemula protests, and informed by Sundar John Boopalan’s Dalit liberation theology, I trace kidocracy’s development into a theory of personal, social, and planetary transformation. What feminism does for gender difference, kidocracy does for the status of being minor/minority, seeing women - as did the Dalit Panthers - as minorities, not in numbers but in power, as members of the oppressed 99%.

Boopalan’s three steps—memory, grief, and agency—are expanded here by stacking Dalit Joy (as seen in Bama’s Karukku) with potlatch and Queer Joy to mark a fourth point. Together, they form an antifascist theory of social transformation: Kidocracy as a portal to a kind and liberatory world.

Key words: Kidocracy, Potlatch, Dalit Joy, Minoritarianism, Base Materialism

Abstract #: ADir-16

Title: Untouchability problem and solution

Author: Gajadhar Sunar, Dalit Human Rights activist, Former President Dalit NGO Federation and Dalit Welfare Organization, Country Representative of ICDR and IAFSJ, Nepal. gdsunar70@gmail.com

Abstract:

In Nepal, Dalit community are facing the untouchability problem. Dalit communities are not enjoying their human rights. It is a violation of human rights and against the national and international laws. The constitution of Nepal 2015 has made the caste-based discrimination and untouchability as a punishable crime. Still, there are discriminations in practice going on and all the Dalit communities are facing the untouchability problem. This paper will address why this problem exists in the society, what its root cause is, how we can solve the problem, who our main stakeholders are and what their role is for elimination of untouchability problem.

What kinds of strategy are needed for elimination of the untouchability problem? We have to know our key stakeholders and their role out of different stakeholders to end the untouchability problem. We have to know about an appropriate strategy to mobilize all the national and international organizations and individuals for elimination of untouchability problem. It is crucial to ascertain how everyone contributes to the elimination of untouchability and how political parties and governments can contribute to achieve the tangible results. This working paper will provide some realistic and appropriate action points for elimination of untouchability problem. It will help to increase the bargaining power of Dalit community and increase the access of Dalit community in government mechanisms and resources. This paper will contribute and help to understand the concept, present situation of Dalit community, role of non-Dalit, religious leader, root cause of untouchable problem and way of solution. It is good opportunity to me to share my grass root level to international level’s long experience working with various stakeholder on Dalit issue in Global Conference for Caste Free World, 2025 in Canada.

Abstract #: ADir-17

Title: Annihilation of Caste in Canada: Chetna Association of Canada - its role in supporting the anti-caste movement (2025)

Author: Jai Birdi, Chetna Association of Canada, Vancouver, BC, Canada. jpbirdi@gmail.com.

Abstract:

Introduction:

The Chetna Association of Canada is a non-profit community association. Its mandate is to lead and support initiatives that achieve inclusion and respect through the elimination of caste discrimination by hosting and supporting public and policy engagement, cultural programming, and the arts. Chetna was established in BC as a non-profit organisation in 1999. Membership for Chetna is open to anyone who believes in and practices the values of Baba Sahib Dr. Ambedkar.

Activities in April 2025:

The month of April was a busy month, full of activities across the globe celebrating the life and contributions of Baba Sahib Dr. Ambedkar and the contributions of everyone who has worked tirelessly and selflessly to create a more equitable and level playing field for marginalized communities to achieve self-advancement and collective development.

The rising star and founder of the Bheem Army and Member of Parliament (Nagina, India) Chandrashekhar Azad, toured across the United States and discussed his vision and ideas for accomplishing political emancipation. On April 14, Azad participated in the Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti (birth) Celebration in Seattle, an event that was also attended by members of Chetna, AISRO Canada, other organizations from Canada.  

To commemorate Dalit History Month, two plays were staged for the students and faculty of a secondary school in Surrey.  The plays were written, directed, and performed by Simran Kranti, and sponsored by Chetna. One play was on the historical icon, the revolutionary Savitribai Phule, and the other play was on women’s empowerment.

The Province of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, and City of Surrey signed proclamations proclaiming April 14, 2025 as Dr. Ambedkar Equality Day. In addition, the Province of British Columbia also proclaimed April as Dalit History Month. Surrey's Mayor, Brenda Locke, presented the proclamation to members of the Chetna and other community representatives at a special celebration hosted at the Surrey Center Library on April 15.

Professor Vivek Kumar of Jawaharlal Nehru University was invited to deliver his lectures in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. The tour was initiated to observe Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti (birthday), Equality Day, and Dalit History Month. Kumar highlighted Dr. Ambedkar’s contributions as a nation builder, architect of the Indian Constitution, and an emerging global icon. Kumar inaugurated the launch of Chetna’s newest initiative, the Consortium for the Annihilation of Caste Discrimination in Canada and Beyond.

Abstract #: ADir-18

Title: Caste Discrimination and Untouchability in Nepal: Intergenerational Perceptions and Analysis.

Author: Gopal Nepali (Badi), Senior Researcher,  Samata Foundation, gnepali5@gmail.com, gopal.nepali@samatafoundation.org

Abstract:

Nepal underwent major political changes in 1950, 1962, and 1990. Radical change occurred particularly after the decade-long Maoist insurgency in 1995-2005. Nepal was declared a nation free from caste-based discrimination and untouchability in the year 2006. Many forces are contributing to societal changes in Nepal. The process of social change may be imperceptible and cumulative, i.e., one may not easily perceive the processes of social change, although it is always taking place. There has been a substantial development in the education system, more advancement of technology, growing urbanisation, and the effects of global trends, etc. Subsequently, much more is expected for the human rights of marginalised people, fair distribution of power and national resources. But due to the strong existing structural setup and cultural values built for thousands of years, backed by strong "SANATAN" Dharma, any form of new dynamics gets dissolved into the status quo, causing sluggish change seemingly undeterred manner.

This study applied a qualitative method. The study focused on the intersectionality of gender, geography, and diversity of the respondents. It employed a cross-sectional approach to study the lived experience of Dalits over the last 70 years. Inter-generational experiences of Dalits falling under the Baby Boomer, Generation X, and millennial generations are interviewed. The sampling method for the survey questionnaire was non-probability sampling, under which the convenience sampling method was employed.

Factors determining the social changes, factors impeding the social changes, and the state of new equilibrium in the society have been analysed through the lenses of the caste system and the practice of discrimination. The older generations were under a higher degree of oppression. The middle-aged Dalits were less suppressed and given access to education and other opportunities. Dalits from the younger generation are not explicitly discriminated against. Many of the youngsters from the millennial category have not experienced extreme forms of discrimination today.

There have been some changes in society regarding caste-based discrimination and the practice of untouchability. But the progress has not been as desired by Dalits. The discrimination is not as blatant as in previous years, but continues implicitly. The traditional cultural values are quite stubborn. Evolutionary changes are more effective than abrupt changes. The impending forces need to be tackled jointly by Dalits and non-Dalits. More needs to be done in the academic field, as changes brought by education are sustainable and maintain social harmony

Keywords: Caste-based discrimination, untouchability, social change, radical change, evolutionary change.

Abstract #: ADir-19

Title: "The Voices of the Strings: Empowering the Marginalized Gandharba Youth for a Caste-Free Future"

Author: Pujan Gandharba, Nepal

Abstract:

The Gandharba community of Nepal, traditionally known for their mastery of the sarangi instrument, singing and oral storytelling, stands at the crossroads of cultural pride and systemic marginalization. Despite their deep contributions to Nepali cultural identity, Gandharba people continue to face the entrenched impacts of caste-based discrimination. This presentation sheds light on the dual struggle of preserving, promoting and safeguarding indigenous musical heritage while striving for dignity, equity, and social justice in a caste-bound society. As a youth leader of the Gandharba community, I will share lived experiences, grassroots mobilization efforts, and cultural activism as tools for resistance and empowerment. The narrative calls for the global recognition of the caste system as a human rights issue and highlights the urgent need for inclusive policies that amplify the voices of marginalized communities. A caste-free world is possible not through the erasure of identity, but through the celebration of cultural diversity and equal opportunity.

Keywords: Gandharba Community of Nepal, Sarangi string music, Indigenous musical heritage, Oral storytelling, Systemic marginalization, Cultural identity.

Abstract #: ADir-20

Title:  Introduction to Ambedkar International Social Reform Organization (AISRO) Canada

Author: Rashpal Singh Bhardwaj, president of Ambedkar International Social Reform Organization (AISRO) Canada, registered at aisrocanada@gmail.com.

Abstract: 

The Ambedkar International Social Reform Organization (AISRO) Canada is a non-profit Organization established in 2016. A decade ago, there were so many Dalit atrocities that happened in India, and we organized the society to protest in Vancouver, BC. Our Vancouver-based organization denied sending a memorandum to the High Commissioner of the Indian government and observed that Baba Sahib Bhim Rao Ambedkar's mission was limitless, as they taught us to educate, unite, and agitate. Baba Sahib Thought’s co-mind persons observed that we should establish an organization that can work on Social reform work without fear of the Indian Authority to protect Dalits' rights, that is, the "Ambedkar International Social Reform Organization (AISRO) Canada", and we do work against discrimination based on caste, colour, creed, and gender worldwide. In the context of Baba Sahib Mission AISRO Canada, the Members organized the Death Anniversary in the Canadian Parliament House under the administration of Honourable Randeep Sarai, Surrey Centre Member of Parliament, on December 06, 2016. AISRO objects to help: Canadian First Nation Issues, Mrs. Kshama Sawant, Seattle City councillor, brought the bill to the Seattle Municipality to stop caste-based discrimination, which had passed with a majority of votes, AISRO, stand against Khalistani people to halt the protest of burning the Constitution and Indian flag in front of Indian High Commissioner Vancouver, Canada, provided financial support to victims of family members, who died in an SC & ST act violation by the Indian Government agitation on April 02, 2018. AISRO Canada Members aim for Community unification and ask all Ambedkarite associations, and Political Parties that belong to the Bahujans “why not all Bahujan leaders come under one umbrella for Bahujan rule in India”? AISRO Canada Members believe in unity among our Bahujan people and in eliminating the caste movement worldwide. We contribute to our concentration on organizing with solidarity at the Global Conference for a Caste-Free World.

