Children’s Participation And The JJA  Model Rules

 An overview:

 Our work experience as a private development agency that has worked for over two decades has thrown up numerous incidents where the State has failed to meet the requirements of children who need care and protection. The homes set up to care for children fall shamefully short of what is expected of them. The juvenile homes are supposed to be places that offer care and protection to children who are in conflict with law – in order to heal them and provide them a safe haven to gain life skills, education and vocational education so that they are able to realise their full potential. There are stringent norms that the Government sets up for ‘fit person institution’ recognition that they give to NGOs in order to achieve this. Yet, these norms are blatantly violated in the government run institutions that lack basic facilities, do not have staff with counselling skills and in many of them, the security guard is the person in charge.  

The lacunae in the government run juvenile institutions have been brought to the notice of the concerned authorities a number of times over the years by children, NGOs, Child Welfare Committees and crisis help lines. However, they have been ignored. This is a clear case of non-fulfilment of responsibilities by the concerned authorities yet, the persons responsible are not held accountable by the judicial system.

Our analysis and the review of the Juvenile Justice Act – 2000 of India makes a clear and strong case to indicate that the Act clearly violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Beijing Rules.

Some of our key concerns with regard to the JJA and its implementation – with special reference to children’s participation are:

'Right to Ration Cards’

As you are aware, our organisation has been working with adults and children of migrant communities in Udupi district and Bangalore Urban district. Among the key issues that the Union of Migrant Worker are raising are ‘the Right to Voter’s Cards’, ‘Right to Ration Cards’ and ‘Right to register their Union’.

 The Union, with our facilitation was able to ensure that 218 members were able to exercise their voting rights, 157 members were able to access the Labour Card issued by the Government that provides them social security nets and 37 were able to access the Ration Cards that enable them to access groceries and other basic items at subsidised rates. Three children from these communities, living by the streets, set a precedent when they accessed the free Cycles provided by the Schools which they had been denied earlier due to lack of address proof. Several of the adults have also accessed Life Insurance Coverage and mobile SIM cards with their newly acquired documentation. Most importantly, they are able to gain respect and are able to protect themselves better from abuse from agencies such as police as their ‘Union Membership Cards’ provide them collective strength and recognition.

Click Here for Press Report.

Recommendations to the State Commission on Protection of Child Rights

Two thousand migrant workers marched to demand their rights as citizens of this district to the first ever convention of migrant workers in this State at Udupi District. Declaring a peaceful struggle to realise their rights, they announced the formation of the Karnataka Migrant Workers Union and unfurled their flag to display their symbol ?footprints? that visualises their long journey and their aspiration for a new world. 

Today opens a new chapter in the struggle of Migrant Communities in Karnataka.

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'Say No to Child Marriage' Campaign - A Complete Overview

Children lead the way to decentralisation and civil society participation
For the past few years, the Government of Karnataka has been trying to enable the participation of civil society in the formulation of plans through the vitalisation of Gram Sabhas without much success. In 2004, participatory planning was made possible through the active involvement of children in the formulation of Five Year Plans in all the 56 Panchayats of Kundapura Taluk, Udupi District, South Kanara. This process was facilitated by the Concerned for Working Children.

For a copy of the publication detailing the entire process, please contact cwc@pobox.com

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This note highlights the importance of viewing child labour as a by-product of lop-sided developments. It demands that only sustainable and holistic development can create a situation where children are no longer exploited and their rights are respected and realised.

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"Bread and Puppet Theater": Peter Schumann and his daughter Maria Schumann

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Earning a life: Working in children in Zimbabwe, book reviewed by Bill Myers, children's right advocate who has written, co-authored and edited various publications advocating expanded participation of working children to decide policies and programmes that concern their lives. A former official of  the UNICEF and the ILO, is currently a visiting scholar in the Human and Community Development Department of the University of California at Davis, USA. 

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Lessons learnt by CWC: It is a different and difficult reality for working children, as policy-makers should understand.

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Makkala Sahaya Vani, the children's helpline: Troubled and abused children can take recourse to the children's helpline which intervening powers

Slum Habba: Celebrating the culture and struggle of slum dwellers

Felicitation of Prof Hasan Mansur : Click Here for details.
 

An Appeal : Join us in our effort and contribute to our cause!
Send your responses to: cwc@pobox.com