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,
