[23 January 2014] -
As India heads for general elections in a few months, more than 50 children from 10 districts (who represent almost 700 villages) of Odisha have joined together in a common platform to raise the issues and concerns of children before the policy makers and duty-bearers here. They have shared their demands to the political parties in shape of a ‘Children’s Manifesto’ keeping in consideration of the growing child rights violation cases in the state as well as in country.
Children have demanded for the inclusion of their rights relating to education, health & nutrition, protection, participation and in the event of disaster in accordance with the UN Convention on Rights of the Children (UN CRC) into the manifesto of all political parties. Senior Political Leaders, Members of Odisha Legislative Assembly (MLA), Members of Parliament (MP) from various mainstream parties joined the interface with around 50 child leaders. The program is organized by Save the Children and its NGO partners with support from European Union and UKAID at Bhubaneswar.
‘This is a conscious attempt to appeal to political parties to include the child rights related issues in their agenda to protect and promote child rights in the state. Although there are institutional mechanisms to address the issues, but mass awareness and high degree of accountability is required, where the political parties play a vital role’ said Sasanka Kumar Padhi, Odisha State Program Manager, Save the Children.
‘This is a conscious attempt to appeal to political parties to include the child rights related issues in their agenda to protect and promote child rights in the state. Although there are institutional mechanisms to address the issues, but mass awareness and high degree of accountability is required, where the political parties play a vital role’ said Sasanka Kumar Padhi, Odisha State Program Manager, Save the Children. - See more at:
http://orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=47348#sthash.L8UwD2ET.dpuf
‘This is a conscious attempt to appeal to political parties to include the child rights related issues in their agenda to protect and promote child rights in the state. Although there are institutional mechanisms to address the issues, but mass awareness and high degree of accountability is required, where the political parties play a vital role’ said Sasanka Kumar Padhi, Odisha State Program Manager, Save the Children.
From increasing the budget to 6 percent of GDP for elementary education to proper and timely implementation of grievance redressal mechanisms specially at block and district level, strengthening of the OSCPCR, filling up the vacant teachers posts in Primary, UP and High Schools, effective implementation of Right to Education Act, strategy for out of school and hard to reach children, complete ban on any form of child labour, children’s participation in School Management Committees, strict legislation on child abuse and sexual harassment and rehabilitation home for HIV infected kids, there are many demands on the ‘Children’s Manifesto’.
Rajyasabha MP Baishnab Charan Parida, Rajendra Chhatria, MLA, Narayan Reddy, Ex-MLA, Bhrugubaxi Patra and Ashok Mishra, BJP, Suresh Panigrahi, CPI (M), Mahendra Parida, CPI (ML), Nisikanta Mohapatra, AAP discussed on the children’s demands and promised to talk about in their respective party meetings to add those demands in their respective manifestos with proper attention.
Political parties should address such issues to offer a just and protected childhood for the children. As the election manifesto is an important one for all parties, we found it would be good if they openly promise during election campaign and thereafter in assembly and in the parliament’ said Siba Rao, Convenor, National Level Children’s Alliance.
Among others, Laxminarayan Nanda, UNICEF, Das Benhur, Educationist, Jatindra Dash, Journalist, Rajendra Meher, Member, OSCPCR and Anil Pradhan, Odisha RtE Forum facilitated the children in shaping the ‘manifesto’ before presenting it to the political party leaders.
- See more at: http://orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=47348#sthash.j7yIjpSb.dpuf
As the country heads for general elections in a few months, more than 50 children from 10 districts who represent almost 700 villages of Odisha have joined together in a common platform to raise the issues and concerns of children before the policy makers and duty-bearers here. They have shared their demands to the political parties in shape of a ‘Children’s Manifesto’ keeping in consideration of the growing child rights violation cases in the state as well as in country. Children have demanded for the inclusion of their rights relating to education, health & nutrition, protection, participation and in the event of disaster in accordance with the UN Convention on Rights of the Children (UN CRC) into the manifesto of all political parties. Senior Political Leaders, Members of Odisha Legislative Assembly (MLA), Members of Parliament (MP) from various mainstream parties joined the interface with around 50 child leaders. The program is organized by Save the Children and its NGO partners with support from European Union and UKAID at Bhubaneswar.
‘This is a conscious attempt to appeal to political parties to include the child rights related issues in their agenda to protect and promote child rights in the state. Although there are institutional mechanisms to address the issues, but mass awareness and high degree of accountability is required, where the political parties play a vital role’ said Sasanka Kumar Padhi, Odisha State Program Manager, Save the Children.
