Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: This update provides information
about the 'Say Yes for Children'
campaign of the Global Movement in
Nepal as well as other information
relating to the Special Session.
Update on GMC/UNGASS Nepal Activities
August 2001
- Say Yes for Children: "Say Yes for Children" campaign is going
on very successfully in Nepal. More than 170,000 pledge forms
have been collected. The target of 200,000 pledge forms seems
to be achievable. People from the remote villages are also taking
part with enthusiasm. Due to the public demand, additional
pledge forms have to be printed. People are also sending hand-
written pledge forms, letters and suggestions. Telephone calls,
letters and e-mails offering for involving in the movement are
coming everyday. In fact, "Say Yes" has contributed to spread the
movement throughout the country. Public Internet poll booths
were set up in vantage public places of Kathmandu for two days.
Many people showed interest on it and thousands of pledges
were submitted electronically and manually in the public poll
booths. It was the first public Internet polling in Nepal. UN
agencies, NGOs, INGOs, child clubs, private sector, schools, media
and general public are supporting the movement and are
involved in promoting "Say Yes for Children" campaign. Besides,
the government and the core organizations – Save the Children
(UK, Norway, US and Japan), Unicef, Plan International - NGOs
and child clubs - CWIN, Hatemalo, Jagriti Bal Samuha, Consortium
of Organizations Working with Children, Concern, etc – are
organizing various programmes to distribution, filling and
collecting the pledge forms.
- National Children's Day: On 20 August 2001, throughout the
country, Nepal celebrated 37th National Children's Day with the
theme "Say Yes for Children". Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Sher
Bahadur Deuba casted his "Say Yes for Children" vote pledging
for children. CWIN organized a children's drawing competition
focussing on ten imperatives of the Rallying Call for Children.
Many people filled pledge forms in various programmes
throughout the country on the Children's Day. There was a huge
media coverage on the "Say Yes" campaign. Moreover, a
children's fair was organized by District Child Welfare Committee,
local NGOs, Unicef, Save the Children UK and child clubs in
Pokhara.
- School Mobilization: Students of hundreds of schools filled the
"Say Yes" pledge forms. Unicef staff visited many schools and
briefed about GMC, UNGASS and "Say Yes" campaign. Similarly,
NGOs and child clubs visited many schools outside Kathmandu
and got thousands of the pledge forms filled. All staff members of
the core organizations were also involved personally. During the
weekends, holidays and off hours, Save the Children UK staff
visited friends, relatives and schools to get the pledge forms filled.
Involvement of the Private Sector: Unlimited Numedia Pvt. Ltd.,
a prominent IT company is volunteering in computer data entry of
the pledge forms free of cost. They are involving about 40 staff
and using their IT infrastructure for data entry. Young Herald, a
young people's magazine has volunteered in organizing public
Internet polling in Kathmandu. Channel Nepal, FM radio channels
and print media are giving a very good coverage to GMC and "Say
Yes" campaign. Daily newspapers supported the movement also
by inserting the self-addressed/stamped aerogrammes in their
publications free of cost.
- Web Page: GMC Nepal web site (www.gmc.org.np) is getting
popular everyday and thousands of people visited the site within
a period of one month. The site is regularly updated and getting
more content.
- Children's Convention/Fair/Interaction: Together with Save the
Children (UK, US, Norway and Japan), Consortium of
Organizations working with Child Clubs will organize a children's
fair on 10 and 11 September 2001 in Kathmandu. About 150
children will participate in the fair and they will interact with the
UNGASS delegates from Nepal, media and public to share their
voices, key messages and common agenda. Save the Children UK
is taking the lead in organizing the fair.
- Film on Children's Voice: The Movement against HIV/AIDS
(Achham, Nepal) has been filmed, edited and the rough-cut has
been shared with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social
Welfare. There is a plan to screen the film in NY during the Special
Session.
Prepared by: Anil Raghuvanshi, UNGASS & GMC Coordinator Save
the Children UK
pdf: www.crin.org/docs/resources/publications/Nepal_August.pdf