Last October 3^rd 2006 was held the First Child Committee Meeting at our Ekalavya Children’s Home. It was celebrated in the framework of the ‘Time to talk about Child Work – Children’s views on Children’s work’ initiative sponsored by Kinder not Hilfe.

PARA is happy to be partner in this project that must ensure that voice of child workers around the world is heard at the Fourth Global Child Labour Conference in Argentina. For that purpose we brought together 15 children.

The workshop started with some games with the aim to create a more relaxed atmosphere in which children feel less shy to participate. Later circle was made and Father Thomas explained that their participation was not just an opportunity to amplify the child work advocacy’s perspective, but also their right according to the article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Childs. After that the main objective was fulfilled: boys and girls began to talk. Then we found that among them there were one fisherman, carpenters, masons, seamstress, shop hands and retail sellers. They felt comfortable and shared personal experiences and exposed valuable opinions that will undoubtedly help to enrich the further meetings and the Fourth Global Child Labour Conference. Later, children were asked to capture all previous talks and their feelings in creative way by drawing on posters. By the end of the meeting staff members felt that children’s joy was the happiness of kids doing what they should: drawing, participating and learning. Just like they would do in the school if they had not been child workers.

As in previous occasions, PARA participated at ‘All India Thematic Social Forum: On Dignity, Diversity and Democracy’ that was held on the past 31^st of July and 1^st of August in Hyderabad. The opening plenary was taken by different young activists from all around India who were able to fill the auditorium of illusion and commitment with self-experience stories and sharp critics to the actual Government. Among them, film director Harishankar Nachimuttu reminded Ambedkar words on self-respect struggle and Rohith Vemula example, while Kanhaiya Kumar –the president of the students’ union Jawaharlal Nehru University – closed the round of interventions with ‘Azadi from hunger, corruption, discrimination and backwardness’ shouts.

During the following hours several workshops took place at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Law College where our Don Bosco students from Ramanthapur were able to perform songs and dances in the cultural events. On the next day PARA had the opportunity to share with all the audience Human Rights Club’s experience through the testimonies of several kids coming from Telegana District’s schools. Finally, in the closing plenary the Asian Social Forum slogan ‘Another World is possible’ was reflected and exalted through the powerful speeches of the Adivasi Leader Soni Sori or the transgender activist Revathi among others. Definitively, All India Thematic Social Forum: On Dignity, Diversity and Democracy’ reminded us that another world is really possible through the civil society participation and people’s empowerment.

PARA experience in WSF

First World Social Forum conference took place in Porto Alegre (Brazil) in 2001 aiming to rise the voice of civil society all around the world as a counterbalance to the World Economic Forum and the hegemonic globalization process. PARA was there to claim for Dalit perspective as did in the incoming events that were held in India: Asian Social Forum Hyderabad 2003 and World Social Forum Mumbai 2004.

AP-HRE Teachers’ Winter Camp at Paderu (27-29 Feb., 2011)

AP-HRE had its winter camp held at Paderu, one of the most backward and tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh. The attendance itself showed that the choice of Paderu was fully right as a total of 87 teachers and 170 students actively participated in the camp, despite several obstacles like census duty for teachers and an inclement and very cold climate.

The Inaugural began with a melodious song welcoming everybody to the HRE-AP’s WINTER CAMP. Mr Martin Sudhakar accompanied his students on the keyboard. The Associate Coordinator, Mr Antony welcomed the guests – Fr Thomas Pallithanam to preside, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), Paderu – Mr Srinivasa Rao of Paderu sub division, Mr Raja Christopher – HM of the exemplary HRE-school, Mrs Easwarigaru, State Secretary to the Andhra Pradesh Teachers’ Federation (APTF), Sr Anisha of St Ann’s, Paderu and Mr Vinoo, a professional consultant, to the dais. The children received them with flowers.

At the Inaugural, Fr Thomas Pallithanam, Director of PARA, explained the purpose to the camp. He also detailed the developments so far, as there were some participants who were new to HRE. He spoke of the invisible but experienceable Human Rights Culture that we have to promote and protect for us to have a humane society. He spoke of the worldwide program of HRE and said that in India, it is held in …. States and that he is privileged to be in the National Committee…  He exalted the participants to continuously expand the boundaries of Human Rights. He also introduced the concept of Children’s Human Rights Clubs and explained how we could spend our time in fine-tuning it and drawing a pucca action-plan to implement it in the state of Andhra Pradesh. He described how differences could be turned into a cause for celebrations than a reason to discriminate. He welcomed everybody present into the HRE family. He dealt on the right to participation and invited the participants to give maximum opportunity for all the stake-holders to participate in HRE and its related activities as well. That alone could strengthen our democracy, he explained further.