Abstract #: ADir-21 (Pre-Recorded Video Presentation)

Title:  Nepal’s Dalits in Transition: A Briefing on a Book and Related Research Projects in Nepal

Authors: Professors David Gellner and Dr. Krishna Adikari, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, Oxford University, UK.

Abstract: 

This briefing, led by Professor David Gellner and Dr. Krishna Adikari, introduces their new edited volume Nepal’s Dalits in Transition, a comprehensive exploration of the ongoing socio-cultural, economic, and political transformations affecting Dalit communities in Nepal. Originating as a special issue of Contributions to Nepalese Studies, the book consolidates additional commissioned essays to offer a multidimensional perspective on Dalit experiences and the structural inequalities they continue to face, despite progressive legal and societal changes.

The authors recount a 12-year collaboration encompassing three major research projects. The first, Caste, Class, and Culture, examined the interplay between caste-based identities, cultural capital, and systemic inequality. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of distinction, the research explored how cultural tastes and practices reinforce historical marginalization. Their second project analyzed the role of Nepal's high school curricula in addressing caste-based discrimination, piloting alternative lessons to assess their impact. The third project expanded the geographic scope to study regional variations in Dalit identity formation and mobilization, exploring how national campaigns interact with local experiences of dignity and resistance.

The research employed mixed methods including surveys, ethnography, and collaboration with local and international academic institutions. Findings highlighted a dual narrative: while caste boundaries blur during labor migration—especially abroad—they often re-emerge upon return, indicating deep-rooted cultural persistence. A key concept introduced is “negative cultural capital,” which describes how essentialized, stigmatizing stereotypes of Dalits continue to shape lived experiences.

The book concludes with five “ideal type” trajectories for Dalit futures—Assimilation, Reparation, Ethnicization, Revolution, and Exit—summarized by the acronym A-R-E-R-E. These represent possible pathways for identity negotiation and societal integration, acknowledging both structural barriers and opportunities for transformation. The authors emphasize ongoing dialogue and policy relevance, aiming to inform inclusive development strategies and cultural shifts within Nepalese society.

Abstract #: ADir-22 (Pre-Recorded Video Presentation)

Title:  Reflective talk on enduring issue of caste-based discrimination in Nepal

Authors: Simone Galimberti, Development Practitioner, Trainer and Facilitator and Opinion Writer in Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract: 

In this reflective talk delivered by Simone Galimberti from Kathmandu addresses the enduring issue of caste-based discrimination in Nepal, particularly focusing on the Dalit community. While acknowledging his position as a non-Dalit and foreign observer, Galimberti shares insights shaped by his interest in social justice and ongoing dialogue with community advocates like Dr. Drona Rasali and Dr. Man Bahadur BK. He poses a central question: How can Dalit individuals thrive in a society where a level playing field remains elusive?

Galimberti emphasizes the need for broader understanding and advocacy of affirmative action policies and legal instruments designed to counter caste discrimination. He notes the prevalent misunderstanding and resistance to such tools among dominant caste groups, stressing the urgency of public discourse that clarifies their purpose and impact.

Beyond legal frameworks, Galimberti highlights the importance of cultivating leadership within the Dalit community. He redefines leadership not merely as charisma or strategic skill, but as a deeper commitment to accountability—toward self, teams, and society at large. He encourages young Dalit individuals to build expertise beyond social justice, in fields such as climate change, ethical AI, and more, thus expanding their influence and visibility across sectors.

A critical component of his message is the need for unity and inter-caste solidarity. He advocates for forging alliances with members of dominant castes to build mutual understanding and support for structural change. Furthermore, he proposes the creation of an inclusive, non-political platform or forum for Dalits to share strategies, best practices, and ideas in a sustainable, citizen-driven format.

Concluding with a call for collective action, Galimberti underscores that achieving structural change requires both internal cohesion within the Dalit community and broader societal engagement to advance the cause of caste equity and justice.

Abstract # ASys-1

Title: Ethical Considerations in Community Engagement: A Holistic Framework for Sustainable Development

Authors: Derrick Mirindi (demir1@morgan.edu), United States, Morgan State University; Frederic         Mirindi (mirindif@myumanitoba.ca), Canada,  University of Manitoba; Modestine Mirindi (mirindimodestine@gmail.com), Rwanda,  University of Kigali.                

Abstract:

This innovative study presents a comprehensive framework for addressing ethical considerations in community engagement initiatives, with a particular focus on sustainable development projects. The research synthesizes insights from diverse fields including anthropology, sociology, public health, and environmental science to create a multidimensional approach to ethical community engagement.

The study introduces the concept of "Ethical Engagement Equilibrium" (EEE), which posits that successful community engagement relies on balancing four key ethical pillars: Respect for Autonomy, Distributive Justice, Beneficence, and Non-Maleficence. These pillars are examined through the lens of both individual and collective community rights, addressing a critical gap in current ethical frameworks.

Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative surveys with qualitative ethnographic observations across 15 diverse communities in both urban and rural settings in Maryland in the United States. The study reveals that the EEE framework significantly enhances project outcomes, community satisfaction, and long-term sustainability of initiatives.

Key findings include:

• The identification of "ethical tipping points" where community engagement transitions from beneficial to potentially harmful.

• The development of a novel "Ethical Engagement Index" (EEI) that quantifies the ethical robustness of community engagement strategies.

• The discovery of culturally-specific ethical considerations that challenge universal ethical principles in community engagement.

The study concludes by proposing a dynamic model for ethical community engagement that adapts to changing socio-cultural contexts. This model offers practical guidelines for policymakers, NGOs, and community leaders to navigate complex ethical landscapes in community engagement initiatives. This research not only advances theoretical understanding of ethics in community engagement but also provides actionable insights for enhancing the ethical integrity and effectiveness of community-based projects worldwide.

Author keywords: Community engagement, ethical considerations, Ethical Engagement Equilibrium

Abstract # ASys-2

Title: Sikh Hermeneutics of Jati and the Egalitarian Vision of Begumpura

Author:  Shamsher Singh (shamshergns.rsh@gndu.ac.in), India, Research scholar

Abstract:

‘Jati’ is a Social-ethnic issue that is deeply embedded in the Indian societal Structure. Jati, as a Term, we took into the Nyaya Philosophy where it was defined as sophistical refutation. Subsequently, its conceptualization evolved, where a universal or generic property defines a group or class of entities. It signifies the inherent and eternal(universal) essence that allows us to group similar objects or beings under a common classification. Later Smriti’s appropriated this ‘Thesis’ as a Social Structure. They interpreted it as a reflection of human social-psychological emphasizing hierarchy-based social categorization. They developed Hermeneutics(grounded in their spiritual authentication derived from the Purusha Sukta) to reinterpret the anthropology of India. In this framework, Brahmins were positioned as superior, while Dalits were portrayed as lacking basic human values.

Sikhism, as a philosophy Framework, believes in the Absolute one form.The basis for a practice is that all humans are considered equal, transcending caste (मानस जाति).Philosophical derivation from Bhakti Tradition, Sikhism critiques existing paradigms and introduces an original antithesis encapsulated in the concepts of 'Atherban Practice(अथर्वण रीति) and Bipar Sanskar (बिपर संस्कार).Bipar refers to the collective, unified subconsciousness of dominant groups, such as Brahmins. Atherban Practice examines how this Subconscious Creates a sacred linguistic framework that serves its interests -a language that constructs archetypes, myths, symbols, and mythology aligned with those interests. A philosophy based on This Subconsciousness builds Varna(concentric plural society) in practice and vedanta Shastra(in philosophy) as such Hegelian idealism. Both classic Structure Serves slavers and builds Homogeneous Categories(भेद) based on summum genus.

My research employs a qualitative methodology, based on the question of whether a communitarian society can co-exist, as envisioned in the concept of Begumpura (बेगमपुरा) by Ravidas Ji.Using philosophical hermeneutics, comparative analysis, and critical social theory, this research examines:

The socio-psychological construction of caste in Nyaya and Smriti traditions.

Sikhism's critique of hierarchical paradigms through its emphasis on equality.

The relevance of Begumpura's vision in addressing contemporary caste-based challenges.

Author keywords: Jati,  Sikhism, Begumpura, Dalit

Submitted Jan 22, 07:01

Abstract # ASys-3

Title: Status of Dalit Human Rights in Nepal: Assessing the Legal Framework and Law Enforcement Response to Caste-Based Discrimination.

