Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: The aim of the workshop was to train street and working children on principles of Journalism and Banking to facilitate the process of developing a Children's Development Bank and a newspaper in their own countries/State/localites.
Butterflies has been working with street and working children, and urban poor children since 1989 in Delhi. Butterflies promotes NGO networks, within India and other parts of the world, and actively participates in the same to mobilise NGOs and civil society for actions for protecting children's' rights. Butterflies has initiated a process of building partnership with NGOs within the country and within the South Asian region (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka) to expand its programmes of Children's Development Bank and Children's Newspaper. These activities have proved to be effective for empowering children and facilitating skills in democratic participation. A South Asia Regional Followup Training Workshop was organised by Butterflies (in association with local partners) to train street and working children on basics of Journalism and Banking to facilitate the process of developing a Children's Development Bank and also bring out a newspaper in their own countries/State/localites. The workshop was held on 1-2 December 2005, Chennai. Apart from the partner NGOs from India, this workshop was attended by child participants and adult facilitators from Afghanistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Children from Pakistan and Bangladesh could not particiapte in it due to visa problems. On 3rd December 2005 a press meeting was organised to involve the mainstream media in this innovative initiative in the South Asian Region. These two Workshops and the press meeting were followed by the First Regional Convention of South Asian Child Journalist Forum, in Chennai on 3rd December 2005 from 5.00 pm to 7.00pm. The convention was followed by cultural programmes wherein children from different South Asian countries showcased their culture and talent.