The DySP congratulated the HRE team for the good work it is doing especially in backward, remote, tribal areas of Paderu. He said that few of speak of children’s rights and here he finds rights being taught to children in schools. He commended the effort and when the State Coordinator, Mr Ch Venkat requested his cooperation, the DySP readily accepted to ensure that he and his subordinates extend whatever help they could in the effective implementation of HRE. He explained about the various forms of discrimination, domination etc like apartheid, racism, gender discrimination, neglect of children and the aged, regionalism. He asked the participants to follow the ways of Dr Ambedkar, Martin Luther King etc and he reminded the audience that it also means self-development in order to lead others. He briefly spoke of Juvenile Justice System and Childline services and the toll-free number.

In PARA, Ravulapalem, training on Human Rights Education for Lutheran school teachers has started today. This training will continue till 29th, November, 2010. These trainings will help teachers to take human rights education in their respective schools. The ultimate purpose of these training is to bring human rights culture among children and eventually in society.

 Mr. Muppala Subba Rao, the renowned lawyer, the resource person gave a session on introduction to humar rights. Fr. Thomas Pallithanam, gave a session on Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He said that it was journery from war and slavery to liberty, equality and fraternity. He has given the background and history of human rights.

 The main objectives are:

a) human rights and duties;

b) human rights and values;

c) human rights and human development.

A. Human rights and duties

Although every right entails a duty, there has been a feeling in certain quarters that rights education is promoted and the question of duties has not been adequately addressed. In a society which emphasized on duties for centuries, rights education comes as a correction of historical distortions. The violation of rights could be corrected only when the privileged persons are reminded of their duties towards the marginalized sections, and the marginalized sections are gradually empowered through rights education. HRE at these levels would extend to such areas as gender equity, caste and community relations, majority-minority conflicts, ‘forward-backward’ dilemma and North-South power relations. In short, all power relations have to be humanized and democratized through restructuring of rights and duties.

B. Human rights and values

HRE will also focus on value education:

(a) One of the objectives is to create awareness and commitment to values where the individualistic self-interest is properly reconciled with the collective and common good.

(b) There has to be a debate on universal values and relativistic values that are culturally determined. The search for universal values assumes added importance in a globalizing but fragmented world.

(c) The values like pluralism, respect for all religions, scientific temper, open mind, public reasoning, all of which have been part of long Indian traditions, will have to be sustained and promoted.

C. Human rights and human development

Rights are not only standards, but also claims of the citizens on the allocation ofresources of the society. Indian economy is growing at a fast pace, but the economic disparities are also growing. It is necessary to recognize that development needs and equity concerns should go hand in hand. Any level of material development will not lead to human happiness unless it values human life and provides the conditions for fuller realization of the human potential. Human being is both a subject and an object of development. The State has an obligation in the promotion and enforcement of the rights and has to envision rights approach to development. No doubt these obligations when they are carried out will lead to balanced human development. HRE will include all these components.

Nine is Mine Campaign

 There had been a campaign concerning Nine is Mine in New Delhi on the 19th and 20th November, 2010, for which we had taken 10 participants from Andhra Pradesh, two HRE students and one teacher from St. Ann’s School, Paderu and 5 students and one teacher from Lutheran School, Rajahmundry and they were accompanied by Mr. Anthony, the Associate Coordinator. It was very difficult choice for school headmasters whom to choose for this programme since it was going to be in New Delhi. Finally they were able to choose few children who were able to perform and speak their experiences. The two School headmasters felt that it was a great opportunity that had come to their children. They expressed their happiness.

Children who were chosen for this programme were too happy and overwhelming with joy. Mr. Martin Sudhakar prepared these children to perform a dance on Human Rights Song. And one of the HRE students namely Yamini prepared herself to share her experience about Nine is Mine.

The programme was held at Malvihar Auditorium in New Delhi the chief guest for this programme was Ms. Vasundara Das, the actress and singer. There were students from different schools from Delhi. There were also Students from Chandigarh who cycled to New Delhi campaigning for Nine is Mine. They cycled for 300 kms and reached St. Columbus’s School where students were stationed.  In this programme children expressed their views and experiences while collecting the signatures of children. Yamini our HRE student shared her experiences and views on Nine is Mine in Telugu which was translated into English. She said she went to 11 schools and 10 Aganwadi Centers collecting signatures from students and letting them know the importance of it and children too expressed and extended their full support to obtain the promised 9% of GDP by Government. She shared that there are many children out of school and children who are malnourished and suffering from ailments. She reiterated that the Government has to fulfill their promises and achieve 100% literacy and health in our country.