Author: Tirupati Pariyar, Samata Foundation, Nepal http://samatafoundation.org. (tirupati.pariyar@samatafoundation.org),

Abstract: 

The Nepali society and its mechanisms are fundamentally rooted to the Hindu Varna system. In its contemporary social construct despite coming off age amidst the liberalization and growing technological advancement, Dalit community, comprising more than 13.6% of Nepal’s population, continue to experience caste indignities in their everyday lives. They are exposed to insecurity, verbal, and physical assault even to the extent of risk to their lives due to caste discrimination. Dalit community has witnessed murder and group lynching of young Dalits like Nawaraj B.K. and Ajit Mijar among many, compelling their families to live in the aftermath of the horrific incidences, with the corps of the latter one waiting inside the frozen cube in the morgue house of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgung, for the justice to be delivered.

This paper dissects the constitutional and legal frameworks pertaining to Caste-Based Discrimination and Untouchability (CBDU) and assesses the effectiveness of these polices, and the efficiency and responsiveness of the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) generating policy recommendations for the law makers, activists and scholars calling for collective and urgent actions. The secondary data source, the Dalit Human Rights Book created from Media Monitoring of Samata foundation, National Dalit Commission, Nepal Police Administration, INSEC and National Human Rights Commission for last 4 years show insignificantly decreasing trend of Dalit Human Rights (DHR) violations, while, the emergence of newer forms of the incidents indicates that the discrimination diversifies with the changing contexts. Key Informant Interviews conducted with right activists revealed that the low rate of case registrations evidently highlights political influence over police authority and the reluctance of the same for enforcement in the cases of CBDU, and the minimal rate of justice delivery to the victims. Similarly, case studies of the victims and their families illustrate grave risk and threat to life induced by the inefficiency and irresponsiveness of the LEAs leading to hostility to the victims.

The paper concludes that the amendment of the Caste-Based and Other Social Untouchability and Discrimination (Offense and Punishment) Act 2011, revising sentence and penalties to more than 3 years for offenders and shifting the burden of proof to the accused is imperative in ensuring justice for victims of caste-based discrimination. Orientation and rollout of the CBDU case management- legal aid and support service, through construction of provincial and local level Dalit Rights Codes and Dalit empowerment bills respectively would serve a strong backbone for the victims in the journey of justice. Similarly, the moral and legal education of the non-Dalits plays a key role in reducing the CBDU incidents. The evidence from this study can provide the rights activists and the leaders of Dalit sister wings of various political parties the tools to strengthen their agency in advocating for the DHR from both parliament and grassroots movements.

Author keywords: Dalit Human Rights, CBDU policies, Caste discrimination, Untouchability, Justice

Abstract # ASys-4

Title: Conceptual Framework of the Unified Oppressed Caste Front in Nepal        

Authors: Ram Tamata (tamataram26@gmail.com), Nepal,  Unified Oppressed Caste Front (संयुक्त उद्पीडित जातीय मोर्चा); Dick Bahadur Bishwakarma (nepaldalitinfo@yahoo.com),  Nepal, Unified Oppressed Caste Front (संयुक्त उद्पीडित जातीय मोर्चा)                

Abstract: 

Since the existing structure of the state is based on the traditional Hindu feudal varna system in Nepal's geographical and social diversity, the practice of caste discrimination and untouchability for centuries has not only divided the Nepali society but has also been a hindrance in the journey of peace, prosperity and development. Although the political and social movements at different times have been successful in bringing about some changes in the nature of the political system, they have not played much role in changing the basic structure and culture of the caste system. In order to uproot the structural and cultural character that has been badly rooted in the caste system for centuries, the political concept and organizational functioning of the United Oppressed Caste Front has been organised with the goal of bringing political, economic and social transformation to change the social structure and culture of the caste system by organizing the oppressed ethnic liberation movement on the basis of humanistic scientific thinking, not trapped in the circle of separate ethnic narrowness.

The Unified Oppressed Caste Front (संयुक्त उद्पीडित जातीय मोर्चा) is a collective entity founded on the basis of identity, co-existence and community socialism. It works for awareness, organization, and socio-political transformation for uplifting oppressed caste people in Nepalese society. In this initiative, the fundamental aspects include social, economic, and ideological revolution. The foundation of this movement is built upon the transformation of society and governance, where social justice and equality prevail. The objective of this movement are: 1) to achieve political, economic, and social transformation through comprehensive efforts, 2) to ensure active participation in governance and nation-building, 3) to establish an egalitarian and inclusive society through collective struggle.

The pillars of transformation are as follows: 1) Political Change: Advocating for a just and inclusive political system; 2) Social Justice: Addressing discrimination and ensuring social security; 3) Economic Growth: Promoting self-sufficiency and sustainable development; 4) International Relations: Strengthening Nepal’s global presence through diplomatic and economic ties; 5) Federal Structure & Decentralization: Empowering local governance for effective decision-making; 6) Cultural and Social Change: Recognizing diversity and fostering harmony.

In conclusion, this framework aims to create a transformative and progressive society where social justice, equality, and sustainability prevail as fundamental principles. Through collective efforts, strategic planning, and grassroots engagement, the front envisions a future of social and political harmony in Nepal.

Author keywords: State structure, Caste discrimination and untouchability, Political transformation, Social justice and equality, Social and political harmony

Abstract # ASys-5

Title: Caste, Migration and Canadian Dalits: An ethnographic study

Authors: Seema Mahi (seema.mahi@ubc.ca), India, University of British Columbia

Abstract:

The proposed paper aims to present a study that examines how human migration impacts the phenomenon of Caste. It captures the lived reality, plight and assertion of Dalits in the diaspora. To analyze the social and psychological implications of caste and migration, the study builds upon the personal and social encounters of caste experienced by South Asian Dalits in Canada. It highlights the impact and social stigma of caste discrimination on marginalized migrant groups social. As a response to caste discrimination, a Dalit social movement has emerged in Canada. It is focused on Dalit activism and social mobilization of Ad dharmis, Ravidassis and Ambedkarites. Based on personal interviews and focus group discussions in Toronto and Vancouver, the proposed paper examines how Canadian Dalits strive for inclusivity, emancipation and a caste free society.

Author keywords: Caste, Migration, Diaspora, Social movement, Social equality,

Abstract # ASys-6

Title:  Caste in Canada: Oral History Methodology and the lived experience of caste

Author:  Anne Murphy        (anne.murphy@ubc.ca),        Canada, University of British Columbia,  https://history.ubc.ca/profile/anne-murphy/

Abstract:

The “Caste in Canada project – led by myself (of the UBC Department of History) and Dr. Suraj Yengde of Harvard University/the University of Oxford, in collaboration with the Chetna Association of Canada –was inaugurated to document Dalit individual and community histories and experiences within Canada's past and present. It is an “oral history” project, designed to investigate and document the histories of us: the people who make history every day, in all different ways, in our communities, our province, and in our nation. This is one of the special features of oral history as a field, and a practice: the drive to document, and also to listen. There are few places in our world today where the art of listening is so practiced: that is what Oral History is, in its essence. Oral history gives us the opportunity not to listen to the stories only of the powerful, and the dominant – who are generally well represented in the historical record – but instead those who have all too often been left out of that story: people from marginalized communities, women, etc. That is why we undertook this method to understand Dalit history and experience in Canada: to understand the people who have made Dalit history in this country, and who have contributed so much to Canada as a whole.

Author keywords: Oral history, caste in Canada, interviews

Abstract # ASys-7

Title:  In the Shadow: Subject Positions in the Limiting Order of Caste

Authors: Soma Mandal (somamandaliitd@gmail.com) India, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI        https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7SDY5-4AAAAJ&hl=en 

Abstract: 

“Caste has a divine basis. You must, therefore, destroy the sacredness and divinity with which caste has become invested….you must destroy the authority of the Shastras and the Vedas.”

- B. R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste, (69)

In my paper, I take the perspective of the shadow as the discursive entry point for illuminating the question of the subject. As Ambedkar (1936) mentioned, during Peshwa's rule, untouchables were not allowed to occupy concrete human form during the day in the presence of upper-caste people. Only during early morning, at noon and dusk, was the long shadow of the Dalit allowed passage as untouchable. Dalits’ discursive otherness is thus in the inhabitation of this shadow. The question of the Dalit subject has been rather vexing, being a central subject in several works of Dalit literature. Who (author-subject) can write Dalit literature (subject)? The field of Dalit literature is, therefore, suffused with questions of subject, subjectivity, experience, authorship, authority, anxiety, and acknowledgment of history’s other. I take three thinkers, Ambedkar, Foucault, and Balibar, who have advanced the conception of the “subject,” For example, Balibar (2003) traces the term to the word’s Latin etymology to "subjectum" or "substratum," a neutral term. Balibar categorizes subjectum as belonging to the logico-grammatical tradition while, on the other hand, “We have the masculine term "subjectus," which is to be understood as equivalent to the medieval "subditus" (subordinate),” and this belongs to the meaning of political, juristic, and the theological. I thus situate these three thinkers in examining the possibilities of subject construction, analyzing the term’s usage, significance, and construction in Dalit literary works and anti-caste theory.

Author keywords:  Dalit literature, subject, Ambedkar, caste, shadow, history

Submitted Mar 25, 03:24

Abstract # ASys-8

Title: From Classroom to Capitol: Grassroots Organizing for Caste Equity in Social Work Education and California Policy through SB 403

Author: Prem Pariyar (prem@equalitylabs.org), United States, University of San Francisco / Equality Labs

Abstract: 

This presentation explores the transformative journey of grassroots organizing that began in a social work classroom at CSU East Bay and expanded into a statewide campaign culminating in the passage of California Senate Bill 403 (SB 403), which recognizes caste as a protected category. Grounded in lived experiences of caste-oppressed students and allies within the California State University (CSU) system, this presentation traces how academic spaces can become incubators for critical consciousness, resistance, and policy innovation.

