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Our speakers for the plenary discussion will contextualise human rights from various perspectives. Here is a brief introduction to our speakers:
Natalya Twohill: “Youth and Human Rights”
Currently a Third year Arts and Social Sciences Student at the National University of Singapore, Natalya is the Founder/President of the United Nations Youth Association in Singapore. She presented the Asian Youth Charter to United Nations Ex -Secretary General Kofi Annan at the UN Headquarters in New York City, and represented the youth of Singapore at the 6th ASEAN People’s Assembly in Manila and at the World Bank Annual Meetings in Istanbul where she spoke on the panel for youth and children in ASEAN and National Youth Service respectively. She is the also advisor and mentor to the World Bank Youth Fellows Group and is an active volunteer for the National Youth Council.
Alex Au: “The Rights History”
Alex Au Waipang, also known by his Internet nom de plume as Yawning Bread, is one of the better known gay activists in Singapore. He contributed a chapter to the recently-published book ‘Impressions of the Goh Chok Tong Years’, his chapter surveying the evolution of the gay movement during that period and the response of the government. Other works in progress include an analysis of opposition parties’ strategies.
He is the author of an award-winning website, www.yawningbread.org, where he provides analyses of Singaporean politics, culture, gay issues and miscellaneous subjects. The articles, archived since 1996, delve beneath the orderly veneer of Singaporean culture and provide insight into aspects of local society that are not usually apparent to the casual observer.
Sumi Dhanarajan: “Business and Rights – where do the two meet?”
Sumi Dhanarajan an experienced advocate and practitioner in the field of corporate responsibility with particular expertise on the impacts of the private sector on poverty reduction and human rights. She has engaged with companies from a number of key sectors including pharmaceuticals, retail, agricultural commodities and extractive industries with a focus on access to medicines, labour standards, fair trade, human rights and sustainable development. From 1998 to 2008, Sumi served as Senior Policy Adviser and Head of the private sector team to the international development agency Oxfam GB.
Sumi is currently a consultant to the Centre on Asia and Globalisation at the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and an Associate of CSR-Asia. Additionally she is a Regional Adviser to the London-based Institute of Human Rights and Business and founding Trustee of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Sumi also served as Senior Legal Adviser to the Secretariat for Legislative Councillors of the Hong Kong Democratic Party from 1995 to1997 and as Human Rights officer to the Malaysian Bar Council in 1994.
Braema Mathi: “The Rights Way Forward”
Miss Braema Mathi is an advocate for social justice. This has led her to become very involved in issues related to women, migrants and HIV. She has led AWARE, founded and led Transient Workers Count Too and is today leading MARUAH (Singapore Working Group for ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism) and is the Singapore focal Point for the regional group (The Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism). Miss Braema has worked as a teacher, a journalist for The Straits Times and as a researcher with the Institute of South East Asian Studies prior to becoming a consultant on social issues. She was also a Nominated Member of Parliament.
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