Our HRE children too performed a dance on Human Rights which was a highlight of all items. The meaning of the song was that we are all brothers and sisters irrespective of caste, religion and culture. Let us stand united if we are divided we fall.

 The main attraction of the programme was the chief guest Ms. Vasundara Das who promised and extended her full support for this cause by signing the Nine is Mine card.

Guidelines in place for Nine Is Mine Phase 2 Campaign

Background

9 is Mine campaign (Phase 1) was initiated by students of various schools with St.Columbus taking the lead and with the support of WNTA in the year 2007. It was an effort by children to hold the UPA government responsible for the promise they had made to allocate 6% of the GDP for health and 3% for Education. The effort to collecting over 4 lakhs signatures across India and meeting the Prime Minister to hand over the same to him did help to increase the budget at least marginally. The same effort was followed up in 2008 with children meeting the Ms.Shanta Sinha, the Chairperson of NCPCR in this regard.

Purpose of Phase 2

In phase 2 children will ascertain to what extent the entitlements through Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and ICDS (Anganwadi) reach them. This will be done with the support of members of SMC/teachers/adult guides. The data generated will be used for advocacy from the village to state and national level with the guidance of teachers and adult guides. There is need to strengthen the SMC formation and functioning. (All said and done, we won’t get more “committed people” than the members of SMC whose children are studying in those schools).

What teachers or adult guides/ social activist do for the campaign

1. Ø They explain to the class, children’s parliament, bala sabhas the entitlements under the SSA/RGVM and ICDS. (These are on the report card- the list is not exhaustive. We have only taken those that can be easily physically verifiable.
2. 1.Permanent Building
3. 2.At least 2 Class rooms if the school has classes up to five
4. 3.Drinking Water
5. 4.Toilet for Girls
6. 5.Ramp for access for the Differently Abled

And for ICDS

1. 1.Permanent building with toilet
2. 2.Food Store
3. 3.Weighing machines for child and pregnant women/mother
4. 4.Recreation and Study materials
5. 5.Drinking water

1. Ø They tell them that they are going to visit the schools & anganwadis centres in their village to verify if those entitlements are there.
2. Ø They ask for volunteers (five would be sufficient ensuring equal representation of girls)
3. Ø They accompany students during the visit to the schools and anganwadis in their village to mark as instructed in the report card. One card per school visited / One card for one anganwadi visited. They help students to arrive at a consensus regarding marks to be given.
4. Ø They ensure that retain one copy of the report card and return the other is sent to the local coordinator of the campaign. They facilitate the meeting of the volunteers with the village sarpanch to share the findings and to see if any improvement can be done at the village level.
5. Ø Advocacy is planned at one level with the elected members: village Sarpanch, Mandal President, MLA, MP, Minister of Education / Central Minister and at another level with bureaucrats: MEO / DEO / District Magistrate / Principal
   Secretary Education.

1. Ø This process will initiate a dialogue with key persons responsible for school and anganwadi ( HMs and anganwadi teacher) and will help to strengthen him/her. This linkage can be followed up at intervals by SMC at local level. The information from SMCs helps us to do continuous advocacy giving the necessary confidence to the HM/teacher knowing that this process is going on at the national level.

A coordinator is required if several teachers / adult guides / social activists are at work in a given Taluka / MLA, MP Constituency / District.

What the Coordinator should do.

1. Ø They collect the report cards – the cards to be sent to People’s Action For Rural Awakening (PARA) – and sent it by November 14th to PARA office (Address included in the card)
2. Ø She/He (at the level she/he is working) should coordinate the work of scaling up the advocacy & lobbying work – the Taluka president/ Educational officer / MLA/MP/District Authorities.
3. Ø Facilitate along with other organisation’s coordinators the State level advocacy.
4. Ø State level coordination can suggest names of two students and an adult to participate in the National Advocacy – tentatively scheduled for December 10th.
5. Ø They do all that is necessary to make the campaign lead up to Delhi and lobby with the central government authorities with the support of WNTA.

