Mangalore : Samprathi 2012’, a two-day national seminar on ‘Human Rights Advocacy – An Avenue for Social Change’, organised by Department of Social Work of St Aloysius College, was inaugurated on September 25,Tuesday by Dr M Mohan Alva, Chairman of Alva’s Education Foundation.

In his address,Dr Alva regretted the fact that the weaker sections of the society were subject to continuous oppression and lived in fear and insecurity and emphasized the need to end such atrocities.

India faced stark paradox even six decades after independence. When there was a section of the society which flourished, there was another section which lived under abject poverty conditions, he added.

Rector of St Aloysius Institutions Fr Joseph Rodrigues presided over the function.

Vice principal of St Aloysius College Fr Francis D’Almeida,  Head of Department of Social Work Dr Loveena Lobo and others were present on the occasion.