Representatives from three child-led organisations led the event:

• the African Movement of Working Children and Youth
• the Children's Movement for Peace in Colombia, and
• Bhima Sangha, a working children's union from Karnataka State in Southern India

The workshop was facilitated by a representative from the European Youth Forum. The Chairperson, Havard Ovregard, in introducing the event, highlighted the importance of Article 12 of the UNCRC, affirming children's right to express themselves, including children's and young people's right to represent themselves on matters that concern their lives,

Following a brief introduction to each of the children's organisation by the chairperson, each representative explained in more detail what his or her organisation is doing, the factors that have helped its development, the obstacles that have stood in their way and how they have dealt with them.

The young people's presentations were followed by responses from adult representatives from Save the Children, ENDA and Girls Scouts of the USA who shared their respective organisation's perspectives on child-led organisations. This was followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

Bhima Sangha, a working-children's union, I 13 years old. Now with 15,000 individual members, the movement was initiated by working children.

Bhima Sangha s composed of working committees, which are based on geographic regions in the southern India state of Karnataka. Children elect the committee members, who in turn make and implement plans with support from adults.

Bhima Sangha began to celebrate April 30 as Child Labour Day. One notable success in their advocacy efforts is that April 30 is now officially recognised by the state government. Bhima Sangha also works with the provincial government to identify and help working children and to bring them into government planning programmes.

Bhima Sangha works at the community level to find solutions to problems together with adults but based on children's needs. For example, local governments now provide working children with the possibility to study and work. A living experience of democracy has been created at the local level through the establishment of children' governments (panchayats). These panchayats help to find solutions for children at the local level and, help to create spaces in which girls can actively participate in decision-making processes and in which their specific concerns can be met. This local democracy has created room for all children from 6 to 18 years (not just working children) to participate at the village level.

The main difficulties Bhima Sangha has encountered include the inability of girls to participate. To counter this obstacle that Movement has worked with families to convince them to allow girls to participate in the organisation . Bhima Sangha members also enounter problems in the workplace, especially from their employers when they demand their working rights. Other issues that Bhima Sangha is trying to address include child marriage, family migration, the creation of more associations of working children at the regional level, and ultimately of a world-wide movement.

One of Bhima Sangha 's future objectives is the creation of a society that provides structures where children can be advocates for their rights.

''Children stll have their dreams. We can recreate dreams in adults"
                                                                 --Bala, Bhima Sangha