Kathmandu, May 1:Over 4 policy activists decided recently to give the voiceless a new voice. Activists from throughout South Asia gathered here recently to design a vehicle to affect change to improve the situation of the disadvantaged in the region.

South Asia is the poorest, most illiterate, malnourished, least gender sensitive, in effect, the most deprived region in the world. The human development issues in South Asia need to be heard.

In response, the South Asian Human Development Forum was officially launched to strengthen efforts to address these important issues.

Speaking to the audience of South Asian Civil Society leaders, government officials and representative from international donor agencies attending the two-day workshop, Ram Chandra Poudel, deputy Prime Minister of Nepal praised the value of this initiative.

This will provide a platform for engaging the region’s stakeholders and practitioners in a common effort to keep human development on the policy agenda in South Asia in the new millennium, he added.

Secretary General of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Nihal Rodrigo also spoke at the inaugural ceremony of the workshop.

The forum will strengthen the agenda for human development in South Asia by increasing information, sharing dialogue, cooperation consensus building and policy advocacy —development issues and promoting accountability for related policies.

The idea for the forum was born out of the Mahbub Ul Haq commemorative conference held in Ottawa, Canada last year which brought together policy activists from South Asia.