Kailash Satyarthi
Encyclopedia
Kailash Satyarthi is a human rights activist from India
who has been at the forefront of the global movement to end child slavery and exploitative child labor since 1980 when he gave up a lucrative career as an Electrical Engineer for initiating crusade against Child Servitude. His organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan has rescued over 79,835 child labourers. Despite of life threatening attacks, Kailash Satyarthi as a grass roots level activist has personally been part of raid and rescue teams several times and liberated over 1000 bonded / child labourers under his direct supervision. Mr. Satyarthi has developed a successful model for the education and rehabilitation of the rescued children.
As a worldwide campaigner, he has been the architect of the single largest civil society network for the most exploited children, the Global March Against Child Labor
, which is a worldwide coalition of NGOs, Teachers' Union and Trade Unions.
As an analytical thinker, he made the issue of child labor a human rights issue, not a welfare matter or a charitable cause. He has established that child labor is responsible for the perpetuation of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, population explosion and many other social evils. He has also played an important role in linking the fight against child labor with the efforts for achieving 'Education for All'.
Mr. Satyarthi is a member of a High Level Group formed by UNESCO on Education for All composed of select Presidents, Prime Ministers and UN Agency Heads. As one of the rare civil society leaders he has addressed the United Nations General Assembly, International Labour Conference, UN Human Rights Commission, UNESCO, etc. and has been invited to several Parliamentary Hearings and Committees in US, Germany and UK in the recent past.
As an advocate for quality and meaning ful education, Mr. Kailash Satyarthi has addressed some of the biggest worldwide congregations of Workers and Teachers Congresses, Christian Assembly, Students Conferences, etc. as a keynote speaker on the issue of child labour and education.
He is on the Board and Committee of several International Organizations. Amongst all the prominent ones being in the Center for Victims of Torture (US), International Labor Rights Fund (US), etc. Mr. Satyarthi is an executive Board Member of International Cocoa Foundation with the Headquarters in Geneva representing the global civil society.
He has survived numerous attacks on his life during his crusade to end child labour, the most recent being the attack on him and his colleagues while rescuing child slaves from garment sweatshops in Delhi on 17 March 2011. Earlier in 2004 while rescuing children from the clutches of a local circus mafia and the owner of Great Roman Circus, Mr. Satyarthi and his colleagues were brutally attacked. Despite of these attacks and his office being ransacked by anti social elements a number of times in the past his commitment to stand tall for the cause of child slaves has been unwavering.
He has been honoured by the Former US President Bill Clinton in Washington for featuring in Kerry Kennedy's Book ‘Speak Truth to Power', where his life and work featured among the top 50 human rights defenders in the world including Nobel Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Elie Wessel, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, etc.
He has edited magazines like ‘Sangarsh Jari Rahega', ‘Kranti Dharmi', and ‘ Asian Workers Solidarity Link'. Besides, authored several articles and booklets on issues of social concern and human rights.
He has set up three rehabilitation-cum-educational centres for freed bonded children that resulted in the transformation of victims of child servitude into leaders and liberators.
His life and work has been explicitly covered in hundreds of programmes on all the prominent television and radio channels including Wall Street Journal, BBC, CNN, ABC, NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian T.V., ARD, Austrian News, Lok Sabha TV etc. and profoundly featured in several magazines like The Time, Life, Reader's Digest, Far Eastern Economist, Washington Post, New York Times, Times London, Los Angeles Times, Guardian, Independent, The Times of India, etc.
, other organizations he has founded and/or led include Bachpan Bachao Andolan
, the Global Campaign for Education, and the Rugmark Foundation now known as Goodweave. He is the Chair of another world body International Center on Child Labor and Education (ICCLE) in Washington, D.C. ICCLE is one of the foremost policy institution to bring authentic and abiding southern grassroots perspective in the US policy domain.
"The Global March Against Child Labour is a movement to mobilise worldwide efforts to protect and promote the rights of all children, especially the right to receive a free, meaningful education and to be free from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be harmful to the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development."
Global March Against Child Labour is a movement born out of hope and the need felt by thousands of people across the globe - the desire to set children free from servitude.
