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Summary: Butterflies' conducted a South Asian Regional Training Workshop on production of Children's own newspaper in April-May 2005 in New Delhi, India. The workshop culminated with the production of Children's Newspaper- South Asian Children's Times (SACT).
Children's Newspaper Initiative (National Children's Times and South Asian Children's Times) Supported & Facilitated by Butterflies Background In the year 1996 the members of Bal Mazdoor Union (child workers union), a working and street children's collective in Delhi , India, came out with the idea of publishing their own newspaper, to highlight their concerns that were otherwise neglected by the mainstream media. Thus they facilitated formation of an editorial board comprising of reporters, editors and publisher with children between the age group of 9-16 years and eventually initiated a bimonthly and bilingual (Hindi and English) newspaper, Bal Mazdoor Ki Awaz (Child Workers' Voice). In the year 2001 the editorial team of Bal Mazdoor Ki Awaz decided to expand their initiative to other parts of the country and in the month of May, 2001 "Workshop on Children's Production of their own Newspaper" was organized with 40 rural and urban children associated with 12 NGOs from 7 states of India . The outcome of this workshop was children from each NGO group started publishing their own bi-monthly(once in two months) newspaper. Process of Formation of National Child Journalists Forum (NCJF) In February 2002, a follow-up workshop was organized by the editorial team of Bal Mazdoor Ki Awaz to share and learn from each other's experiences and also to discuss the issue "How to take this initiative forward". Child delegates of the follow-up workshop unanimously felt the need to have an identity as journalists and therefore decided to organize themselves into a "Rashtriya Bal Patrakar Manch" -National Child Journalists' Forum (NCJF). The child journalists from below mentioned regional NGO's were part of the National Child Journalists Forum: - Aarambh, Madhya Pradesh Their objective was to monitor the situation of Children's rights in the country and raise concerned issues through producing their own bi-monthly, bilingual national newspaper-National Children's Times (NCT) . It was also decided that reporters and editors would be street and working children between the age of 9 to 16 years. In that workshop they also sought help of Butterflies to support their idea. Butterflies assured the child journalists and supported the publication of National Children's Times. In the year 2003, NCJF was consolidated. First issue of "National Children's Times" was launched during 4th World Social Forum-Mumbai, India, in January-04 and 10,000 copies (5000 Hindi and 5000 English copies) of NCT reached out to children, adults and NGOs of various parts of India and abroad .Since then it is being published and distributed regularly with some exceptions. From National to International: Journey of South Asian Children's Times The National Children's Times has further widened its horizons into South Asian Children's Times with partners joining in from the South Asian region. Butterflies with support from SARI/Equity have taken its newspaper initiative to the South Asian countries. Butterflies organized South Asian Regional Training Workshop on the production of children's own newspaper from 26th April to 2nd May 2005 in New Delhi-India. This workshop was attended by the child representatives from following grassroot NGO's of South Asian region: - Afghanistan (Aschiana) From India, child representatives came from the following grassroot NGO's: - Jeeva Jyothi, Tamil Nadu (New) The training workshop for children and adult facilitators gave them an insight into technical aspects of media and journalism. Children were trained in the technicalities of print media and journalism with practical experiences of conducting interviews and visiting Hindustan Times printing press, a main stream daily newspaper. At the end of that training workshop, child participants formed " South Asian Alliance of Children for Child Rights" at the regional level. "South Asian Alliance of Children for Child Rights" is an effort to bring together children from these countries and facilitate a children's collective to monitor their rights in the region by means of their own newspaper- South Asian Children's Times (SACT), the first ever-regional Children's newspaper. Children associated with all the above mentioned organizations contribute materials in the form of articles, drawings and illustrations concerning their issues and thus putting their perspectives to the adult world.. Child journalists during the workshop decided that SACT would be published once in four months and all the issues would be published in six regional languages (Hindi, Bangla, Singhala, Nepali, Pushto and Urdu) and one universal language i.e. English. In the course of the training program Children successfully produced the first issue of their newspaper. The first issue of this children's newspaper, as decided, has been published in seven languages namely English, Hindi, Bangla, Singhala, Nepali, Pushto and Urdu. The second issue of South Asian Children's Times has also been printed. Child journalists from all the above mentioned countries, except India (because in India they have already started their National Newspaper) have a plan to start their national newspaper shortly. South Asian Children's Times lends a voice to children for expressing their ideas, opinions and views on issues of their concern. It is an initiative of children in collating information, writing, editing and publishing on behalf of "South Asian alliance of Children for Child Rights".
- Bal Mahila Vikas Samiti, Madhya Pradesh
- Bal Sakha, Bihar
- Butterflies , Delhi
- Garib Nawaz Mahila Avam Bal Kalyan Samiti, Rajasthan
- Jan Kala Sahitya Manch Sanstha, Rajasthan
- Kargil Development Project, Jammu & Kashmir
- Leh Nutrition Project Jammu & Kashmir
- Mahila Development Centre, Bihar
- SARJAN-ASAG, Gujarat
- Secure Future, Jammu & Kashmir
- Shambhu Nath Singh Research Foundation, Uttar Pradesh
- Pakistan (Pakistan Rural Workers Social Welfare Organization)
- Bangladesh (Aparajeo)
- Nepal (Concern)
- Sri Lanka (Kantha Sakthi)
- Mayurbhanj Joint Citizen Centre, West Bengal (New)
- Mahila Development Centre, Bihar
- Leh Nutrition Project, Jammu and Kashmir
- Butterflies , Delhi