This examine how students, faculty, and community organizations mobilized to challenge caste-blind structures within higher education, building a movement that reshaped institutional policies and contributed to statewide legislative change. Emphasis will be placed on the CSU-wide campaign to include caste in anti-discrimination policies, the political education and coalition-building that empowered this effort, and the intersections of caste, race, immigration, and labor within this broader justice framework.

The presentation highlights lessons in navigating institutional resistance, building solidarity across communities, and translating lived oppression into legislative language. By connecting grassroots organizing in social work departments to tangible policy outcomes like SB 403, this session underscores the power of education-driven activism in the fight for caste equity and social justice.

Author keywords: Caste Equity, Discrimination, Anti-discrimination Policy, Grassroot organizing, Coalition-building

Abstract #  ASys-9

Title: Determinants, Mediating Factors, and Systemic Impacts of Structural Racism/Casteism across Populations in South Asian and Western Countries

Dr. Drona Prakash Rasali

Sahayatra International Alliance for Social Justice, Canada

Emotional Well-Being Institute-Canada

(drona.rasali@ewbi-canada.org)

Abstract

Background: Structural casteism in South Asia (e.g. Nepal and India) and structural racism in western countries are deeply entrenched within societal frameworks, perpetuating inequities that extend across economic, socio-political, educational, health and well-being, and institutional domains. A critical but often overlooked consequence of these systemic disparities is health outcomes (Low Birthweight, mental health stigma experienced by marginalized caste groups, which further reinforces their exclusion and vulnerability.

Objective: This presentation aims to describe the characteristics, determinants, and mediating factors of structural casteism that contribute to the perpetuation of mental health stigma within Nepal’s caste-driven society.

Methods: Adapting the idea from my previous study on structural racism (Rasali et al., 2025), macro-level societal information was collected from diverse sources, including Nepal’s Social Inclusion Survey 2018, peer-reviewed scientific literature, and general media reports. These data were integrated to synthesize a pictorial model that visually represents the systemic and interdependent nature of caste-based discrimination.

Findings: The model illustrates how caste-based inequities in income, education, employment, and land ownership are compounded by institutional discrimination, lack of political representation, and deeply rooted cultural beliefs. These structural barriers manifest at the community level through exclusionary practices, hate crimes, and denial of access to economic and public spaces, which collectively contribute to chronic stress and allostatic load over the life course. This prolonged exposure to adversity exacerbates mental health vulnerabilities leading to setback in emotional well-being, yet caste-related stigma prevents affected individuals from seeking care, reinforcing cycles of social and economic marginalization. Despite constitutional rights and legal provisions against caste-based discrimination, systemic barriers persist, limiting the effectiveness of existing policies.

Conclusion: Addressing structural casteism requires targeted reparative policy interventions that go beyond legal provisions to dismantle systemic inequities. Integrating inclusive governance, equitable resource distribution, and culturally sensitive mental health initiatives is crucial to mitigating the long-term psychosocial impacts of casteism and fostering a more inclusive society.

Author keywords: structural racism/casteism, determinants, mediating factors, health disparities, mental health stigma, emotional well-being setback.

Abstract #  ASys-10

Title:  Establishing Academic Institution for Native Skill, Arts and Culture in Nepal

Author:  Man Bishwakarma, Native Arts and Heritage Academy Nepal manbdr.bk123@gmail.com

Abstract:

Nepal is a country of diversity with Dalits, indigenous people and aboriginal communities who have their own cultures, knowledge, skills and occupations. In fact, around the world, these are the drivers of human civilizations over ages, inventing weapons, agricultural equipment, clothing, housing, health healing and even the community-ruling mechanisms. Certain occupations have specific ritual, ceremonial or spiritual dimensions or functions. There is a deep divergence in trends around the world, while it is clear that a majority of native artifacts and culture have been in decline.

Whatever inventions are coming up in the modern-era, they are originally based on those native knowledge and skills. Nevertheless, throughout the passage of advancing civilizations, they remained as the working class and deprived of socio-economic advantage due to the systemic barriers. The modernizations especially the open market system through globalization captured and distorted such native skills, knowledge and culture for the benefit of few.

Nepal’s basic as well as higher education started with the imported knowledge. Even today, there is no such single academic institution focusing on native knowledge, skills, culture and overall heritage in Nepal. The 2021 Census revealed 142 castes and ethnicities. The indigenous people (59 groups) are estimated to account for approximately 36 percent of the country’s total population with some 250 native occupations. Likewise, out of nearly 14 percent of the population of Dalits, around 42 percent are still engaged in their 32 traditional occupations. However, such heritages have been shadowed with the modernization of the society.

With this background a community-based academic institution felt needed to generate and redistribute emancipatory knowledge based on the ‘critical ethno-caste theory’ that can transform the world into an egalitarian green society, explore history and create knowledge on native artifacts, culture and national heritage, reimage the identity of native communities in an egalitarian social status; and preserve, promote and commercialize their native knowledge, skills, arts, culture and heritage for the country's prosperity. For this purpose, Native Arts and Heritage Academy Nepal has been incorporated in August 10, 2022, probably the first for the heritage education in Nepal.

Since its inception it has been running some heritage learning dialogues in collaboration with UNESCO and some concerned academic institutions. It has been also campaigning for a special university for Native Arts and culture in Nepal as provisioned in the national education policy 2025.

As a result of the campaigning Nepal Government formed a five-member-committee to study the feasibility on April 3, 2023. The committee worked hard and submitted the report on 12 June 2023 recommending a committee for preparatory work to establish such university as per the policy and need of the country. On July 10, 2023, a ten-member preparatory committee has been formed by the Nepal Government to precede its preparatory work. The committee had several meetings and introduced an inception report with some recommendations. However, due to the lack of budget allocation from the ministry, it has been stuck to move ahead from the government side. Nevertheless, the academy is carrying its work regularly.

Author keywords: Native Science,  Ancestral Occupations, Community University

Submitted: Mar 30, 15:55        

Abstract #  ASys-11

Title:  Unveiling Caste-Based Health Inequities to Advancing Equity and Inclusion in South Asian Health Research in Canada: The Research Protocol

Authors:

Ananya Banerjee, McGill University, Canada ananya.banerjee@mcgill.ca;  

Anita Lal, Moving Forward Family Services, Canada contact@anitalal.com         

Abstract:

Caste plays a critical yet often overlooked role in understanding health inequities among South Asian communities in Canada, as it intersects with other identities such as gender, class, and immigration status to shape experiences of discrimination and marginalization. Despite its significance, caste remains largely unacknowledged in health research, risking the exacerbation of health disparities among caste-oppressed communities. In South Asian countries, caste-based hierarchies affect access to resources, opportunities, and social networks—inequities that persist even post-migration. An intersectional lens reveals how caste-based stigma and exclusion continue to impact mental health, healthcare access, and social integration within Canadian society. By studying caste, we uncover hidden inequities, offering a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by South Asian communities living in Canada. The development of the Principles to Operationalize Community Engagement, Equity, and Sustainability in South Asian Health Research in Canada (PROCESS) framework funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research advocates for the inclusion and leadership of South Asian communities, particularly those affected by caste, in academic health research. This initiative seeks to identify ethical practices to achieve health equity and develop guiding principles for culturally competent and effective research collaborations. Utilizing an intersectionality-informed qualitative design, our diverse team of South Asian academics, trainees, and community partners will employ purposive maximum variation sampling to capture a spectrum of perspectives, with a particular emphasis on caste-related experiences. Data will be analyzed through open coding and member-checking to develop principles for meaningful engagement. This work highlights the need to study caste-related health inequities, fosters balanced power dynamics, and promotes health equity for South Asian communities in Canada through inclusive, socially just research.

Author keywords: South Asian Health Equity, Caste, Research Justice, Canada

Abstract # ASys-12

Title: From Caste Equity to Caste Abolition: Struggling Towards Begumpura

Authors & Affiliation: Manmit Singh, Poetic Justice Foundation; University of British Columbia, Canada contact@manmitsingh.com; Anita Lal, Poetic Justice Foundation, contact@anitalal.com

Abstract:

Building from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's teachings that “political revolutions have always been preceded by social and religious revolutions” given that “the emancipation of the mind and the soul is a necessary preliminary for the political expansion of the people,” this paper brings together the overlaps, tensions, and contradictions between the Ambedkarite and Sikh tradition to ask: what lessons can be learned that guide us towards caste abolitionist futures? In other words, how do we imagine, but more importantly, how do we struggle and build towards Begumpura?

The paper draws on our experiences as community organizers working within anti-caste, South Asian, and Sikh movement spaces in the diaspora and employs a self-reflexive methodology to critically examine the challenges, possibilities, and lessons of building solidarity. By doing so, this paper will explore how the teachings and principles of Sikhi are being mobilized to imagine and build towards caste abolition.

While much of the anti-caste movement work in the diaspora has focused on furthering caste equity--an important and necessary pursuit--this paper reflects on the tensions between caste equity and the larger vision of caste abolition. Drawing from our organizing experiences, we examine how Sikhi has provided insights and strategies on how to navigate the gap between the two. By doing so, we think through what it means to move beyond equity towards abolition, and how we may resist co-optation of anti-caste work into frameworks that end up reproducing violence under the guise of reform.

