Mallika Dutt
Encyclopedia
Mallika Dutt is the Founder, President, and CEO of Breakthrough
a global human rights
organization that uses the power of media
, popular culture
, and community mobilization to inspire people to take bold action for dignity
, equality
, and justice
. The mission of Breakthrough is to empower individuals and communities to stand for universal human rights by using multimedia that transforms hearts and minds. Breakthrough envisions a world where all individuals and communities live with dignity, equality, and justice. Dutt launched Breakthrough in 2000 with Mann ke Manjeere: An Album of Women's Dreams
which won the 2001 National Screen Award in India for best music video. Dutt herself has also won a number of awards for her human rights work, including the 2010 Distinguished Service, Diversity & Progress Award from the South Asian Law Students Association of New York Law School.
, India
on March 29, 1962 and grew up in Kolkata
and Mirzapur
. She graduated from NYU Law School in 1989, received a Masters in International Affairs and South Asian Studies from Columbia University
in 1996, and an A.B. in International Affairs from Mt. Holyoke College in 1983.
, Dutt served as Program Officer for Human Rights and Social Justice at the Ford Foundation’s New Delhi Office where she initiated the Foundation’s work in police reform and forged partnerships between police, NGOs, and civil society groups. During her time at the Ford Foundation, Dutt also developed initiatives and communication between Ford Foundation offices across the globe. Dutt also acted as the Associate Director of the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University
, and sought to gain recognition for women’s rights as human rights.
Mallika is a co-founder of Sakhi for South Asian Women and has served on several boards and committees, including the Human Rights Watch Women’s Rights Project and Asia Watch, The Sister Fund, Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, and the US NGO Coordinating Committee for the UN World Conference Against Racism. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and currently serves on Boards of WITNESS
, the Open Society Institute
US Programs, and Games for Change
, and on the Rights Working Group Steering Committee.
Mallika began her career as an Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton
.
Breakthrough (human rights)
Breakthrough is a global not-for-profit organization that uses pop culture to promote human rights. Breakthrough's stated mission is to "empower individuals and communities to stand for universal human rights by using multimedia tools that transform hearts and minds." They promote a message of...
a global human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organization that uses the power of media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, and community mobilization to inspire people to take bold action for dignity
Dignity
Dignity is a term used in moral, ethical, and political discussions to signify that a being has an innate right to respect and ethical treatment. It is an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable rights...
, equality
Equality
Equality may refer to:Social concepts* Egalitarianism, the belief that all/some people ought to be treated equally* Equality before the law* Equal opportunity* Equality of outcome or equality of condition* Gender equality* Racial equality...
, and justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
. The mission of Breakthrough is to empower individuals and communities to stand for universal human rights by using multimedia that transforms hearts and minds. Breakthrough envisions a world where all individuals and communities live with dignity, equality, and justice. Dutt launched Breakthrough in 2000 with Mann ke Manjeere: An Album of Women's Dreams
Mann ke Manjeeré
Mann ke Manjeeré was an album, music video, and ultimately and entire campaign created by human rights organization Breakthrough which promoted women's rights. Breakthrough was launched with Mann ke Manjeeré: An Album of Women's Dreams, which won the 2001 National Screen Award in India for best...
which won the 2001 National Screen Award in India for best music video. Dutt herself has also won a number of awards for her human rights work, including the 2010 Distinguished Service, Diversity & Progress Award from the South Asian Law Students Association of New York Law School.
Background and Education
Dutt was born in KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on March 29, 1962 and grew up in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and Mirzapur
Mirzapur
Mirzapur is a city in the heart of North India, nearly 650 km between Delhi and Kolkata and also equidistant from Allahabad and Varanasi. Located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Mirzapur has a population of a little over 205,264 and is renowned for its famous carpet and brassware industry...
. She graduated from NYU Law School in 1989, received a Masters in International Affairs and South Asian Studies from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1996, and an A.B. in International Affairs from Mt. Holyoke College in 1983.
Career
Prior to founding BreakthroughBreakthrough (human rights)
Breakthrough is a global not-for-profit organization that uses pop culture to promote human rights. Breakthrough's stated mission is to "empower individuals and communities to stand for universal human rights by using multimedia tools that transform hearts and minds." They promote a message of...
, Dutt served as Program Officer for Human Rights and Social Justice at the Ford Foundation’s New Delhi Office where she initiated the Foundation’s work in police reform and forged partnerships between police, NGOs, and civil society groups. During her time at the Ford Foundation, Dutt also developed initiatives and communication between Ford Foundation offices across the globe. Dutt also acted as the Associate Director of the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, and sought to gain recognition for women’s rights as human rights.
Mallika is a co-founder of Sakhi for South Asian Women and has served on several boards and committees, including the Human Rights Watch Women’s Rights Project and Asia Watch, The Sister Fund, Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, and the US NGO Coordinating Committee for the UN World Conference Against Racism. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and currently serves on Boards of WITNESS
Witness (human rights group)
WITNESS is a human rights non-profit organization based out of Brooklyn, NY. Their mission statement is "WITNESS uses video to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations...
, the Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
US Programs, and Games for Change
Games for Change
Games for Change is a movement and community of practice dedicated to using digital games for social change. An individual game may also be referred to as a "game for change" if it is produced by this community or shares its ideals...
, and on the Rights Working Group Steering Committee.
Mallika began her career as an Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton
Debevoise & Plimpton
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a prominent international law firm based in New York City. Founded in 1931 by Eli Whitney Debevoise and William Stevenson, Debevoise has been a long established leader in corporate litigation and large financial transactions. In recent years, its practice has taken on an...
.
Awards and Honors
- Distinguished Service, Diversity & Progress Award, South Asian Law Students Association of New York Law School, 2010
- Karmaveer Puraskar: National Award for Social Justice & Citizen Action, Indian Confederation of NGOs, 2009
- American Courage Award, Asian American Justice Center, 2009
- Trailblazer Award, South Asians in Media Marketing Association (SAMMA, 2008
- The Woman of Color, Woman of Courage Award, IUP Women’s Studies Program, 2008
- Award for Distinguished Service, New York University School of Law BLAPA Alumni Association, 2006
- Spirit of Asian America Award Asian American Federation of New York, 2003
- Phoenix Award, New York Asian Women’s Center, 2002
- National Citizen’s Award (India) for contribution to women and development, 2001
- South Asian Women’s Creative Collective (SAWCC) Annual Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the South Asian Community, 2001
- Public Interest Law Foundation Alumni Award, NYU Law School, 1991
External links
- Official website
- Official biography
- Breaking through Barriers to Equality - Mount Holyoke College
- Alumna of the month - New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
- SAJAforum on Dutt's ICED project
- U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs