INTRODUCTION

The term non-governmental organization or NGO was not in general currency before
the UN was formed. When 132 international NGOs decided to co-operate with each
other in 1910, they did so under the label, the Union of International Associations.
The League of Nations officially referred to its "liaison with private organizations",
while many of these bodies at that time called themselves international institutes,
international unions or simply international organizations. The first draft of the UN
Charter did not make any mention of maintaining co-operation with private bodies. A
variety of groups, mainly but not solely from the USA, lobbied to rectify this at the
San Francisco conference, which established the UN in 1945. Not only did they
succeed in introducing a provision for strengthening and formalizing the relations with
private organizations previously maintained by the League, they also greatly enhanced
the UN's role in economic and social issues and upgraded the status of the Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC) to a "principal organ" of the UN. To clarify matters,
new terminology was introduced to cover ECOSOC's relationship with two types of
international organizations. Under Article 70. "specialized agencies, established by
intergovernmental agreement" could "participate without a vote in its deliberations",
while under Article 71 "non-governmental organizations" could have "suitable
arrangements for consultation". Thus, "specialized agencies" and "NGOs" became
technical UN jargon. Unlike much UN jargon, the term, NGO, passed into popular
usage, particularly from the early 1970s onwards.
Many diverse types of bodies are now described as being NGOs. There is no generally
accepted definition of an NGO and the term carries different connotations in different
circumstances. Nevertheless, there are some fundamental features. Clearly an NGO
must be independent from the direct control of any government. In addition, there are
three other generally accepted characteristics that exclude particular types of bodies
from consideration. An NGO will not be constituted as a political party; it will be non-
profit-making and it will be not be a criminal group, in particular it will be non-
violent. These characteristics apply in general usage, because they match the
conditions for recognition by the United Nations. The boundaries can sometimes be
blurred: some NGOs may in practice be closely identified with a political party; many
NGOs generate income from commercial activities, notably consultancy contracts or
sales of publications; and a small number of NGOs may be associated with violent
political protests. Nevertheless, an NGO is never constituted as a government
bureaucracy, a party, a company, a criminal organization or a guerrilla group. Thus,
for this article, an NGO is defined as an independent voluntary association of people
acting together on a continuous basis, for some common purpose, other than achieving
government office, making money or illegal activities. This basic approach will be
elaborated and modified below.
 CHAPTER-1
PROFILE OF IHRA

About the Ngo

International Human Rights Association (IHRA) is an expression of national and

international tradition of tolerance in all cultures that form the basics of peace and progress.

IHRA is based on the philosophy of HUMAN RIGHTS. "Vasudhav Kutumbakum" (The

whole world is family)" All human beings are born equal and free.
Human rights are the basic rights of each individual in any part of the globe irrespective of
cast, creed, sex, age, colour, status. It encompasses all social economic political, cultural anti-
elements based on law of nature with the aim of ensuring justice, freedom and equality viz.
individual and collective existence.

Agencies which implement human rights include United Nations (Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights), National Human Rights Commission in different
countries, Amnesty International, International Human Rights Movement and a number of
NGO's in different parts of the world.
Mission of IHRA

 To organise, promote, undertake all programmes for the formation of fearless and
non-succumbing society on the basis of truthfulness & nonviolence
 To organise, promote, undertake, sponser, carry out all programmes for the benefit of
naturally challenged persons, schedule caste, schedule tribes, people under poverty
line, old-aged, widow and down trodden irrespective of caste, creed, sex and religion
such as:
1. In the field of Human Resource Development
2. In the field of Health & Family welfare
3. In the field of Agriculture and Allied Industries Development
4. In the field of Environment & Forest
5. In the field of Rural Development
6. In the field of Urban Development
7. In the field of Social Justice & Empowerment  
8. In the field of Youth Affairs and Sports  
9. In the field of Science & Technologies and Communication & Information
Technology  
10. In the field of Science & In the field of Human Rights  
11. In the field of other programmers

Vision:

The Vision of IHRA is the formation of fearless and non-succumbing society on the basis of
truthfulness & nonviolence. 

This society will allow peaceful existence of all types of naturally challenged persons,
schedule caste, schedule tribes, people under poverty line, old-aged, widow and down
trodden irrespective of caste, creed, sex and religion. This society in its majority will be
constituted by the followers of human rights and human rights activists consequently
reducing the pool of wrongdoers. A vision of a society of human rights followers.

"Vasudhav Kutumbakum (The whole world is family)"

All human beings are born equal and free. The only permissible discrimination amongst the
people of the world is for the purpose of geographical identification. Cruelty to is as bad as
cruelty to human beings.

Human Rights are yard sticks against which all people must measure their conduct and of
their Governments and Public Officials and against which the global community as a whole
must measure its progress.

No nation can move along the true democratic way of life without true democracy. Without
true democracy, political democracy cannot last unless there lies on the base of it, a social
democracy.

