My Caring Family is My First Right "SAAGN"

SAAGN Alliance led Regional Communication Campaign on "My Caring Family is My First Right" was launched on 1st June 2013 to raise awareness on Family as the first place where children can see their rights. SAAGN launched the campaign through an online petition on www.change.org on 1st June 2013 as its first initiative to launch the campaign. http://chn.ge/13pA6pp. The petition has been signed by more than 12,000 individuals all across the world.

In India, Don Bosco Ashalayam, Delhi organized a Letter writing and Drawing com-petition involving 150 children depicting their ideas, love and the role of the family, after which they also organized an interactive session with children along with distribu-tion of posters and bumper stickers in the local community. J.N. Bal Nikunj Samiti, Lakhimpur- Kheri, UP on the other hand organized a painting competition on the theme ‘Importance of family for children’ with 38 children. Open Learning Systems, Orissa and Mahila Development Centre, Bihar organized Rallys with children who disseminated posters and bumper stickers produced as a part of the campaign collat-erals by Butterflies, Delhi. Shreyas, Kerala, organized a workshop with 50 children through which they carried out interactive sessions and group work with children. They also conducted school campaigning programmes in four schools in the tribal areas of Waynad district with 800 children and 40 teachers who actively took part in putting up posters in the school premises as well as the near by areas. Sadhbhabna, Keonjar organised a rally with 70 children in Prayas, a school for differently abled children in Naranpur, Keonjar in Orissa. In September, they also organised a debate competi-tion with children on “Is a Caring Family A Child’s first right” in which more than 100 children took part.

Likewise, in Sri Lanka, Kantha Shakthi Organization (KSO), organised a workshop on 12th August, 2013 for officers working at the grassroots level at the Divisional Secretariat (DS) office to identify and strengthen vulnerable families in Badaragama village in Kalutara district. A total no. of 125 participants comprising of Child rights promotion officers, Village Sub Divisions head, Welfare scheme officers, Development Officers and Field Officers took part in the workshop. Five Awareness Raising Work-shops for parents and children were organised in the months of August and Septem-ber in Damhana, Godakumbura, Happugasthena, Panana, Walakadagama in Balangoda respectively. The workshops mainly focused on facilitating group discus-sions among children and adults who discussed about the various issues they confront in their daily lives owing to the pressure of economic and social instabilities ranging from lack of job opportunities for parents to harmful practices like child marriage.

Meanwhile, in Nepal, Child Nepal organised a National workshop on “My Family is my First Right” on 18th– 19th August, 2013. The objective of the workshop was to sensitize government agencies on child rights issues, to promote advanced and posi-tive changes in the implementation of policies and legislations. A total of 66 partici-pants from various government and non government institutions like National Human Rights Commission, Central Children’s Welfare Board, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women, Child and Social Welfare, Women and Children Cell of police, other non governmental institutions, media persons etc. took part in the workshop. Five presen-tations on thematic areas like Child Marriage, Trafficking, Sexual Abuse and Exploita-tion, Corporal Punishment and Child Labour were also presented during the workshop. The discussions were further incorporated in the recommendations put forth by the Nepal chapter during the SAAGN regional consultation held later in the same month.

In Bangladesh, Art competitions were organized by two organizations, Come to Work (CTW), Dinajpur and Centre for Rights and Development –CRD, Panchaghra on 22nd and 17th August, 2013 respectively. The art competitions were held with the objective of spreading larger awareness among school functionaries, children and parents. Further, discussion group meeting were organised by three alliance partners, namely; Hitaishi Bangladesh, Dhaka, Jhikor Gacha Development Organization (JDO), Jessore and Manob Kallyan O Samajik Unnyan Sangstha, Khulna on 3rd, 24th and 25th August, 2013 respectively. The meetings were conducted to carry our preparatory discussions on the thematic issues concerning children. The recommen-dations from the meetings were formulated and presented at the Kathmandu regional consultation. Parents meetings were organized by Jhikor Gacha Development Or-ganization (JDO), Jessore, Mayer Anchol, Khulna and Manob Kalyan O Samajik Unnyan Sangsths, Khulna on 19th August, 8th September and 22nd September 2013 respectively. The meetings provided a platform for Urban parents, social activist and child leaders to discuss issues concerning children. Work and Rural Develop-ment (WARD), Jessore organized a workshop on 15 August 2013 for sensitizing the Department of Local Administration on Child Rights and the importance of child sensitive policies and legislations supporting Children’s act 1974. Manob Kalyan O Samajik Unnyan Sangsthan, Khulna also organised a Folk Song competition em-phasizing upon the relevance of child rights in urban and semi– urban areas.

In Afghanistan, the Campaign on Children Rights to the Family was spread exten-sively through SMSs, the company Roshan telecommunications reached out to 3 million people through broadcasting these messages written by children. Five such messages like, “Children should not be deprived of love, respect and compassion,” “Families should treat boys and girls equally,” were selected out of 25 messages written by children from Aschiana on 21st July 2013 in Kabul City.

On 25th September 2013 ,Aschiana, as a part of the Campaign organised a painting and Art Exhibition in which 400 children participated. The paintings exhibited were selected from painting competitions held with children in four provinces,Kabul, Mazar Sharif, Herat and Gardiz in Afghanistan. Children who participated in the event were interviewed and were motivated to express their views on importance of a caring family. The programme was broadcasted National Radio and TV channels.