This campaign will cover 20,000 schools and 20,000 anganwadis, 3000 villages, 800 talukas, 400 Assembly constituencies, 100 parliamentary constituencies 40 districts, 10 states. It will engage over 100,000 students. It will give them an opportunity exercise role in building a better nation for their tomorrow.

“A Fully functional school and an Anganwadi in every Village in India is our Right” is the clarion call of the campaign.

The campaign will act as a powerful tool for governance accountability around the two most important entitlements of children – education and health. It will help children/students to meaningfully participate in Nation Building and be citizens of today and add content to the pledge that they took during the SUTA events.

The Rescheduled Time line for the Campaign is:

1.First Phase – Visiting Schools, generating data, meeting the Village President to be completed by November 14th

2.Second Phase of advocacy at Taluka / MLA Constituency Level / MP Constituency / DEO/Collector by end of third week of November.

3.Third Phase  - At state level by 1st week of December.

4.Fourth Phase along with WNTA in Delhi on December 10th.

Thomas Pallithanam

Summing up

1. The campaign is to be done children assisted by adults
2. One card per school surveyed
3. There are two cards per set – retain one card and sent the other to PARA
4. Use the card retained for local advocacy till district level along with others who are doing the same report generation through these cards. If your own organisation is doing it at several areas in the district you can coordinate it by yourselves. You will be given information regarding others not belonging to your organisation that are doing the report generation to help you coordinate at district and state level.
5. Select students for district / state level advocacy: One student per district for state advocacy. Two students and an adult for National Advocacy.
6. The following budget is available for Advocacy at various levels:

The first of a series of workshops for Human Rights Defenders(HRD) has begun at Ekalavya Training Centre, PARA(People’s Action for Rural Awakening), Ravulapalem, East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh on 9th April, 2010. The first day’s progamme began with the garlanding of Dr Ambedkar’s statue and lighting the lamp at 10 am by Adv Muppala Subba Rao, Convenor of AP Human Rights Association and Fr Thomas Pallithanam, Director of PARA –the two champions of Human Rights Promotion and Protection. There are about 100 Human Rights Defenders representing tens of communities and hundreds of sanghs from nine districts, actively participating in the 2-day programme conducted in collaboration with the People’s Watch –Tamil Nadu.

Adv Subba Rao spoke about the various aspects involved in human rights defence and its increasing necessity in today’s atmosphere of ever-increasing human rights violations. He explained about the various Human Rights Institutions and their terms and conditions.

Fr Thomas Pallithanam then facilitated group discussions based on the role of the participants as individuals in protecting human rights and also asked the groups to reflect and share the experiences in the various fields(land, gender, children, Adivasis, Dalits, Differently Abled, Education, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Right To Information, Domestic Violence etc.)the HRDS are working, especially as some of participants have more than 15 years of history of human rights defence. He said that Human Rights Defence is peaceful & non-violent and reminded that it is universal, based on international standards and respects the others’dignity.

It was discussed that some of the problems the HRDs face are false cases being filed against them, labeling them as anti-socials or naxals, mud-slinging, threatening, blackmailing etc by the police, officials, politicians and so on, harassing the family, forcing silence on them, creating every possible hurdles against them … It was also pointed out that in such situations, the right to assembling, communicating and organizing, the right to seek, obtain, hold information, right to immediate remedy & protection and right to lawful exercise of profession have to be explored. G. Prasad of CRAF was also one of the resource persons.

Compiled by Jose Kunnel

Ravulapalem, Jan. 29.Based on the Don Bosco words of “It is enough for you to be young for me to love you very much“ A seminar is organised at PARA for the young. The relevance of the works of PARA with young Dalits was emphasised in a Don Bosco way.

A total of 100+ youngsters when they came out of the conference Hall were joyful and determined.

Commemmorating the 150 years of Don Bosco Society world wide a seminar was organised for the youth at PARA. This seminar was aimed at teaching the young of the Don Boscoan Philosophy and the Preventive System.

Mr.Gode Prasad, Project Director, CRAF and Mr.Sudheer , Coordinator, DISHA acted as the main resource persons of the seminar. Mr.Gode Prasad linked up the need of Don Bosco during the Industrial Revolution and the current situation of the young in India today.Later, During the afternoon session, Mr.Sudheer and team put them to focus on to their careers. DISHA team also shared of the placement opportunities that they are coming out with.

A short video of the salesian presence in India and the World was shown to them to conclude with.