The Global March movement originated under the aegis of Mr. Kailash Satyarthi with a worldwide march when thousands of people marched together to jointly put forth the message against child labour. The march, which started on January 17, 1998, touched every corner of the globe, built immense awareness and led to high level of participation from the masses. This march finally culminated at the ILO Conference in Geneva. The voice of the marchers was heard and reflected in the draft of the ILO Convention against the worst forms of child labour. The following year, the Convention was unanimously adopted at the ILO Conference in Geneva. Today, with 172 countries having ratified the convention so far, it has become the fastest ratified convention in the history of ILO. A large role in this was played by the Global March through our member partners.
With ILO conventions 138 and 182 as well as the UN Convention on Rights of the Child forming the base of our movement, the Global March also perceives education, and the Right to free and compulsory education of good quality for all children, as non negotiable. Therefore the Global March also considers the EFA goals under the Dakar Framework an equally important international instrument and pushes for governments to achieve the goal of education for all.
Working on numbers is one thing, and direct efforts to end child labour have always been a part of the Global March partner programmes. The Global March seeks to eliminate child labour by questioning, attacking and changing the very systems that compel children to work at the global, regional and national levels. What is key therefore, in the fight to end child labour, is the need to advocate for policy changes. The Global March works on a three pronged strategy, or what we call a triangular paradigm. The three key processes affecting the future of the world, in particular our children, are the elimination of child labour, Education For All and poverty alleviation. Bringing together policy and action for a unified response to child labour, illiteracy and poverty is a priority for the Global March.
The dedicated partners of the Global March movement form an effective network around the world. Acting as vigilant observers and lobbying with governments in their region, they form the backbone of the movement. The Global March International Secretariat is located in New Delhi, India.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) founded by Mr. Kailash Satyarthi is the ray of hope in millions of hearts, the first dream in their eyes, and the first smile on their faces. It is the sky and wings together for innumerable children, excluded from human identity and dignity, with a desire to fly in freedom. It is the tears of joy of a mother who finds her rescued child back in her lap after years of helplessness and hopelessness. It is a battle to open the doors of opportunities, a fire for freedom and education in the hearts and souls of thousands of youth committed to wipe out the scourge of slavery and ignorance from the face of mankind.
Rugmark (brainchild of Mr. Kailash Satyarthi) (now known as Goodweave) is an international consortium of independent bodies from a dozen carpet exporting and importing countries, which take part in a voluntary social labeling initiative to ensure that rugs have not been produced with child labor. This initiative gives positive alternatives to responsible businesses, protecting them from any possible boycott and sanctions and gives an ethical choice to consumers worldwide. He is pursuing the industries and other stakeholders to adopt a similar system for knitwear, sporting goods and the other international common products.
The GoodWeave label is the best assurance that no child labor was used in the making of your rug. In order to earn the GoodWeave label, rug exporters and importers must be licensed under the GoodWeave certification program and sign a legally binding contract to:
1.Adhere to the no-child-labor standard and not employ any person under age 14
2.Allow unannounced random inspections by local inspectors
3.Endeavor to pay fair wages to adult workers
4.Pay a licensing fee that helps support GoodWeave’s monitoring, inspections and education programs
To ensure compliance, independent GoodWeave inspectors make unannounced inspections of each loom. If inspectors find children working, they offer them the opportunity to go to school instead, and the producers lose their status with GoodWeave. To protect against counterfeit labeling, each label is numbered so its origin can be traced to the loom on which the rug was produced.
GoodWeave also sets contractual standards for companies that import certified rugs. Importers agree to source only from GoodWeave certified exporters in India, Nepal and any other country in which GoodWeave rugs are available. In the United States and other rug-importing countries, only licensed importers are legally permitted to sell carpets carrying the GoodWeave label.
Importers and exporters also help support GoodWeave and its commitment to provide rehabilitation and schooling for all rescued children. Exporters pay 0.25 percent of the export value of each rug, and importers pay a licensing fee of 1.75 percent of the shipment value. Licensing fees go toward monitoring, inspections and educational programs that are part of the GoodWeave program.
GoodWeave's certification standards are set by GoodWeave International, an associate member of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labeling Alliance (ISEAL), which leads the world in setting norms and good practices for certification. GoodWeave's national offices in producer countries implement and enforce the standards.
