REMINDER: CRTF Convention Preparatory Meeting
Dipa Sinha
This is to remind you that we are having a preparatory meeting to discuss the proposed Convention on Children's Right to Food. The meeting is from 11am to 2pm at Mobile Creches office.
Regards,
Dipa
Invitation for Preparatory Meeting for
Proposed Convention on Children’s Right to Food
Date: 23 November 2011
Venue: Mobile Crèches, Raja Bazaar, New Delhi
Time: 11am to 2pm (A working lunch will be served)
Dear Friends,
The issue of children's right to food (CRTF) has received increased attention in the last five years or so, especially in the context of Supreme Court orders on ICDS and school mid day meals, in the 'Right to Food' Case. The Right to Food campaign has also taken up the issue of child malnutrition in various campaign activities while linking it to the larger issue of food and livelihood security. The Working Group for Children under Six which is a joint working group of the Right to Food campaign and Jan Swasthya Abhiyan has been involved in formulating positions and policy recommendations on various issues related to children's right to food for e.g. Strategies for children under six in the 11th and 12th plans, understanding the role of commercial interests in the strategies for management of malnutrition, positioning children's right to food in a comprehensive framework of children's right to health, nutrition, development and care, linking it to the need for maternity entitlements and creches and so on. The campaign and the working group have also been in involved in advocacy with the government and also other organisations on these issues. Public meetings have been held and workshops on CRTF have been conducted in the National Right to Food Conventions (resolutions of the latest convention attached).
It has been more than five years since we had the last Children’s Right to Food (CRTF) Convention in Hyderabad (in April 2006). There have been many developments in the field, the campaigns, and policies in relation to CRTF in this period. We therefore feel it is time for us all to meet again to review the status of CRTF across the country, the policy and campaign developments and to discuss a plan of action for further campaign activities. This will also be a good opportunity for those working on right to food and others in childrens rights to come together.
The Working Group for Children under Six (of the Right to Food campaign and the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan) has held some preliminary discussions regarding the proposed convention tentatively planned to be held early next year. Some of the issues we felt could be the focus in the Convention are as follows:
• Review of status of malnutrition
• Review of policies – state government, central govt and international
• Implementation of SC orders
• Review of status of schemes – ICDS, MDMS, IGMSY
• National Food Security Bill and children
• Social audits on ICDS, use of RTI
• A plenary on international experiences – Thailand, Bangladesh (to explore if we can get participants from these countries)
We would like to invite you to participate in a preparatory meeting with your suggestions and contribute to the planning for the Convention on Children's Right to Food. We plan to have a half-day meeting on the 23rd November, 2011 in Delhi to discuss the following:
- Timing of the Convention (venue to be bhopal)
- Preparatory activities for the Convention
- Roles and responsibilities
- Formation of a programme committee
- Issues to be discussed in the Convention
- A tentative list of participants/invitees
- Funds/resources required for the Convention
- Any other issue
We hope you will be able to join us for this meeting. Please send in a line to confirm your participation.
In Solidarity,
Sachin Jain
[on behalf of Working Group for Children under Six]
and
Kavita Srivastava
[Convenor, Steering Committee, Right to Food Campaign]
For information and material related to the 1st CRTF Convention please visit http://www.righttofoodindia.org/icds/icds_convention.html
Contacts: Dipa Sinha: mob: 09650434777, dipa...@gmail.com,
Sejal Dand mob: 8130200062, seja...@gmail.com,