Time To Let Children Lead The Fight Against Violation Of Child Rights

Children these days are smarter than we think they could be. They are also sensitive towards the issues they face or children at their age face when their rights are curbed. Children should be driving the change further to make this world a children-friendly place. This was one of the major points discussed at the Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit 2016 organised by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi.

The summit was organised in New Delhi on December 10-11, aiming to adopt a declaration after discussing issues and solutions related to child rights violations. The summit ended with the launch of ‘100 million for 100 million’ campaign, a global initiative that will support 100 million youth to stand up and be the voice of the voiceless 100 million children and youth across the world, within the next five years. President Pranab Mukherjee on his 81st birthday on Sunday, flagged off the campaign in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

A declaration – ‘Will for Children’ was adopted by Satyarthi and world leaders including Nobel peace prize winners Tawakkol Karman from Yemen, Leymah Gbowee from Liberia, former prime minister of Australia Julia Gillard, First Lady of Panama and UNAIDS Special Ambassador for AIDS in Latin America Lorena Castillo de Varela and Secretary General of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) – Angel Gurria from Mexico.

“We will work towards the goal of high quality inclusive and universal education with an immediate emphasis on getting children out of child labour… We will support and encourage governments, intergovernmental organisations and private organisations to prioritise and empower free quality public education, inclusive, affordable and equitable healthcare, detection, safety and wellbeing of all children in their policies, business practices especially in supply chain behaviour and financing…,”Satyarthi read the declaration.

The ‘Will for children’ also urged all countries to implement sustainable development goals especially the ones that protected the rights of children.

In a first of its kind summit for children, around 25 Laureates and Leaders, young people and more than 150 eminent personalities from various walks of life – academia, business, civil society, sports, arts and culture came together to discuss solutions and their implementation. Nobel Laureates including spiritual leader Dalai Lama, former President of Timor-Leste- José Ramos-Horta, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman among many other leaders like royal family members, administrators, corporate leaders and young children were present during the summit.

“The path towards an equal future will come through prioritising. The disparities in education, health and poverty indicators will have to be eliminated. The factors hampering the progress of disadvantaged children will have to be removed,” said Mukherjee.

During various thematic discussions on both days, young child representatives actively participated and raised their voices. Many children present were rescued by Satyarthi and his Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation.

A session was organised where children were called to ask questions relating to their rights to the laureates and leaders. Satyarthi urged them to lead the fight and the leaders shall follow.

Discussing the solution to child labour, Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights organisation said, “Only education is not the solution to the child labour issue. There has to be human rights education that teaches them their rights. Power to ask for their rights will not be given to them, Children will have to ask and demand for their rights and then the change will happen.”

Thousands of children came together during the ‘100 million for 100 million’ campaign’s flag off ceremony and further walked in a march behind Satyarthi.

Speaking about the campaign, Satyarthi said, “Starting today, let us build the legacy we want to leave behind. I see a world where every child is free, safe and educated… a world where science and technology play a pivotal role in creating systems that deter crime – where via economic arguments we make children the beneficiaries of growth and not slaves of it. I see a world where young people drive change.”

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The CSR Journal Team