Soon, the GoodWeave label will mean even more. In order to further the mission to end child labor by addressing the root causes of the problem, GoodWeave's certification standard will include other environmental and social criteria, guided by ISEAL’s Codes of Good Practice. Licensees will be required to demonstrate that their employees are working under safe conditions for a reasonable wage, among other requirements. GoodWeave certified rugs will become greener, as licensees work to identify negative impacts of production as well as ways to mitigate them. Each producer will work with GoodWeave to develop a plan for improving working conditions and environmental impacts over time.
The International Center on Child Labor and Education (ICCLE) is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing worldwide efforts to advance the rights of all children, especially to receive a free and meaningful education and to be free from economic exploitation and any work that is hazardous, interferes with a child's education, or is harmful to a child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. The Center serves as the international advocacy office of the Global March Against Child Labor, a movement representing some 2,000 organizations in 140 countries intended to highlight child slavery and hazardous child labor. The Center also serves as a clearinghouse – for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge on global child labor issues. ICCLE has built up a great deal of goodwill and respect by being a key player in the establishment of the Global Task Force on Child Labor and Education with UNESCO, the World Bank, ILO, UNICEF, and the Global March. Mr. Kailash Satyarthi is the founder of ICCLE and is on the Board.
The Conference of the US Department of State and Department of Labour: Working together to combat child labour: It’s time to stop the exploitation of children Washington D.C. 8 June 2010.
Interest in the fight against child labour (ITUC Online) Brussels 10 May 2010
A great day of dream coming true, a great reason to celebrate! The day when Right to Education came into force; April 1, 2010
Global Monitoring Report on Education for All 2010 Reaching the Marginalized launched Speech by Kailash Satyarthi, President of Global Campaign for Education and Chair Global March Against Child Labour at the launch of 2010 GMR in New York on Jan. 19 2010
Defender of Democracy Award Speech of acceptance by Mr. Kailash Satyarthi
World Bank-IMF Annual Meeting 4 October 2009
According to Mr. Satyarthi, a successful rehabilitation must end with the re-integration of the child in the main stream society so that the child is not re-drifted into slavery and trafficking. Mukti Ashram in Delhi and Bal Ashram at Virat Nagar (Jaipur) are the two rehabilitation centres of Bachpan Bachao Andolan that ensure safe, comfortable and rejuvenating for the children before they are repatriated or re-integrated in the main stream society.
This is successfully accomplished by involving the local community and participation of children to constitute Bal Panchayat (Children's Parliament) which serves as an effective tool to influence the decision making process and ensuring the participation of children at the micro level. BMG has been triumphant in making sure that the issue of gender inequality is addressed. Children’s parliament addresses the issues related to Quality of education and loopholes of education system and by highlighting these pitfalls; BMG has been blooming in a number of villages to improve the quality of education. This is only process it has been able to knock the sleeping conscience of the Government by constantly taking up the issue related to the development of the children at the village level. The Children at the Village have brought about a radical change in the society by rescuing child laborers, exposing erroneous policies in the mid day meal schemes, raising voice for a separate lavatory for girls, mobilized public opinion for facilities like potable sufficient drinking water, libraries and classrooms. These children also unearthed other issues like extortion in the garb of illegally stepped up school fees. Their noteworthy contribution for chartering Bal Mitra Gram is commendable.
Bal Mitra Gram is an initiative that facilitates child's first tryst with Democracy and instills confidence for taking up larger challenges in life. Bal Mitragram perfectly exemplifies Governance for the Children, By the Children.
At present nearly 317 villages are being brought under the ambit of Bal Mitra Gram. Most of these villages have already been rechristened as child friendly villages, while work is in progress to transform the remaining eighty new villages are in the making.
, popularly known as untouchables
, for whom entry into temples was almost impossible due to the prejudices of the upper caste. Leading a group of about 200 untouchables, he forcibly entered the Nathdwara temple (Rajasthan
) which is the biggest and most prestigious Hindu shrine in north India. Entry for untouchables (dalits) was strictly prohibited in this temple. Although, he was beaten up by the goons and members of the priest community, he was successful in drawing the attention of the whole country towards this social injustice. The press extensively covered this event, which embarrassed the upper caste and the government as well. The President of India could not remain silently at the sidelines. He announced a personal visit to the temple with the untouchables. The net result of Satyarthi's efforts is that the temple is now open to all castes.
