The National Children Consultation (Rashtriya Bal Sunvayi) brought together nearly 100 children from across the country here on Wednesday to press for inclusion of their rights in the Post 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDG) agenda and in the national manifestos of political parties for general elections 2014.
The consultation aimed at stimulating an inclusive debate and building a global consensus to stir up a dialogue on the ‘India/world children want’ with clear recommendations by children for Governments, civil society and other stakeholders. Eleven children from the consultation are participating in an intervention around the 68th UN General Assembly to be held in September in New York.
The consultation was a culmination of 31 State consultations under the aegis of the ‘Nine is Mine’ campaign by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan together with humanitarian organisations like the World Vision India, Action Aid (India) and Save the Children.
The consultation witnessed a panel discussion by experts on child rights along with policymakers.
The children in most of the Sunvayis demanded good roads, hospitals, electricity supply, good teachers and schools, water for irrigation, no discrimination, good police force and end to agitations and bandhs in their country. Children also demanded an end to child labour, child marriages, proper water and sanitation facilities in their schools.