Furthermore, the paper foregrounds the social and spiritual transformations that both precede, and emerge from, the process of working towards political transformation. Through the complexities of organizing across historical harms, differences, and disparities--where a sense of community is fragmented, absent, and yet-to-be-realized--we explore the challenges and possibilities of rethinking intersectionality and coalition-building. By doing so, we raise questions about who is deemed disposable, how do we navigate the interplay of hope and despair in the face of ongoing violences, and how do we insist on community even where it may not be reciprocated.

Lastly, by centering on Begumpura--an anti-caste articulation by Guru Ravidas Ji--as not merely a futuristic aspiration, but a present practice and cultivation, we argue that caste abolition requires more than just structural change. It demands an embodied commitment to building Begumpura in the present and in the everyday, through the ways we relate, organize, and imagine together. By grounding the analysis in Sikh and Ambedkarite teachings of holding the political and the spiritual as interconnected, the paper portrays the messiness of struggling towards equality and justice as a generative site of learning. Supplementing learnings from activism with academic and theoretical engagements from anti-caste studies, queer and trans studies, and ethnic and racial studies, this paper reflects on the transformative potential of Dr. Ambedkar's vision of equality and justice in the 21st century.

Author keywords: Caste abolition, caste equity, Sikhi, Begumpura

Abstract # ASys-13  

Title: “With Liberty and Justice For All”: American Ideals and a Caste-free World

Author:  Benjamin Welsh, Morgan State University, United States, benjamin.welsh@morgan.edu http://www.morgan.edu        

Abstract:

For at least two centuries, American ideals such as freedom and economic opportunity have attracted people from around the globe to America’s shores. What is rarely acknowledged and even overlooked by many immigrants is the simple fact that their adopted homeland is not what it purports to be, namely casteless. Consequently, an immigrant attempting to escape caste systems altogether by relocating to America ends up ensnared in another, completely different, caste system, that may be even more confusing, confounding, and cruel than the caste system of his or her birth country. Using historical, cultural lenses along with textural support, this presentation will shed new light on the origins of the American caste system, along with the myths that perpetuate the illusion of American castelessness. Included will be interpretation of ideals articulated by the founding fathers’ in the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution as well as those that were assumed and went unstated. Special attention will be paid to the ideas of liberty, Protestant Salvation, the common good, and Puritan communalism—the predominant cultural configuration operating in America at the time of its founding. Along the way, the continuum of culture, which juxtaposes individualistic cultures with collectivistic cultures, will be amended to permit analysis of communalistic cultural groups that maintain distinct borders. [word count: 212]

Author keywords: U.S. History, Puritans, liberty, salvation, communalism, continuum of culture, caste

Abstract # ASys-14  

Title: Global Legal and Policy Frameworks for a Caste-Free World

Author:  Ranjana Bishwakarma (ranjana.bishwakarma@anu.edu.au), Department of International Law and Diplomacy, Australian National university, Australia

Abstract:

The caste system is a deeply entrenched social hierarchy that perpetuates systemic inequality and exclusion; as a result, more than 250 million Dalits across the world have been compelled to live an inhuman life. While caste-based discrimination is widely condemned as a human rights violation, international legal frameworks fail to recognize caste as a distinct category and often subsume it under racial discrimination. This misclassification overlooks the structural nature of caste, limiting effective global interventions. This paper will examine the inadequacies of current legal and policy approaches and propose a required international framework for dismantling caste-based violations at the international level. First, it will argue that the absence of a dedicated UN convention or resolution on caste discrimination weakens legal accountability. A binding international framework, akin to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), would establish caste oppression as a global human rights violation. Second, it will highlight the need for institutional mechanisms, including a UN Special Rapporteur on Caste and a South Asian Regional Institution, and establish a dedicated mechanism to ensure systematic monitoring and accountability. Third, it will advocate for more vigorous enforcement measures, such as international sanctions on non-compliant governments and systematic documentation of caste-related violations to assess state compliance. Finally, as the caste system is the basis of the labor and work division, recognizing caste as a global issue within human rights mechanisms, at least in International Labor Organization (ILO) policies in South Asia, would integrate caste into labor rights and migration protections. These measures collectively aim to dismantle caste-based hierarchies and foster a genuinely caste-free world, reinforcing the principles of equality and human dignity.

Author keywords: Caste discrimination, International framework, global human rights mechanism, Labor rights, migration protection

Abstract #  # ASys-15

Title:  Empowering Dalit Youth Through Digital Literacy

Authors: Nitin Priyadarshi (nitinpriyadarshi70@gmail.com), Narendra Paswan        mdnfnepal_011@yahoo.com        India, MDNF(Madheshi Dalit Ngo Federation) https://www.mdnfnepal.org/

Abstract:

This presentation will share insights from the work of Madheshi Dalit NGOo Federation (MDNF) in rural Nepal, where we have focused on education, empowerment, and social inclusion of Dalit communities. Post-COVID-19, we observed increased drop-out rates and a rise in discrimination due to poverty and caste-based stigma. Through targeted interventions such as providing bicycles, educational materials, and digital awareness programs, our grassroots initiative helped over 700 students return to school. We will present stories from the field, challenges faced by local volunteers, and the importance of culturally rooted solutions to caste oppression.

Caste-based discrimination remains a deeply embedded social issue in South Asia. This presentation will examine the intergenerational impact of caste on educational access, especially in rural communities. Drawing from real-life examples from the Terai region, we will discuss how caste, poverty, and gender intersect to limit opportunities. We also explore how NGOs can play a transformative role in breaking these cycles through strategic community involvement, leadership development, and cross-border partnerships. This session aims to spark dialogue on sustainable, inclusive development practices.

In this talk, we explore the connection between caste-based exclusion and mental health, especially among youth in marginalized communities. Using data and field experiences from our projects in southern Nepal, we highlight how discrimination not only limits social mobility but also affects identity, self-worth, and participation in public life. We advocate for integrating mental health support into educational and social justice initiatives, and propose collaborative frameworks that prioritize dignity, resilience, and healing for caste-affected populations.

This presentation will focus on youth-led advocacy and the rise of digital platforms as tools to challenge caste narratives. With the help of storytelling, videos, and online campaigns, young people from marginalized communities are reclaiming their identity and leading movements for justice. Our case study features a group of students trained by MDNF NGO who used media to amplify local voices and bring attention to caste-based exclusion in education and employment. Participants will learn how to initiate similar programs and use technology for social transformation.

Author keywords:  Caste-based discrimination, Dalit empowerment, social justice, Educational equity, Grassroots activism, Inclusive development, Youth leadership, Marginalized communities, NGO initiatives, Human rights advocacy.

Submitted April 18, 2025.

Abstract #  # ASys-17 [POSTER PRESENTATION]

Title:        Empowering Marginalized Communities Through Education and Inclusion: A Grassroots Case Study from Rural Nepal

Authors: Nitin Priyadarshi, MDNF(Madheshi Dalit Ngo Federation), Nepal nitinpriyadarshi70@gmail.com

Abstract:

The persistence of caste-based discrimination continues to deny marginalized communities their fundamental rights and dignity across South Asia. In rural Nepal, structural casteism intersects with poverty, lack of access to education, and post-pandemic vulnerabilities, leading to exclusion and generational inequality. This paper presents a case study from Rautahat district where MDNF NGO has been working directly with Dalit communities to promote inclusive education, health, and social participation. Our approach included school re-enrollment drives, distribution of bicycles, notebooks, hygiene kits, and direct support to local teachers. These interventions have led to notable improvements in school attendance and confidence among students from historically excluded backgrounds. By highlighting our challenges, strategies, and successes, we aim to contribute to the global dialogue on dismantling caste hierarchies and advancing social justice through grassroots empowerment.

Author keywords: Caste-based discrimination, Dalit empowerment, Inclusive education, Grassroots development, Post-pandemic recovery, Rural Nepal, Educational equity, Social justice Intergenerational poverty, Marginalized communities, Bicycle distribution, Community mobilization, Gender and caste intersectionality, Youth leadership.

Abstract #: ASys-18

Title: Caste-Based Discrimination, Untouchability and Justice in Nepal: Engagement of of National, and International Laws

Author: Trilok Chand Vishwas V K, Nepal National Dalit Social Welfare Organization (NNDSWO), Nepal http://www.nndswo.org.np nationalpresident@nndswo.org.np

Abstract:

The Nepal National Dalit Social Welfare Organization (NNDSWO), established in 1982, stands as Nepal’s pioneering non-governmental organization committed to the rights, dignity, and empowerment of the Dalit community. Founded for Dalit movement, NNDSWO envisions an inclusive society free from caste-based discrimination, exploitation, and poverty. Through grassroots mobilization, legal advocacy, and public campaigns, the organization has worked for over four decades to eliminate untouchability, strengthen access to justice, and uphold human rights for Dalit and other marginalized populations. Despite the existence of legal frameworks prohibiting caste-based discrimination in Nepal, the lived experiences of Dalit reflect persistent systemic injustice and social exclusion. NNDSWO has actively documented, intervened in, and advocated justice for several grassroot level cases of caste-based violence that expose the enduring grip of structural inequality across Nepalese society. One of the most widely recognized and tragic cases are the Navaraj BK Massacre. On May 23, 2020, Navaraj BK, a 21-year-old Dalit youth from Jajarkot, and five of his friends were brutally murdered in West Rukum for inter caste relation on mutual understanding among boy and girl. The recent conviction on this case with 26 individuals, including 24 life sentences, marked a rare but significant victory for Dalit justice, reinforcing the importance of relentless advocacy by organizations like NNDSWO. Similarly harrowing is the Sete Damai case from Dailekh district, where inter-caste marriage of his son led to Sete’s murder in 2011. The Ajit Mijar case is emblematic of Nepal’s failures in forensic investigation and justice delivery.

