RECENT WORKSHOPS

Designing and developing the model for Mainstreaming Children’s Citizenship in the State of Karnataka, for the Government of Karnataka, India. The programme of the Concerned for Working Children (CWC) to ensure the participation of children in the local government and to assert their citizenship was initiated in 1996. The Children’s Councils (Makkala Panchayats) which started as a pilot project in collaboration with the State Government has now received national and international recognition. The first ever Children’s Grama Sabha (Grama Sabha in India is the most decentralised local government’s decision making forum) that was initiated by CWC has now been made mandatory by the State in all its 5650 local governments as a result of their impact in the field coupled with sustained advocacy. Presently Dhruva is involved in building the capacities of children, elected members, state bureaucracy and civil society organisations at the State level to ensure that this political space that gives full recognition to children’s citizenship is used most effectively and ethically.

 Assessment and Capacity Building of SCiSL (Save the Children), Sri Lanka: Dhruva is contracted by SCiSL to assess all their programmes and develop the capacities of all the staff and children within a rights framework. The project is being carried out three phases – an assessment followed by capacity building of all the staff, including senior management, partners and children and mentoring which has been carried out in three districts of the Country that face unique socio-political challenges. The capacity building workshop facilitated the participants to do an intensive poverty mapping of children in Sri Lanka, which has resulted in reviewing their programme focus. The entire capacity building programme has resulted in significant changes within the organisation, towards a rights based and democratic approach to their work in the field, including bottom up planning.

 Enabling the setting up of Structures for Children’s Participation, Mongolia: On the request of UNICEF and the Government of Mongolia, Dhruva facilitated, designed and built the capacity of children, youth and government officials through a nation wide series of assessments, reviews, participatory research and planning, and capacity building workshops in which children and youth were active participants culminating in the Mongolian Parliament passing orders for the setting up of structures for children’s participation in governance across the country.

National Five Year Planning, India: Taking the opportunity of National Five Year Planning in India, Dhruva advocated for the participation of children in the National Five-Year planning process. Subsequently it facilitated children in 56 Gram Panchayats [Local Governments] in India to carry out an extensive planning exercise, which led to over 60,000 children developing plans for their villages. These have become part of the Tenth Five Year Plan of India and are being implemented by the local governments.

Situational Assessment of Girls and Women in 9 States of India to evaluate the response of the National Government: Dhruva, as a member of a national team, and as the lead for Karnataka, designed and conducted an assessment and evaluation of the situation of girls and women in 9 Indian States. It also evaluated the State’s response through their programme, Mahila Samakaya and provided recommendations for action.

Socio-Economic Survey by Children, India: Dhruva facilitated children from 8 Gram Panchayats to carry out their research through an extensive house-house socio-economic survey. The survey enabled children to create their data base for their effective participation in governance.

 Study of Transport and Mobility Problems by Children, India, Ghana and South Africa: As part of a study commissioned by DFID and the University of Durham, Dhruva designed the methodology and developed the tools as well as developed the capacities of adults and children from all the 3 countries to carry out a study by children on their transport, access and mobility problems. The study also resulted in children developing strategies to solve their mobility and access problems and negotiating with various stakeholders to solve their problems.

Designing and implementing large Advocacy Campaigns in India, Mongolia and Ghana: Dhruva has successfully carried out several campaigns for and in partnership with children and young persons for issues such as Children Participation in Local Government, Issues of Access and Transport and Rights of Working Children.