One can see the determination to succeed in their lifes on their faces when they are coming out after the seminar ended

That’s what it has been. The Journey of People’s Action For Rural Awakening, a journey where often times we walked, sure footed towards our vision, hand in hand with our people among whom we pitched our tents. Other times we were being pushed to greater efficiency and effectiveness by the demands on us from those we accompanied. There were seasons when we had to push and pull our people to reach out to the goals we set together. Humbly we acknowledge that there were moments and seasons when we faltered.  In all the journey has been a great learning and one if we have to start all over again we would joyfully and willingly begin anew, without any hesitation.

Comes A Time, Comes a Moment.

Individuals as well as Institutions are challenged to tread a NEW path hitherto untested, unfamiliar. Some times nature itself conspires to make it happen. For Don Bosco Mission Ravulapalem that defining moment was the 6th August 1986, the day of the devastating Godavari Floods, a flood the like of which people of Konaseema had not seen for over half a century. As the mighty Godavari broke through its confining flood banks it forced people and institutions to reach out far beyond their own boundaries and comfort zones which they had conveniently settled into.

The boundaries of Don Bosco Mission Ravulapalem were literally breached. People came pouring in hundreds upon hundreds seeking shelter, relief and rehabilitation. Lead by Fr. Muthalkuzhiyil Sebastian, the community responded generously, not only providing succour to those who came in search of it but also by seeking out those who needed it.

Thus began the work of People’s Action For Rural Awakening (PARA) an initiative that literally became our Pilgrimage with the Dalit Bahujans of Konaseema, the land between the Gowthami and Vaishta, the two branches of the mighty Godavari. Till 1988 PARA worked under the name: Don Bosco Welfare Centre.  By the end of 1988 registered as Society with a legal entity different from Don Bosco Mission People’s Action For Rural Awakening realised that the time had come to move away from relief and welfare to take up challenges posed by man made disasters of economic exploitation, social exclusion, political oppression and unending human rights violations against the poor especially the Dalit Bahujans. After 80 Seasons of that journey PARA has an identity of its own as an organisation that will not compromise on the rights of the underprivileged.

Reminiscence and Celebrations:

14th, 15th, and 16th of October we relived that journey. Over 1500 people participated in the events planned for the occasion

1. Workshop on 20 years of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 – Review and Recommendations:

14th was a State level Workshop on the 20 years of implementation of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989. Despite the tardy  implementation the Act did render a measure of justice to the Dalits. And because of that there is also immense pressure on the Indian State to withdraw the act on the pretext that it is being misused to harass the upper castes! The workshop attended by over 120 dalit rights activists and graced by the Mr.V. Elisha, Director, National SC/ST Commission for AP, MP and Chattisgrah, came out with far reaching recommendations to strengthen the implementation of the act.(refer photo gallery)

2. Public Hearing on Violence Against Adolescent Girls and Women.

15th October was dedicated to Public Hearing on Violence on Adolescent Girls and Women. 25 out of 123 cases registered with the Gender Desk of PARA came up for hearing. The stories of violations were heart-rending. The most tragic of them was that of E.Baby (name changed) of Kakinada, just a nine year old girl raped by a 40 year old, family friend. The incident had occurred on 17th September, only 29 days before the Public Hearing! Around 250 people mostly women attended the hearing. They went away determined to stand up and be counted in the arduous task of moulding a society where as the Mahatma hoped “any woman will feel secure to walk the streets alone even in the middle of the night”

3. Stand Up and Take Action – for Millennium Development Goals:

We joined the Global Community on that day to Stand Up and Take Action in support of Millennium Development Goals. That day saw over 1500 at the city centre taking pledge along with the local member of the legislative assembly and ex-minister of AP. It was a grand show of civil society from all walks of life standing up in solidarity with the Lord’s “little ones” the same to whom the Maiden had promised more than 2000 years ago that “He will fill the hungry with good things………” Earlier in the day under the guidance of PARA 845 students of Don Bosco School took the pledge against poverty in the presence of Rev.Fr.Provincial, Fr.Noel Maddichetty and the Principal Fr.Bobba Joji. Those numbers added up to the 420,000 (mostly students in the Human Rights Education Programme) PARA mobilised across India on the days of Stand Up from 16th to 18th of October.

These numbers tell us that out there, there are those who are willing to Stand Up and be counted and work for “Another World (That) is Possible. So our Journey will go on and as a sign of that resolve we laid the foundation stone for Ekalavya Navajeevan Home at Rajamundry for children on the street. The Journey will go on for another, more important reason: for  Someone keeps walking with us and HE does not tire nor  tarry.