BAL ADHIKAR SAMVAD
RTF
26th October 2006
Special Invitation: Bal Adhikar Samvad (19 December 2006)
We are writing to invite you to a special gathering: "Bal Adhikar
Samvad", to be held in Delhi on 19 December 2006.Through this event
we wish to highlight once again the fundamental rights of children
under the age of six years - including their rights to nutrition,
health and pre-school education.
It is almost five years since the Supreme Court directed the government
to universalize ICDS. Yet, much remains to be done to realise the
vision of "universalization with quality": an active Anganwadi in every
settlement, with full coverage of all children under
the age of six years. Meanwhile, hunger and malnutrition continue
across the country.
Earlier this year, many groups and individuals met in Hyderabad for a
convention on "children's right to food", where a variety of campaign
activities were planned: 'anganwadi divas', bal adhikar yatras, field
surveys, media events, and more. These activities have started, and
more are expected in the next few weeks, especially during the week
leading to Child Rights Day on 21 November.
While most of these activities are taking place at the local level
(e.g. village, district or state), the idea of a follow-up national
event has also been floated. This would be an opportunity to share our
respective experiences, review the campaign so far, and plan further
activities. Bal Adhikar Samvad will also be an occasion to reiterate
our demand for "universalization with quality" and bring this issue
into mainstream public discussion. Other items on the programme
include cultural activities and the release of a new report, "Focus On
Children Under Six" (FOCUS).
Bal Adhikar Samvad will be held on 19 December in Delhi (the exact
venue will be announced shortly). This event is convened by Citizen's
Initiative for the Rights of Children Under Six (CIRCUS) in
collaboration with the secretariat of the Right to Food Campaign. Prof.
Amartya Sen has kindly agreed to join us and to be the keynote speaker.
We hope that you will be able to participate in this event, and to
contribute to the programme. Feel free to bring your ideas,
testimonies, reports, songs, posters, pamphlets, photographs, plays -
any material that may help to communicate the importance of these
issues to the public. Any suggestions you may have about the programme
are also welcome - just send a line to right...@gmail.com or call
us at 011-4350 1335. Further details of the programme will be
circulated soon, and posted at www.righttofoodindia.org. If you are
planning to participate, please inform us in advance if possible.
In solidarity,
Dipa Sinha and Spurthi Reddy
(on behalf of Citizens' Initiative for the Rights of Children Under
Six)