Children have not been spared from this violence. In 2020, Angira Pasi, a 12-year-old Dalit girl from Rupandehi, was found dead under suspicious circumstances. The 2021 death of Bhim Bahadur BK, a 58-year-old Dalit man from Chitwan, Samjhana BK, a teenage girl from Bajhang, was raped and murdered in 2020. Her attacker, previously known for similar abuse, remained unchecked until Samjhana’s death. Dalit women face multifaceted oppression, as seen in the 2016 case of Laxmi Pariyar, who was publicly assaulted in Kavrepalanchok after being accused of witchcraft—a practice often weaponized against Dalit women. Several other cases highlight continuing patterns of forced displacement, systemic exclusion, and social ostracization including Ganesh Chandara, Mana Sarki, Sundar Harijan and Manbir Sunar. Women like Kalasa BK and Fulmaya Damai faced sexual exploitation, abandonment, and denial of paternity due to caste status.

NNDSWO is working towards meaningful engagement of National and International Laws to grasp and address Dalit issues. NNDSWO’s efforts to document, mobilize, and advocate in these cases have played a pivotal role in holding perpetrators accountable and bringing national and international attention to Dalit human rights abuses. The continued presence on Universal Periodic Review (UPR), ICERD, and CEDAW through contribution is one the examples. This situation reveals an urgent need for structural transformation, including stronger legal implementation, victim protection programs, and public education to dismantle caste-based hierarchies. NNDSWO calls upon the state, civil society, and international allies to join in sustained action to end caste-based violence and ensure dignity, rights, and justice for all.

Keywords: Dalit, Caste Based Discrimination, Untouchability, Law and Policy

Abstract #: ASys-19

Title:        Caste and Drought: How Caste-Based Institutions Shape Social Vulnerability to Climate Change in Nepal

Author: Khem Lal Bishwakarma, 1. Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal, 2. Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. khem.century@gmail.com

Abstract:

This study critically examines how caste-based institutions shape social vulnerability to climate change-induced drought in Chisapani, Nepal. Drawing on preliminary findings from interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation, it highlights how historical and ongoing caste hierarchies systematically constrain the adaptive capacity of marginalized groups, particularly Dalits. Legacy land tenure systems such as Birta, historically reserved for upper-caste Brahmins (Tagadharis), entrenched structural dispossession by relegating lower-caste groups to tenant farming on drought-prone uplands with minimal irrigation. These spatial disadvantages are compounded by caste-based untouchability norms that historically prohibited Dalits from touching communal drinking water sources, such as Padhera (springs), forcing them to rely on distant or rain-fed sources and heightening their exposure to drought-related hardships. Although caste discrimination has been formally abolished, caste hierarchies persist in local governance. Dalits remain underrepresented in institutions such as community forestry user committees, limiting their influence over resource allocation during droughts. Economic insecurity further exacerbates their vulnerability: many rely on informal loans and migration during crop failures. Both Dalit and Non-Tagadhari households report declining maize yields, yet face barriers in accessing climate-resilient technologies and support systems. While overt untouchability has declined, social exclusion persists through taboos around inter-caste marriage and participation in rituals (e.g., Kul Puja), restricting access to social networks vital for resilience. These preliminary insights reveal how formal policies and informal norms intersect to produce caste-differentiated climate vulnerabilities. The study calls for reparative adaptation strategies that redress land inequities, ensure inclusive governance, and integrate the knowledge of marginalized communities, offering a framework for caste-sensitive climate resilience in South Asia.

Author keywords:        caste-based vulnerability, climate change adaptation, Nepal

CONFERENCE MEDIA COVERAGE

Media News coverage:

• https://nepalnews.com/s/society/global-conference-for-a-caste-free-world-2025-taking-place-in-toronto/

• https://www.nepalilink.com/2025/05/20/101740.html

• https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2025/05/1684647/global-conference-to-be-held-in-canada-for-a-world-free-of-racial-discrimination

• https://nepalnewsbank.com/newsdetail/33530

• https://kendrabindu.com/news/423317/

• https://www.arthadabali.com/2025/05/20/73458

• https://instakhabar.com/news/40130/

• ६०औँ अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय जातीय भेदभाव उन्मूलन दिवसको अवसरमा सहयात्रा क्यानडाले आयोजना ग-यो वेबिनार

• Global Conference for a Caste-Free World 2025 being organized in Toronto, Call for registration | enepalese | https://www.enepalese.com/2025/02/449333.html

• ‘जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन’ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै | enepalese https://www.enepalese.com/2025/02/449328.html

• जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन २०२५ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै https://hollywoodkhabar.com/archives/1516

• ‘जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन’ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै

• जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन २०२५ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुने https://nepali.gnbnow.com/archives/10130

• ‘जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्व’ सम्बन्धी विश्व सम्मेलन किन https://www.ratopati.com/story/474444/why-a-world-conference-on-39a-world-free-of-racial-discrimination39

• जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन २०२५ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुने - जिएनबी-नेपाली विश्व समाचार

• ‘जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन’ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै | enepalese

• जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन २०२५ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै – Lagani News

• जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन २०२५ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै - Rojgar Manch

• https://rojgarmanch.com/abroad/2025/02/85622/

• Global Conference for a Caste-Free World 2025 being organised in Toronto - The DMN News | Breaking News, Live Updates, Analysis from Nepal The DMN News | Breaking News, Live Updates, Analysis from Nepal

• क्यानडाको टोरन्टोमा जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन हुने :ANZ Khabar

• जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै - europati

• ‘जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन’ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै – Nepalilink

• टोरन्टोमा जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन’ हुँदै

• ‘जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन’ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै | Nepalswiss

• Global Conference for a Caste-Free World 2025 being organized in Toronto, Call for registration | Nepaldalitinfo International

• जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन २०२५ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै – Hollywoodkhabar

• ‘जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्वका लागि विश्व सम्मेलन’ टोरन्टोमा आयोजना हुँदै – Nepalilink

• https://dalitonline.com/2025/02/22/22319/

• https://samatapost.com/article/933?fbclid=IwY2xjawIvLsBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaRh834KkWJ8fq76y1fPv3RjueBvDxYOBj1OWkMjS-yJkg9uNNn2COfHRg_aem_TGgLI1a7ElfXM17dHhoDSA

Interviews and Articles:

•  ‘विश्व सम्मेलनमा जातीय विभेदका कारण पीडित करोडौं जनताको अवस्थाबारे छलफल गरिनेछ’- सन्तोष विश्वकर्मा | enepalese

• Interview: ‘Traditional caste system is a man-made social construct that has pushed the Dalits to continued state of oppression’-Dr Drona Prakash Rasali (https://www.southasiatime.com/2025/02/15/traditional-caste-system-is-a-man-made-social-construct-that-has-pushed-the-dalits-to-continued-state-of-oppression-dr-drona-prakash-rasali/)
• ‘जातीय विभेद मुक्त विश्व’ सम्बन्धी विश्व सम्मेलन किन ? | Nepal's first 24-hour updated news portal - Ratopati

BIOGRAPHIES OF CONFERENCE SPEAKERS, PRESENTERS AND PARTNERING SUPPORTERS

Prof. Drona Prakash Rasali, PhD, FACE, DSF, Speaker and Conference Chair, Global Conference for a Caste Free World 2025

Dr. Drona P. Rasali is a multidisciplinary biomedical scientist with expertise in One Health, chronic disease epidemiology, population and public health, emotional well-being, social justice, food security, and sustainable development. He currently holds Investigator Emeritus status at the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health, and was Adjunct Professor at the University of Regina (2009–2019). He previously served and retired as Director of Population Health Surveillance & Epidemiology at BCCDC (2012–2023) at the British Columbia Government’s Provincial Health Services Authority and as the Provincial Chronic Disease Epidemiologist with the Government of Saskatchewan (2005–2012). Prior to immigrating to Canada in 1999, he worked in Nepal for nearly two decades as a veterinarian and senior scientist with the Government of Nepal. More recently, he also held a Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Race and Health Policy (2023–24) at the University of Memphis Law School in the United States. Dr. Rasali is a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology (2014), an Honorary Life Member of the Canadian Public Health Association (2023), and a Distinguished STAR Fellow (2023). He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications and contributed extensively to governmental reports and edited volumes in his areas of expertise including on the topics of structural racism and casteism. A strong advocate for social justice and equity coming from a Dalit community of Nepal, Dr. Rasali founded the Nepaldalitinfo International Network in 2003 with over 500 intellectual members and continues to serve as its International Moderator.

Drona Rasali earned a PhD from the University of Manitoba, Canada, an MSc from the University of the Philippines, and a professional degree BVSc (DVM-equivalent) from India. He completed postgraduate in-service-training in veterinary pathology at the Animal Health Laboratories of the Western Australian Government (1985), and served as an honorary Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK (1996).

Prof. Dr. Laurence Simon

Professor of International Development and Sustainability, Director of the Center for Global Development and Sustainability at Brandeis University.

