Sushil Pyakurel, a prominent human rights defender and founding chairperson of Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) has been awarded the 2010 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights.
The prize is administered by the May 18 Memorial Foundation in Gwangju, Korea recognizing Pyakurel's two decades of involvement in the protection and promotion of human rights in Nepal.
According to The May 18 Foundation, the award will be conferred On May 18, 2010 on a ceremony to commemorate the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. The prize award includes a gold medal, a certificate of achievement and Korean Won 50,000,000.
Along with being the founding chairperson of INSEC, Pyakurel is also a former Commissioner of Nepal’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). In the course of his long and impressive career in this field he had played a crucial role in encouraging international pressure against the royal regime and in the establishment of the Office of High Commissioner in Nepal.
Pyakurel is the current President of the Accountability Watch Committee (AWC), Nepal, and a member of the Dialogue Group for the Constituent Assembly. (Source: www.inseconline.org)
Demonstration on demanding for peace and establishment of National Human Rights Commission in 1999.
Taking Oath as a commissioner of NHRC
Representatives of first committee of NHRC after its formation. Mr Pyakurel standing on left.
Hospitalized in T.U. Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu
Resting in a free time at Staff College, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur
In a press conference
In a programme of Himsa Antya (End Violence) programme
In a rally of welcoming Republican Nepal
Actively participating in a rally of 1st annual celebration of "People's Movement 2006"