Around 108 children from different parts of the country launched an 11-point rights manifesto , demanding the nine percent of gross domestic product for a child’s future.
Around 108 children from different parts of the country launched an 11-point rights manifesto on Tuesday, demanding that the government keep nine percent of gross domestic product for a child’s future.
The children are also pressing for inclusion of these rights in the post-2015 Millenium Development Goals agenda and the national manifestoes of political parties for the 2014 general elections.
“In 2004, government of India committed to increase the spending on health by two to three per cent and education by six per cent of GDP (gross domestic product), respectively, but nothing has been done till date. So, the manifesto is a call to the government to ensure nine percent of the GDP for the future of every child,” Karandeep Bhagat, facilitator of ‘Nine is Mine’ campaign, told IANS.
‘Nine is Mine’ is a children advocacy firm that has been working with children to help them prepare the right manifesto. The manifestoes are a compilation of 11 different rights prepared through national children consultation (Bal Sunvayi) on what the kids in India want.
“The process of consultation started from 2011 where we collaborated with the grassroots non-governmental organisations and held children consultations based on the United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child, 1989, to recognise the voices of children in the post-2015 agenda,” added Bhagat.
The children’s demands include better roads, hospitals, electricity, good teachers, schools, water for irrigation and end to caste-based discrimination.
Along with the launch of the rights manifestoes, 11 children would be participating in the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly starting Sep 17.
-IANS
