BREADS CREAM Project

BREADS organized a one day consultation on “Children: Governance & Equity” on 17^th June 2013, at EDC (SJP college Campus), Bangalore. The consultation was an effort to record people’s perspectives on their priorities. This consultation is part of the advocacy initiated at the national level by Wada Na Thodo Abhiyan (WNTA) to collate people’s voices to influence the development of a framework for Millennium Development Goals.

7 organisations had partnered with BREADS to organize the consultation in Bangalore. The members of the core group had conducted Focus Group Discussions (10 in all + 1 email survey) with their respective stake holders and consolidated the concerns that have emerged. These concerns were presented to the participants in the forenoon session. Post lunch, the participants were divided into 4 groups (1 with children exclusively) and facilitated to articulate their priorities.

Mr H R Umesh Aradhya, KSCPCR Chairperson was the chief guest. Dr Padmini, Founder Trustee, CRT presented the keynote address and Mr Vasudev Sharma, Executive Director, CRT facilitated the programme. Participants included representatives from research and field based organisations, various NGOs, teachers, BRC/CRCs, children, juvenile homes, District Child Protection Unit, advocates, activists, SHG members.

Recommendations put forward by children:

1.       All schools – govt or private – must treat all children equally, without any discrimination and provide them all with the requisite facilities and opportunities.

2.       Family, society and schools are equal stake holders in protection of children.

3.       No child must go hungry; health care facilities must function optimally to ensure services as and when needed.

Recommendations from adult groups:

1.       Universalisation of education and health care

2.       Strengthen systems like ICPU to ensure efficient functioning

3.       Community monitoring of implementation of various government schemes

4.       Whether we have MDGs or not – the shift must be towards a rights based approach

5.       Ensure accountability and commitment of the systems at multifarious levels. This also calls for interdepartmental coordination

6.       Children’s participation in decisions concerning them

7.       People should be educated on the schemes they can avail of and the significance of safe sanitation practices

 

ü  ‘My World’ Survey (The United Nations Global Survey for a Better World):

As part of the programme the organisers were required to do a survey on people’s priorities, using the questionnaire designed by the United Nations. Interestingly, some of the participants expressed their ideological opposition to this questionnaire and refrained from filling it. They submitted the survey forms with their opposition mentioned in it.