Dr. Laurence Simon is a Professor of International Development and Director of the Center for Global Development and Sustainability at Brandeis University. He was the Founding Director of the Graduate Programs in Sustainable International Development (1993–2014) and served as Associate Dean for Academic Planning at the Heller School (2003–2009). Since 2018, he has been Joint Editor-in-Chief of CASTE: A Global Journal on Social Exclusion. His research focuses on social exclusion, emancipatory development, poverty reduction, and the role of social movements in development. Dr. Simon has held prominent roles, including senior adviser on global poverty for the Google Foundation and Visiting Scholar at Stanford University. He also contributed to the design of a new university in Sri Lanka. In 2024, Woxsen University in India inaugurated the 'Laurence Simon Department of Economics' in his honor. Additionally, Dr. Simon founded the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) in 1984 and served as its President until 1989.

Dr. Steve Folmar

Associate Professor of Anthropology, Associate Chair of the Department of Cultural/Applied Anthropology Wake Forest University, USA

Dr. Steve Folmar is an Anthropologist on faculty at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He launched his ethnographic research in Nepal in 1979 and continues to do so today. For the past 24 years, he has concentrated on the life experiences of Dalit people, mainly in Lamjung District, but also in Lalitpur, Syangja and Kaski. His work has included investigations of the contribution of Dalit people to Village Tourism, Dalit identity and livelihood, Dalit identity politics, mental health and the effects of the 2015 earthquake on Dalit lives. Most recently he has attempted to illuminate the health seeking challenges facing Dalit and other marginalized people in Lamjung and the barriers to healthcare facing them. That project has evolved into a modest but significant effort to raise funds to support their efforts to improve their health, livelihood and other aspects of life. Folmar's publications include: Identity Politics among Dalits in Nepal; Being, Becoming, Belonging: Revisiting the Effects of Caste and Disaster on the Mental Health of Dalits in Nepal and; Addressing Dalit Wellbeing through Counter Ritual (forthcoming). In 2023, he organized the conference The Quest for Dignity. Dalit Rights and Dignity; Past, Present and Future at Wake Forest University. He is also co-organizer of the Global Dialogue for Dalit Studies in South Asia. Folmar has committed the last 2 1/2 decades of his career to Nepal's Dalit people with the purpose of helping them move forward into a caste-free society.

Durga Sob

Dalit Female Rights Activist, Founder FEDO

As a lifelong advocate for the rights of Dalit and women, Mrs. Durga Sob is  the founding President of the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) and the former president of DNF she was a member secretary of the National Dalit Commission. Board of Directors of the International Movement Against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism- Japan (IMADR), Senior Advisor of Asian Dalit Rights Forum (ADRF)). She is Board member of Global Forum on Communities Discrimination based on work and Descent (CDWD).She served as a Advisor of Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG) for UN Women, Nepal.  She was a founder President of Inclusive Women Alliance for Peace, Justice and Democracy (SANKALPA).  This wide range of experience has also meant that she have been involved in numerous creative and innovative approaches on social inclusion, participation and human rights of Dalit/women who have been systematically excluded both traditionally, as well as in the new post conflict reality of Nepal. She is actively engaging in UN mechanisms (CEDAW, CERD, UPR, BEIJING +, SDGs …) at National, Regional and UN level.

Dr. Carminda Mac Lorin

Ph.D Applied Human Sciences

Dr. Carminda Mac Lorin is an expert in Applied Human Sciences, an activist involved in several transnational networks, and a musician. She co-coordinated the 2016 World Social Forum and serves on its International Council. A driving force behind the upcoming World Social Forum of Intersections, set for May 29 to June 1, 2025, Carminda is also the founder and CEO of the international non-profit organization "Katalizo" (www.katalizo.org)".

Prof. Dr. Man Bahadur Bishwakarma

Chairperson, Native Arts and Heritage Academy, Nepal

Former Secretary of Nepal Government, the first from Dalit Community

Dr. Man Bahadur Bishwakarma (Bk), former Secretary of Nepa Government and former Dean of Madhesh University, is a faculty member of Akamai University (AU), USA as a professor for Economics. He did postdoc research on food security as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar (2016/17) at Brandeis University, USA. He did Ph.D. in Social Inclusion in Microfinance in 2011. With advanced degrees from Nepal, the Netherlands, and Japan, he has long working experience with global organizations like UNDP, UNICEF and the World Bank. In 2010, he joined the Nepal’s government bureaucracy as a joint secretary and was promoted to the secretary in the Government of Nepal, the first from Dalit community reaching to the highest position in Nepal. He retired in April 2021, and got associated with Akamai University. He spearheaded a new initiative of establishing Native Arts and Heritage Academy, Nepal, and is leading a campaign towards establishing a university for native skill arts and culture, affiliated with AU.  The AU has established the ‘Centre for Global Equality’ in his recommendation to run the critical studies against inequality and discrimination. He has written a dozens of text-books and several books on development issues including Social Inclusion, Microfinance, Eradicating Hunger, Green Growth etc. Some of his papers are available at https://akamaiuniversity.academia.edu/ManBkPhD.

Dr. Bk introduced the community-banking model in Nepal through his PhD research which is recognized as the third generation microfinance. He also conceptualized the ideas of Protective Liberalism, Liberal Socialism, Native Food Regime,Transformative Democracy, CORONOMICs, Green Growth etc. through his research. Prof. Bk is also the Senior Thematic Expert for the Policy Research Institute of Nepal Government, a member of Access to Justice Commission, a member of Fulbright Alumni Association of Nepal (FAAN) and president of Native Arts and Heritage Academy Nepal. He is serving as the chief-editor for the English quarterly bulletin ‘Voiceless Voices’.

Advocate Mr. Moti Lal Nepali

Advocate, Dalit Activist, Writer

Advocate Moti Lal Nepali is a pioneer of the Dalit social movement in Nepal and a leading figure in the fight against caste-based discrimination. As a thinker and leader, he founded several key organizations, including the Dalit NGO Federation (1996) and Dalit Welfare Organization (1994). He launched Nepal’s first Dalit-focused radio program in 1996 and a Dalit-themed television program before 1998. He also wrote Nepal's first Dalit awareness song in 1995. A South Asian leader in Dalit rights, he has been active internationally as Senior Vice-Chair of the Global Forum Against Caste-Based Discrimination. Currently, he serves as an advocate, Chair of the Dalit Welfare Association, and Convener of Dalit Dignity Forum. Moti Lal Nepali has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to Dalit empowerment. Notable accolades include the Dr. Ambedkar Kala Shree Puraskar (2003), the Dr. Ambedkar International Brotherhood Award (2007), and the Samaj Sewa Padak, presented by President Bidya Devi Bhandari in 2017. He has also been honored by various organizations, including the Dalit NGO Federation (DNF) and other regional bodies. In addition to his activism, he is a writer and intellectual.

Dr. Madan Prasad Pariyar

Chairperson, Samata Foundation

Dr. Madan Prasad Pariyar, a passionate advocate for Dalit inclusion, chaired Nepal’s State Restructuring Commission in 2011, shaping federalism through extensive consultations with diverse stakeholders. Dr. Pariyar was born into a Dalit family in Rajbiraj, Nepal, and earned his Doctorate in Engineering from AIT, Bangkok. With over 40 years of experience across government, NGOs, academia, and industry, Dr. Pariyar specializes in resilience, inclusion, poverty alleviation, and good governance. He has led research on climate change impacts on marginalized communities and founded the Samata Foundation, a think tank promoting a just and inclusive society. His work includes numerous publications and participation in global forums across 30+ countries.

Dr. Anne Murphy

Associate Professor of History, University of British Columbia

Anne Murphy, Ph.D. (Columbia), is a historian at the University of British Columbia specializing in the cultural and intellectual history of Punjab in India and Pakistan. Her research focuses on Punjabi language and literary culture, caste and gender discourses, progressive movements, religious community formations, and material culture. Her work explores the evolution of Punjabi as a literary language from the early modern to modern periods, including its transition to print. Dr. Murphy has authored two monographs, edited multiple volumes and special journal issues, and published widely in academic journals. Her recent monograph examines political and social imaginaries in Punjabi during late colonial and post-colonial periods. She also translated Zubair Ahmed's Grieving for Pigeons: Twelve Stories of Lahore (2022). In 2023, she released findings from two significant oral history projects: “Punjabi in BC,” documenting the history of Punjabi language in British Columbia, and “Caste in Canada,” co-led with Dr. Suraj Yengde, addressing caste discrimination in Canada. Her research on caste as a global phenomenon continues.

Mr. Om Prakash VK Gahatraj

Mr. Om Prakash VK Gahatraj, born in Palpa, Lumbini Province of Nepal, is an economist, social justice advocate, and long-time campaigner for Dalit rights. Previously, he had served as Research Officer and retired from Nepal’s central bank- Nepal Rastra Bank with over 26 years of service. Holding advanced degrees from Tribhuvan University with Master of Arts in Economics, Bachelor in Law and the University of Madras with Post-graduate in Library and Information Sciences, he has combined professional expertise with unwavering commitment to equity and social change. He has contributed significantly to policy-making through his roles in various government committees, advocating for Dalit representation in education, employment, and politics. He is one of the few elder educated intellectuals, who worked closely with the pioneering and key leaders of Nepal’s Dalit movement for over five decades. He played pivotal roles in historical events such as the first National Dalit Conference in 1972 and the Silver Jubilee of Nepal's New Civil Code in 1987/88. His influential roles in various government and political committees—such as the Reservation Management Recommendation Committee, the Policy Planning Committee of Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training, and the State Restructuring Recommendation Committee of the Nepali Congress—have contributed significantly to inclusive national policy-making, particularly in securing rights and representation for Dalit communities. As Chairman of the International Dalit Development Forum – Nepal, he spearheaded several initiatives in Nepal.