(the holy city of Uttar Pradesh on the banks of the Ganges), he organized a Yagna (oblation to Lord Fire) combining human rights and spiritual values. In an unconventional manner, he invited the parents of enslaved children from the lowest caste, the high caste priest, sociologists, lawyers and human rights advocates to participate in this sacred ritual where a joint pledge was taken to liberate the slave children as the real worship of God. Immediately, the participants set off to physically rescue the children. This was a unique combination of spiritualism, age-old cultural traditions and dedication to human rights
.
s (marches) to mobilize the masses, bring media attention, and generate political debate on the issue of child labor. Satyarthi does not believe in combating child labor through an elite, bureaucratic, academic, intellectual or narrow project-based approach. In the course of his crusade, Satyarthi also realized that the battle for child labor eradication cannot be fought by the strength of NGOs alone. Involvement of influential segments of society like religious leaders, politicians, trade unions, lawyers and other intellectual groups is a must. The most significant component of all of Satyarthi's marches is that child laborers, freed bonded children, and their parents have been among the key participants and leaders. A few of these include:
, India. His family includes his wife, a son, a daughter, colleagues and children.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
who has been at the forefront of the global movement to end child slavery and exploitative child labor since 1980 when he gave up a lucrative career as an Electrical Engineer for initiating crusade against Child Servitude. His organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan has rescued over 79,835 child labourers. Despite of life threatening attacks, Kailash Satyarthi as a grass roots level activist has personally been part of raid and rescue teams several times and liberated over 1000 bonded / child labourers under his direct supervision. Mr. Satyarthi has developed a successful model for the education and rehabilitation of the rescued children.
As a worldwide campaigner, he has been the architect of the single largest civil society network for the most exploited children, the Global March Against Child Labor
Global march against child labor
The "Global march against child labor" came about in 1998 due to the overwhelming response of the need to end child labor. It was a grassroot movement that motivated many individuals and organizations to come together and fight against child labor and not an annual march.The main goals of this...
, which is a worldwide coalition of NGOs, Teachers' Union and Trade Unions.
As an analytical thinker, he made the issue of child labor a human rights issue, not a welfare matter or a charitable cause. He has established that child labor is responsible for the perpetuation of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, population explosion and many other social evils. He has also played an important role in linking the fight against child labor with the efforts for achieving 'Education for All'.
Mr. Satyarthi is a member of a High Level Group formed by UNESCO on Education for All composed of select Presidents, Prime Ministers and UN Agency Heads. As one of the rare civil society leaders he has addressed the United Nations General Assembly, International Labour Conference, UN Human Rights Commission, UNESCO, etc. and has been invited to several Parliamentary Hearings and Committees in US, Germany and UK in the recent past.
As an advocate for quality and meaning ful education, Mr. Kailash Satyarthi has addressed some of the biggest worldwide congregations of Workers and Teachers Congresses, Christian Assembly, Students Conferences, etc. as a keynote speaker on the issue of child labour and education.
He is on the Board and Committee of several International Organizations. Amongst all the prominent ones being in the Center for Victims of Torture (US), International Labor Rights Fund (US), etc. Mr. Satyarthi is an executive Board Member of International Cocoa Foundation with the Headquarters in Geneva representing the global civil society.
He has survived numerous attacks on his life during his crusade to end child labour, the most recent being the attack on him and his colleagues while rescuing child slaves from garment sweatshops in Delhi on 17 March 2011. Earlier in 2004 while rescuing children from the clutches of a local circus mafia and the owner of Great Roman Circus, Mr. Satyarthi and his colleagues were brutally attacked. Despite of these attacks and his office being ransacked by anti social elements a number of times in the past his commitment to stand tall for the cause of child slaves has been unwavering.
He has been honoured by the Former US President Bill Clinton in Washington for featuring in Kerry Kennedy's Book ‘Speak Truth to Power', where his life and work featured among the top 50 human rights defenders in the world including Nobel Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Elie Wessel, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, etc.
He has edited magazines like ‘Sangarsh Jari Rahega', ‘Kranti Dharmi', and ‘ Asian Workers Solidarity Link'. Besides, authored several articles and booklets on issues of social concern and human rights.