IHRA helps those who helps themselves. In this globalisation period, intellectual people have
a duty to help and save those below poverty line. Slum people, illiterates and poor helpless
people have been cut-off from the main line of national and international body.

IHRA's philiosophy is based on Human Rights and Humanitarism.

 CHAPTER-2
HUMAN RIGTHS AND FEATURES

From the ancient days India has been committed to the ideals and doctrine of human
rights. In conformity with the UDHR, the Constitution of India, in Part III, provides
for sue types of Fundamental Rights ensuring equality, justice and freedom to all
citizens of India.
The Part IV captioned ‘Directive Principles of State Policy” also ensure Socio-
economic justice and rights. India’s fight for freedom from the clutches of the British
rulers was also viewed as a struggle for human rights.
Our six fundamental rights comprise both individual rights and social rights but
emphasis has been put on individual’s right ‘to equality of opportunity for all
including those belonging to the weaker and disadvantaged section of the ‘Society in
the nature of ‘Protective discrimination’.
Articles 14, 15, 16, 17, 29, 38, 46, 330, 332, 334 and 335 dealing elaborately with
‘protective discrimination’ ensure ‘an egalitarian social order’. Abolition of
untouchability has been given a constitutional sanctity under Art 17 of the
Constitution and its practice in any form has been declared as a public offence.
Art 15(4), Art 16(4) and Art 335 deal with reservation of seats for admission into
educational institutions and reservation of posts for appointment to different services
for the S.Cs and S.Ts as a mechanism to ensure and secure social economic justice.
Seats in the Union and States Legislatures have been kept reserved for the S.Cs and
STs. In the State of Orissa, 30% of seats have been kept reserved for women in the
rural and urban local bodies.
Safeguards against Violation of Human Rights in India:
The scope of violation of human rights is not uniform and consistent. It varies from
one country to another and time to time. The cases of violation of human rights in
India are exhaustive plenty as well as repetitive. It has taken several forms, such as:
murder, rape, prostitution, child and bonded labour, riot-victimisation, sexual
harassment, domestic violence, Custodial violence, Political violence, terrorist attack,
communal violence leading to loss of lives and property unemployment, poverty,
illiteracy, ethinic hatred, genocide, group and caste rivalry, starvation death, caste and
social discrimination, gender discrimination, exploitation of workers and excessive
state action.
But here the two relevant questions arose:
(a) How to protect human rights from violation? and
(b) Through what mechanism. Can the human rights in India be safeguarded?
Since 1980s’ there has evolved a novel type of mechanism for the protection of human
rights of the poor, distressed, exploited and the disadvantaged groups of people. This
is popularly known as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) or Social Action Litigation
(SAL) or Social Interest Litigation (SIL).
The Supreme Court of India has not only recognised but also entertained such
litigations, enabling the public spirted citizens and the Social activists to fight for
protection and enforcement of human rights of the poor and the socially and
economically disadvantaged people who have no access to move the Court on their
own.
The Supreme Court of India with liberal interpretation and through the literal use of
the P.I.L. mechanism, has sought to protect human rights in the following manners;
such as:
1. By widening the horizon of human rights:
The scope of right to equality and the right to life and personal liberty have caused
wider areas like right to speedy trial, free legal aid, right to live with dignity, right to
earn livelihood, right to education, housing, medical care, clean environment, right
against fortune, sexual harassment, solitary confinement, bondage, servitude
exploitation and the like.
2. By democratizing access to justice through P.I.L. petition filed by Public Spirited
Citizens, and Social activists on behalf of the poor, disadvantaged and weaker sections
of the community.
3. By providing interim relief to the victims and aggrieved persons through payment
of compensation or through ‘compensatory reliefs
4. By judicial-monitoring of State-run Institutions like Jails, Reformatory homes,
juvenile homes, mental asylums, Police Station and the like.
5. By advising new techniques of fact-finding:
In several cases of violation of human rights, the Supreme Court has appointed
“Commissions of Inquiry” or has deputed officers for investigation and fact-finding.
By exercising this new type of ‘Investigative litigation’, the Supreme Court and the
High Courts have sought the assistance of institutions like NHRC, CBI and such other
expert bodies and N.G.O’s to investigate into the violation of Human Rights.
CONCLUSION

Overall, this internship was a useful experience. I have gained new knowledge, skill
and met many new people. I achieved several of my learning goals. I learnt different
acts of working within a NGO. I experienced that helping the needy is an important
fact that progress of project related to my study. This internship is also good to find
out what my strength and weakness was. This helped me to what skill and knowledge
I have have to improve in the forecoming time. It is a well managed and free cultured
NGO where everyone have their own personal life and own interest based activities .
There is no restriction in the NGO. It works for the providing support and better living
to the layman and provide justice to them by preserving their human rights without
expecting anything from them .