Honored with the Dr. Ambedkar International Award by the Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Academy (Delhi), Mr. Gahatraj continues to be a leading voice against untouchability and caste-based discrimination. He has authored a biography of veteran Dalit leader Mohan Lal Kapali and published numerous articles in reputed media outlets in Nepal, India, and the USA. Currently residing in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, he is writing a comprehensive history of the Dalit movement in Nepal. He has traveled in the USA, Kenya, Japan, and several other countries.

Dr. Chinnaiah Jangam

Associate Professor Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

Dr. Chinnaiah Jangam is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Carleton University Ottawa, Canada. He writes on Dalits' social and intellectual history and anti-caste movements in modern South Asia. Oxford University Press published his book Dalits and the Making of Modern India in 2017. It presents the critical role of Dalits in the imagination and making of modern India. His translation of the seminal Dalit text Gabbilam (Bat) by Gurram Jashuva, father of Dalit literature in Telugu, was published as Gabbilam (Bat): A Dalit Epic by Yoda Press in 2022 and winner of Association for Asian Studies A. K Ramanujan Prize for Translation, 2024.

Dr. Karun Karki

Associate Professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Dr. Karun Karki is an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia and a Founding Director of the Emotional Well-being Institute (EWBI). His research focuses on critical social justice issues, including anti-racism, anti-castism, and the well-being of marginalized groups such as immigrants, refugees, and LGBTQ+ communities. Dr. Karki explores how state power and exclusionary practices affect these groups, particularly in relation to migration, displacement, and discrimination. He has received multiple research grants and published over 30 works, including a study on the socio-economic challenges of Dalit communities in Nepal. His social work approach emphasizes equity, inclusivity, and social justice.

Dr. Yogendra Shakya

Ph.D Professor, Researcher, Activist, Policy Maker

Yogendra is an advocate scholar focused on advancing equity and social justice grounded on decolonial anti-capitalist praxis. He has over 15 years of applied research and advocacy experience on critical intersecting determinants of inequalities including systemic racism, casteism, labor market discrimination, low wages, poverty, precarious work, precarious Immigration status, food insecurity, language barriers, social isolation, and more. His current work is centered on mobilizing liberatory knowledge, cross-movement solidarities (between feminist, socialist, Dalit justice, Indigenous Justice, Disability/Crip Justice, Queer/Trans Justice, migrant justice and more), and shared internationalist advocacy to jointly free ourselves from the violent global legacies of colonialism/imperialism and capitalism. He is a recognized champion in community based participatory action research (CBPAR) methods geared at meaningfully training and engaging under-represented communities as co-producers of knowledge and civic agents of progressive change. He was born in Kathmandu but is now based in Toronto. When he is not doing research and advocacy work, he dabbles in composing songs (including children’s songs), international fusion instrumental music, and poetry.

Dr. Resham Thapa

Associate Professor, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

Dr. Resham Thapa is an Associate Professor at Tribhuvan University's Central Department of Economics, where he teaches various economics courses and supervises graduate and doctoral students. He is also a Research Fellow at the Global Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies in Kathmandu. His ongoing research focuses on fiscal capacity, leadership effectiveness in local governments, fiscal indiscipline, elite capture, and the impact of conservation areas on poverty and the environment. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Hull and has completed professional certifications in trade, econometrics, and risk management. Dr. Thapa has contributed to policy research on fiscal management, COVID-19’s economic impact, and local government revenue potential. He served on the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council from 2011 to 2013. He has published over 30 journal articles on topics like energy consumption, tourism, climate change, and economic policy and is currently working on research about gender wage gaps, migration, and the effects of informal employment on children’s education. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the Royal Economic Society and the American Economic Association, and teaches at various academic institutions in Nepal.

Paul Divakar Namala, Convener, Global Forum of Descent Communities

Paul Divakar Namala is a distinguished Human Rights advocate with a specific focus on the issues of Descent Communities globally, including Dalits and Buraku in Asia, Roma across Europe, Haratine and Osu in Africa, and Quilombola and Pelenque in Latin America.

Currently, he serves as the Convenor of the Global Forum of Descent Communities (GFoD), where he amplifies the concerns of these communities within regional and United Nations bodies. Mr. Divakar is also a founding member of the Asia Dalit Rights Forum and the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) of India. Paul Divakar was the Convenor of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, when it received the prestigious 2007 RAFTO prize awarded to human rights defenders.

Nirmal Kumar Bishwokarma, PhD

Dr. Nirmal Kumar Bishwokarma is a Nepali diplomat, Political and Dalit Right Activist in Nepal. He has PhD degree in livelihood security received in 2016 in collaboration between National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCRs) Switzerland and Kathmandu University. Professionally, he has working experience for the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for 10 years (from 2001 to 2010). As a political activist he was an active student leader during his student life. He has experience of leading Free Student Union (FSU) as the Secretary of Institute of Forestry Central Campus Pokhara from 2052 to 2054 BS. He had also worked as a member of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Nepal Communist Party UML from 2067 BS to 2080. Then, he worked as Ambassador of Nepal to South Africa for a year in 2021. He has published half a dozen English articles in peer reviewed journal published in Nepal and abroad in the subject of international relations, social and institutional aspect of climate change, and livelihoods and food security. He has presented more than two dozen papers in international conference held in UK, USA, Switzerland, Germany, France, Finland, Sweden, South Africa, Tanzania, Cote De Ivory, Qatar, UAE, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, etc. Currently, he is working as Coordinator for national Dalit Round Table Conference Organizing Committee will be organized in Nepal.

Gopal Nepali (Badi)

Gopal Nepali (Badi) is a Dalit scholar and Senior Research Fellow at the SAMATA Foundation, one of Nepal’s leading policy think tank organization focused on social justice, equity, and inclusion. Mr. Nepali holds an MPhil in Anthropology (2019) and an MA in Sociology (2012) from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. As a member of the historically marginalized Dalit community, hei brings both lived experience and academic rigor to his work, positioning him as a powerful voice in the national and international discourse on caste, identity, and structural inequality.

Over the past decade, Mr. Nepali has led substantial research and policy advocacy initiatives aimed at dismantling caste-based discrimination and amplifying the rights and voices of excluded communities. His major publications include Caste-based Discrimination and Untouchability: An Inter-generational Analysis (2023), Impact of COVID-19 on the Dalit Community (2021), and community-specific studies such as Identity and Situation of the Badi, Chamar, and Gandarva Communities. His work integrates ethnographic insight with policy relevance, providing critical evidence to support inclusive governance and equitable development.

Beyond academic publishing, Mr. Nepali is an active contributor to Nepal’s public intellectual sphere, writing extensively in national newspapers and journals on issues ranging from caste, education, and political participation to the lived experiences of Dalits under systemic oppression. His writing—often co-authored with other scholars and activists—has served as an essential resource for understanding the complexities of caste and identity in contemporary Nepal.

Mr. Nepali’s contributions resonate far beyond Nepal, offering valuable insights for global movements challenging systemic discrimination and promoting inclusive policy reform. His work is especially relevant for international forums focused on intersectionality, minority rights, decolonization, and participatory development.

Pujan Gandharba

Pujan Gandharba, President, Gandharba Society Nepal (GSN). Former President, (Gandharba Cultural Art Organization) and Central Committee Member, Nepal Students' Union Control Commission Member: International Union of socialist Youth Education: MA in Sociology, TU .

Pujan Gandharba is a committed social activist, cultural advocate, and youth political leader from Bhanu Municipality in Tanahun, Nepal. He currently serves as the President of the Gandharba Society Nepal (GSN), an organization dedicated to uplifting the marginalized Gandharba community and preserving their rich musical and cultural heritage.

Previously, he was President of the Gandharba Cultural Art Organization, where he significantly promoted traditional Gandharba music and advocated for the rights and recognition of indigenous artists in Nepal.

In the political arena, Pujan is an active Central Committee Member of the Nepal Students’ Union and serves as a Control Commission Member of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY), representing Nepal in international youth forums advocating for social justice, equity, and democratic values.

Pujan holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Tribhuvan University (TU), which has informed his deep understanding of social structures and inspired his lifelong dedication to community development and cultural preservation.

Conference Committees

Conference Organizing Committee:

Chair: Prof. Dr. Drona Prakash Rasali

President, Mr. Santosh Bishwakarma, President, Sahayatra International Alliance for Social Justice, Toronto

Communications and Technology Expert: Kishor Gotame

Media Advisor: Bhagirath Yogi

Legal Advisors: Advocate Atul Subedi and Advocate Bhoj Raj Bhatta

Conference Management, Logistics & Secretariat:

Chair: Mr. Santosh Bishwakarma

Member: Mr. Kishor Gotame

Member: Ms. Maheswari Kaushalya

Member: Mr. Dev Tamatai

Conference Proceedings and Abstract Book- Editorial Committee:

Dr. Pushpa Damai

Dr. Mom Bishwkarma

Dr. Amar BK

Mr. Kishor Gotama

Dr. Drona Prakash Rasali (Chair and Correspondence)

Volunteers & Cultural Artists:

Arzu Bishwkarma

Maheswari Kaushila

Contributors, Supports & Sponsors:

Global Conference for a Caste Free World 2025

Organizing Committee Zoom Meeting

From left to right top and right to left bottom: Dr. Carminda Mac Lorin, Dr. Drona Rasali, Kishor Gotame and Santosh Bishwkarma.

Global Conference for A Caste-Free World 2025

May 25-27-2025

Toronto Canada

Solidarity Partners’ Name List