He has set up three rehabilitation-cum-educational centres for freed bonded children that resulted in the transformation of victims of child servitude into leaders and liberators.
His life and work has been explicitly covered in hundreds of programmes on all the prominent television and radio channels including Wall Street Journal, BBC, CNN, ABC, NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian T.V., ARD, Austrian News, Lok Sabha TV etc. and profoundly featured in several magazines like The Time, Life, Reader's Digest, Far Eastern Economist, Washington Post, New York Times, Times London, Los Angeles Times, Guardian, Independent, The Times of India, etc.
Civil groups
In addition, to the Global March Against Child LaborGlobal march against child labor
The "Global march against child labor" came about in 1998 due to the overwhelming response of the need to end child labor. It was a grassroot movement that motivated many individuals and organizations to come together and fight against child labor and not an annual march.The main goals of this...
, other organizations he has founded and/or led include Bachpan Bachao Andolan
Bachpan Bachao Andolan
Bachpan Bachao Andolan is a non-governmental organization in India working to "eradicate child labour". The group was founded by Kailash Satyarthi in 1980.-External links:* * * *...
, the Global Campaign for Education, and the Rugmark Foundation now known as Goodweave. He is the Chair of another world body International Center on Child Labor and Education (ICCLE) in Washington, D.C. ICCLE is one of the foremost policy institution to bring authentic and abiding southern grassroots perspective in the US policy domain.
"The Global March Against Child Labour is a movement to mobilise worldwide efforts to protect and promote the rights of all children, especially the right to receive a free, meaningful education and to be free from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be harmful to the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development."
Global March Against Child Labour is a movement born out of hope and the need felt by thousands of people across the globe - the desire to set children free from servitude.
The Global March movement originated under the aegis of Mr. Kailash Satyarthi with a worldwide march when thousands of people marched together to jointly put forth the message against child labour. The march, which started on January 17, 1998, touched every corner of the globe, built immense awareness and led to high level of participation from the masses. This march finally culminated at the ILO Conference in Geneva. The voice of the marchers was heard and reflected in the draft of the ILO Convention against the worst forms of child labour. The following year, the Convention was unanimously adopted at the ILO Conference in Geneva. Today, with 172 countries having ratified the convention so far, it has become the fastest ratified convention in the history of ILO. A large role in this was played by the Global March through our member partners.
With ILO conventions 138 and 182 as well as the UN Convention on Rights of the Child forming the base of our movement, the Global March also perceives education, and the Right to free and compulsory education of good quality for all children, as non negotiable. Therefore the Global March also considers the EFA goals under the Dakar Framework an equally important international instrument and pushes for governments to achieve the goal of education for all.
Working on numbers is one thing, and direct efforts to end child labour have always been a part of the Global March partner programmes. The Global March seeks to eliminate child labour by questioning, attacking and changing the very systems that compel children to work at the global, regional and national levels. What is key therefore, in the fight to end child labour, is the need to advocate for policy changes. The Global March works on a three pronged strategy, or what we call a triangular paradigm. The three key processes affecting the future of the world, in particular our children, are the elimination of child labour, Education For All and poverty alleviation. Bringing together policy and action for a unified response to child labour, illiteracy and poverty is a priority for the Global March.
The dedicated partners of the Global March movement form an effective network around the world. Acting as vigilant observers and lobbying with governments in their region, they form the backbone of the movement. The Global March International Secretariat is located in New Delhi, India.
- http://www.globalmarch.org/
Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) founded by Mr. Kailash Satyarthi is the ray of hope in millions of hearts, the first dream in their eyes, and the first smile on their faces. It is the sky and wings together for innumerable children, excluded from human identity and dignity, with a desire to fly in freedom. It is the tears of joy of a mother who finds her rescued child back in her lap after years of helplessness and hopelessness. It is a battle to open the doors of opportunities, a fire for freedom and education in the hearts and souls of thousands of youth committed to wipe out the scourge of slavery and ignorance from the face of mankind.
