Global Conference for a Caste-Free World 2025 taking place in Toronto

Toronto – Organisers of the Global Conference for a Caste-Free World 2025 say that preparations for the event have been completed as planned.

Sahayatra International Alliance for Social Justice-Canada, a non-governmental social organisation registered in Canada, in coordination with various partner organisations from South Asia and North America, is organising the global conference in Toronto, Canada, from 25 to 27 May, with the main theme: “Building Solidarity towards Equality, Social Justice, and the Abolition of the Caste System.”

The conference aims to bring together participants from government agencies, policymakers, activists, representatives of civil society organisations, businesses, academic researchers, university scholars, and students on a shared platform for knowledge exchange. It seeks to unite stakeholders worldwide to discuss how caste systems and other oppressive practices can be abolished through collective efforts for social justice and equity.

The conference will feature speakers including international and national activists, policymakers, human rights defenders, civil society representatives, businesses, academics, researchers, students, journalists, professionals, and social advocates engaged in relevant research or campaigns against discrimination. Prof. Fernand de Varennes, former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, is slated to deliver the inaugural keynote address. Among the distinguished invited speakers are climate and sustainability expert Madan Pariyar, who chaired Nepal’s Constitutional State Restructuring Commission in 2011; Dalit history author and biographer Om Prakash Gahatraj; pioneering Dalit feminist leader Durga Sob; critical race theorist Prof. Rajesh Sampath from Brandeis University; Dalit research academic Prof. Steve Folmar from Wake Forest University; diaspora caste history researcher Prof. Anne Murphy from the University of British Columbia; youth Dalit scholar Suraj Yengde; structural casteism researcher Prof. Drona Rasali from the University of British Columbia; Nepal’s Dalit native arts and heritage academic Prof. Man Bishwakarma; and minority higher education scholars Prof. Uttam Gaulee and Prof. Benjamin Welsh from Morgan State University, who will present their scholarly papers.

“We have received confirmation from 18 keynote and invited speakers, including distinguished professors, scholars, and researchers, as well as 20 additional presenters through abstract submissions. We are optimistic that this conference will serve as a shared forum for participants to present their experiences, ideas, and initiatives, with a special focus on caste discrimination in Nepal (the focus country),” said Santosh Bishwakarma, the main coordinator of the organising committee. “Furthermore, the conference aims to foster international solidarity in the fight against discrimination.”

The discussions will cover a range of topics, including the impacts of systemic caste discrimination, personal experiences of those affected, case studies, reviews of international laws and their implementation, global efforts to eliminate discrimination, knowledge transfer, research on Dalit-related issues, climate change impacts of caste discrimination, and best practices and solutions to address caste-based discrimination. The conference will also focus on organisational development, future strategies, and creating an equitable and socially just society. The Canada Convention Centre in Brampton has been selected as the venue, with around 400 participants from across the globe expected to attend.

“Over 260 million people worldwide face inhumane treatment and discrimination based on caste, race, and descent. While caste-based discrimination originated in South Asia, it has now spread globally,” said Dr Drona Rasali, Chair of the organising committee. “In this context, the global conference will provide a window of opportunity for generating international dialogue around best practices and solutions to address caste-based discrimination. It aims to draw the attention of national and international governments, academia, communities, relevant organisations, and target groups towards creating and implementing effective policies to build a discrimination-free world fit for the 21st century.”

In her message, the Governor General of Canada, the Right Honourable Mary Simon, extended her best wishes for the success of the conference.