Policy decisions relating to protection of children are no more an expertise of adults. Children are taking active part in deciding the strategies to protect themselves.
For the first time, four children from Puducherry were part of a historical consultative meeting that drafted the Guwahati Declaration of Children.
The children, from 11 states after having a ‘National level Consultation on Ending Violence against Children’ in Guwahati on June 21 and 22, discussed various issues of violence affecting the well-being of children and arrived at various demands. Nearly 35 children attended this meet.
Two children from Anbalayam Trust for socio-economic empowerment of rural women and children and two special children from Satya Special School participated in the meeting.
Fifteen-year-old Kavya from Anbalayam Trust said that they discussed five different issues including child labour, child trafficking, child marriage, child sexual abuse and corporal punishment. She added that they discussed how a child is affected and what action should be taken by the parents or government.
Eighteen-year-old Subramani Anil added that the participants wanted a Children’s Group to be formed to raise awareness to stop child labour and motivate them to go to school.
Fourteen-year-old Gautam added that people should be aware that corporal punishment is an offence. Thirteen-year-old Srinivasan from Satya Special School also took part.
All the four children talked about the different issues affecting children and the demands they have put together in the Guwahati Declaration of Children.
Besides categorising the issues where intervention was required, the children identified the stakeholders and explained their roles in each of the five issues faced by children.
The stakeholders include children, their family, society, non-governmental organisations and government. The National Consultation on Ending Violence against Children was organised by the National Action and Coordinating Group .
“National Action and Coordinating Group (NACG) is a parallel body to ‘South Asia Initiative for Ending Violence against Children’ (SAIEVAC). SAIEVAC is the apex body of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) created with a vision that all children, girls and boys, throughout South Asia enjoy their right to an environment free from all forms of violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect and discrimination,” said P. Joseph Victor Raj, Director, HOPE Puducherry.
The purpose of NACG is to strengthen inter-agency work including the governments and children groups to end violence against children. NACG is composed of UN agencies, multi-lateral and bi-lateral agencies, NGOs, civil society organisations, children and young people’s group. P. Joseph Victor Raj, Director, HOPE Puducherry, is one of the 12 National Executive Members of NACG India.