From increasing the budget to 6 percent of GDP for elementary education to proper and timely implementation of grievance redressal mechanisms specially at block and district level, strengthening of the OSCPCR, filling up the vacant teachers posts in Primary, UP and High Schools, effective implementation of Right to Education Act, strategy for out of school and hard to reach children, complete ban on any form of child labour, children’s participation in School Management Committees, strict legislation on child abuse and sexual harassment and rehabilitation home for HIV infected kids, there are many demands on the ‘Children’s Manifesto’.
Rajyasabha MP Baishnab Charan Parida, Rajendra Chhatria, MLA, Narayan Reddy, Ex-MLA, Bhrugubaxi Patra and Ashok Mishra, BJP, Suresh Panigrahi, CPI (M), Mahendra Parida, CPI (ML), Nisikanta Mohapatra, AAP discussed on the children’s demands and promised to talk about in their respective party meetings to add those demands in their respective manifestos with proper attention.
Political parties should address such issues to offer a just and protected childhood for the children. As the election manifesto is an important one for all parties, we found it would be good if they openly promise during election campaign and thereafter in assembly and in the parliament’ said Siba Rao, Convenor, National Level Children’s Alliance.
Among others, Laxminarayan Nanda, UNICEF, Das Benhur, Educationist, Jatindra Dash, Journalist, Rajendra Meher, Member, OSCPCR and Anil Pradhan, Odisha RtE Forum facilitated the children in shaping the ‘manifesto’ before presenting it to the political party leaders.
- See more at: http://orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=47348#sthash.j7yIjpSb.dpufAs the country heads for general elections in a few months, more than 50 children from 10 districts who represent almost 700 villages of Odisha have joined together in a common platform to raise the issues and concerns of children before the policy makers and duty-bearers here. They have shared their demands to the political parties in shape of a ‘Children’s Manifesto’ keeping in consideration of the growing child rights violation cases in the state as well as in country. Children have demanded for the inclusion of their rights relating to education, health & nutrition, protection, participation as well as in the event of disaster, in accordance with the UN Convention on Rights of the Children (UN CRC), into the manifesto of all political parties. Senior Political Leaders, Members of Odisha Legislative Assembly (MLA), Members of Parliament (MP) from various mainstream parties joined the interface with around 50 child leaders. The program is organized by Save the Children and its NGO partners with support from European Union and UKAID at Bhubaneswar.‘This is a conscious attempt to appeal to political parties to include the child rights related issues in their agenda to protect and promote child rights in the state. Although there are institutional mechanisms to address the issues, but mass awareness and high degree of accountability is required, where the political parties play a vital role’ said Sasanka Kumar Padhi, Odisha State Program Manager, Save the Children.
A variety of demands such as increasing the budget to 6 percent of the GDP for elementary education, the proper and timely implementation of grievance redressal mechanisms specially at block and district level, strengthening of the OSCPCR (Orissa State Commission for Protection of Child rights), filling up the vacant teachers posts in Primary, UP and High Schools, effective implementation of Right to Education Act, a strategy for out of school and hard to reach children, a complete ban on any form of child labour, children’s participation in School Management Committees, strict legislation on child abuse and sexual harassment and rehabilitation home for HIV infected kids, and many others have been included in the ‘Children’s Manifesto’.
Political parties' members such as Rajyasabha MP Baishnab Charan Parida, Rajendra Chhatria, MLA, Narayan Reddy, Ex-MLA, Bhrugubaxi Patra and Ashok Mishra, BJP, Suresh Panigrahi, CPI (M), Mahendra Parida, CPI (ML), Nisikanta Mohapatra, AAP discussed on the children’s demands and promised to talk about in their respective party meetings on adding those demands in their respective manifestos with proper attention.
Political parties should address such issues to offer a just and protected childhood for the children. As the election manifesto is an important one for all parties, we found it would be good if they openly promise during election campaign and thereafter in assembly and in the parliament’ said Siba Rao, Convenor, National Level Children’s Alliance.
Among others, Laxminarayan Nanda, UNICEF, Das Benhur, Educationist, Jatindra Dash, Journalist, Rajendra Meher, Member, OSCPCR and Anil Pradhan, Odisha RTE Forum facilitated the children in shaping the ‘manifesto’ before presenting it to the political party leaders.
