Since its launch in 2002, the Helsinki Process on Globalisation and Democracy has been a significant voice in the global development discourse. Jointly initiated by the Finnish and Tanzanian governments, the Helsinki Group seeks to identify key issues that will require attention of the international community beyond 2015. The Helsinki Process is based on the idea of South-North partnerships including states, business, NGOs, political workers and policy planners to bring global economic justice, human security, and comprehensive democratization. The Helsinki Process draws its inspiration from the momentous 1975 conference on European security and cooperation in Helsinki, which is credited for making the Soviet Union sign a document that accepted human rights as an issue in communist nations. Eventually, directly and indirectly, this agreement assisted the work of powerful movements like Solidarity in Poland. Some argue that it was this accord that began the first steps to the eventual emancipation of the former Soviet republics.

Key players involved in the Helsinki Process include Irene Khan (Amnesty International), Tony Addison (United Nations), Regina Amadi-Njoku (International Labour Organization), Susan George (Attac France), Martin Khor (Third World Network), Thoraya Obaid (UN Population Fund), Jean-Francois Rischard (VP for Europe, World Bank), Vijay Pratap (world Social Forum), and Mary Robinson (former President of Ireland).

In spite of assembling a strong group of participants, Muslim voices and issues have remained largely absent from the discussions of the Helsinki Process. This includes both the issues facing the Muslim world, and also Muslim and other migrants in the West. These omissions were raised by participants who attended the Helsinki Process this week, the group's second meet since its founding in 2002. One of the prominent voices to bring up this issues was Harsh Mander, Indian social activist and strong voice against anti-communalism. Mander was formerly an Indian Civil Servant but resigned in protest against the Indian government's role during the 2002 Gujrat anti-Muslim riots. Harsh Mander is one of the few people brave enough to use the word "pogrom" about Gujrat. In his new book "Cry, My Beloved Country", Mander wrote, "The Godhra tragedy and the planned pogrom that unleashed on a hapless [Muslim] minority who were turned into refugees in their own land, the frightening complicity of the state, its institutions of governance and its officials." At Helsinki, Mander repeatedly stressed the importance of protecting religious minorities in all nations.

Mander's comments were echoed by filmmaker and digital-media activist Naeem Mohaiemen. Mohaiemen's two recent projects look at two situations-- one where extremist Muslim groups threaten minorities, and the other where Muslim minorities are themselves the victims. "Muslims or Heretics" is a film about the campaign by extremist Islamist parties to have the Ahmadiyas, a minority sect within Islam, declared "non-Muslim." The other is a group project, "Disappeared In America", which looks at the loss of civil liberties of Muslims in North America and Europe after 9/11. "It's important to look at all situations of human rights abuse," said Mohaiemen, "We can't only speak up when it affects our own group."

Mander, Mohaiemen, Thomas Wallgren, Marko Ulvila, Uma Shankari and others were part of a core group that drafted an open letter to the Helsinki Process. In this letter, the group, along with over 60 signatories, highlighted seven key areas that they recommended the Helsinki Group include in its core agenda. Of particular interest were the following two passages:

"Act for the protection of minority rights, including religious, ethnic, linguistic and other minorities and promote gender equality. Steps must be taken to discourage all forms of racial profiling, stigmatisation and religious stereotyping. Expand our focus to migrant ("legal" and "illegal") communities marginalised in Northern and Southern nations, as part of the protection of comprehensive human rights."

"Oppose the continuing reliance on military solutions to global problems, exemplified by the so-called "war on terror" and other military actions, especially those that target civilian populations. Resist the manufacture of hatred against religious and ethnic minorities. Promote dignified livelihood for all in order to reduce global conflict; reduce national defence expenditures and control the global arms trade. Oppose the use of mercenary forces that bring privatisation to war zones such as Iraq and transfer accountability for war crimes from governments to private contractors. Strengthen global courts' power to investigate abuses by nations, including the use of client-states to carry out detention and torture in the "war on terror."

With focuses on "Peace Through Justice & Non-violence", "Democratic Global Institutions", "Comprehensive Democratisation", "Economic Democracy", "Human Rights For All", and "Inclusion of Marginalised Majorities", the agenda described in this letter deserves to be championed not just by the Helsinki Group, but all Muslim nations, activists and organizations that believe in Islam's original tradition of social justice and economic equality.

Several delegates also added that these issues do not just affect Muslims, but all communities. Especially the issues of migration, citizenship and national identity are one of the crucial factors of globalization that have not been addressed. Even The Economist once wrote a cover story, "Let Them In" - arguing that if there is global mobility of capital, there should be some measure of global mobility of labor and people. Harsh Mander pointed out in another session that continuing marginalization of migrant communities is an issue not just in the North, but also in the South.

During the Q&A session following Mohaiemen's presentation at the Media panel, Mary Robinson, currently Director of Ethical Globalization Institute, drew the audience's attention to a report on migration that her Helsinki Group committee will publish this week. Delegates are optimistic about this document, especially because of her track record while President of Ireland and as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Reached by phone in Helsinki, Mohaiemen sounded a cautiously optimistic tone. "We have to be conscious of forming coalitions with Muslim groups that have an explicitly progressive position on all issues, not just issues related to Islam. We have the negative example of Muslim groups in Britain that are picked by Blair as the voice of 'moderate Islam' - yet they maintain links with groups like Jamaat-e-Islami, which has a history of fomenting hate crimes in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Similarly, we saw in the past Christian conservatives allying with conservative Muslim groups and countries to oppose abortion rights at global meets. Even in Helsinki, I met a member of the Islamic Foundation, a Bangladeshi government organization, which has failed to condemn the anti-Ahmadiya violence in Bangladesh. Muslim groups that join the Helsinki Process must share the joint agenda of ethical globalization and human rights for all."