Mathew Jacob Director of Programs, People's Watch; National Coordinator, Human Rights Defenders Alert, India

Panel 3

Mathew Jacob is the Director of Programs at People’s Watch, an Indian human rights organization committed to combating torture, advocating rehabilitation for victims, monitoring and intervening through courts and human rights institutions, and promoting human rights education in schools and communities.  Jacob coordinates two national networks, the Human Rights Defenders Alert, which intervenes in instances of attacks on human rights defenders, and the All India Network of NGOs and Individuals, a network committed to strengthening human rights institutions in India.  Jacob is also actively involved with the People’s Commission on Shrinking Democratic Space, a membership body established by civil society organizations and individuals from across India to respond to the current political climate of intolerance.  Jacob is pursuing his doctoral degree in Social Sciences at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.