SUBJECT: Statement of Purpose- MSc Human Rights FT (W035)

To whomsoever it may concern:

I grew up in Army cantonments, mostly adjacent to small towns and cities. This proximity to the grassroots of my
country, especially in my formative years, gave me many opportunities to observe the compulsions that many of
our people face and live with. As I grew older, I could put a label to these grossly unjust life situations - Human
Rights and the violation of these rights.​ ​I grew to deeply relate with crisis situations, how they affect human rights
and all the complications States face in order to fulfill their obligations on such matter. This moral commitment
led me to study (Media, Peace and Conflict Studies), wherein I got the opportunity to understand a few of the
global perspectives on human right’s issues, justice and humanitarian aid.

My biggest exposure to Human Rights and the need to address them came from working with the Coalition for
the International Criminal Court (CICC) as an online and media intern (The Hague), which is one of the major
experiences that relates to the international arena and the protection of victims during war time or peace. During
my time in this organization, I acknowledged how mainstream media is playing a crucial role in making people
aware on an international level as to what is happening all around the world, including the prosecution of the
perpetrators of the most heinous crimes in the international sphere, some of which are a gross violation of
Human Rights in every aspect.

The current situation that my country is facing is the perfect example of the threat to Human Rights. The
amended Citizenship Act offers citizenship to illegal immigrants who are Pakistani, Afghan and Bangladeshi
nationals, but fled their home countries to escape religious persecution. This law does not cover Muslim
nationals of these countries, including those belonging to minority communities such as Ahmadis, who aren't
recognised as Muslims in Pakistan. The United Nations human rights office, meanwhile, worries that the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act is "fundamentally discriminatory". A UN official said recently that persecuted
groups should be protected through an asylum system that applies equally to all concerned, irrespective of
religion, race or nationality. These amendments may result in the biggest statelessness crisis in the world causing
immense human suffering.

Amidst this conundrum is the role that the media has played which is extremely worrisome. For me, as a media
professional who has studied the significant role that the media plays in either diffusing conflict or actually
adding to the flare-up, media reportage of the aforementioned scenario comes across as significantly lacking in
responsibility.

Witnessing something so up close and personal just re-affirms my conviction of pursuing a career in learning,
teaching and defending Human Rights worldwide. I believe that my previous study has laid the initial foundation
of learning about Human Rights and my experiences thereafter, both professional and personal, have built me up
to go further to do a more in-depth study and research about Human Rights. I strongly believe that MSc in
Human Rights is the perfect course for me and it would be an absolute honor for me to study at University
College Dublin.

Thank you.

Regards
Anish Saha
byakugan.saha@gmail.com