- http://www.bba.org.in/
Rugmark (brainchild of Mr. Kailash Satyarthi) (now known as Goodweave) is an international consortium of independent bodies from a dozen carpet exporting and importing countries, which take part in a voluntary social labeling initiative to ensure that rugs have not been produced with child labor. This initiative gives positive alternatives to responsible businesses, protecting them from any possible boycott and sanctions and gives an ethical choice to consumers worldwide. He is pursuing the industries and other stakeholders to adopt a similar system for knitwear, sporting goods and the other international common products.
The GoodWeave label is the best assurance that no child labor was used in the making of your rug. In order to earn the GoodWeave label, rug exporters and importers must be licensed under the GoodWeave certification program and sign a legally binding contract to:
1.Adhere to the no-child-labor standard and not employ any person under age 14
2.Allow unannounced random inspections by local inspectors
3.Endeavor to pay fair wages to adult workers
4.Pay a licensing fee that helps support GoodWeave’s monitoring, inspections and education programs
To ensure compliance, independent GoodWeave inspectors make unannounced inspections of each loom. If inspectors find children working, they offer them the opportunity to go to school instead, and the producers lose their status with GoodWeave. To protect against counterfeit labeling, each label is numbered so its origin can be traced to the loom on which the rug was produced.
GoodWeave also sets contractual standards for companies that import certified rugs. Importers agree to source only from GoodWeave certified exporters in India, Nepal and any other country in which GoodWeave rugs are available. In the United States and other rug-importing countries, only licensed importers are legally permitted to sell carpets carrying the GoodWeave label.
Importers and exporters also help support GoodWeave and its commitment to provide rehabilitation and schooling for all rescued children. Exporters pay 0.25 percent of the export value of each rug, and importers pay a licensing fee of 1.75 percent of the shipment value. Licensing fees go toward monitoring, inspections and educational programs that are part of the GoodWeave program.
GoodWeave's certification standards are set by GoodWeave International, an associate member of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labeling Alliance (ISEAL), which leads the world in setting norms and good practices for certification. GoodWeave's national offices in producer countries implement and enforce the standards.
Soon, the GoodWeave label will mean even more. In order to further the mission to end child labor by addressing the root causes of the problem, GoodWeave's certification standard will include other environmental and social criteria, guided by ISEAL’s Codes of Good Practice. Licensees will be required to demonstrate that their employees are working under safe conditions for a reasonable wage, among other requirements. GoodWeave certified rugs will become greener, as licensees work to identify negative impacts of production as well as ways to mitigate them. Each producer will work with GoodWeave to develop a plan for improving working conditions and environmental impacts over time.
- http://www.goodweave.org/home.php
The International Center on Child Labor and Education (ICCLE) is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing worldwide efforts to advance the rights of all children, especially to receive a free and meaningful education and to be free from economic exploitation and any work that is hazardous, interferes with a child's education, or is harmful to a child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. The Center serves as the international advocacy office of the Global March Against Child Labor, a movement representing some 2,000 organizations in 140 countries intended to highlight child slavery and hazardous child labor. The Center also serves as a clearinghouse – for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge on global child labor issues. ICCLE has built up a great deal of goodwill and respect by being a key player in the establishment of the Global Task Force on Child Labor and Education with UNESCO, the World Bank, ILO, UNICEF, and the Global March. Mr. Kailash Satyarthi is the founder of ICCLE and is on the Board.
- http://www.iccle.org/aboutnew.php
Speeches
Speech by Kailash Satyarthi, Kids Rights conference on MDGs Johannesburg, July 9, 2010- http://www.globalmarch.org/cpcolumn/archive-09July2010.php
The Conference of the US Department of State and Department of Labour: Working together to combat child labour: It’s time to stop the exploitation of children Washington D.C. 8 June 2010.
- http://www.globalmarch.org/cpcolumn/archive-08June2010.php
Interest in the fight against child labour (ITUC Online) Brussels 10 May 2010
- http://www.globalmarch.org/cpcolumn/archive-11may2010.php
A great day of dream coming true, a great reason to celebrate! The day when Right to Education came into force; April 1, 2010
- http://www.globalmarch.org/cpcolumn/archive-1april2010.php
Global Monitoring Report on Education for All 2010 Reaching the Marginalized launched Speech by Kailash Satyarthi, President of Global Campaign for Education and Chair Global March Against Child Labour at the launch of 2010 GMR in New York on Jan. 19 2010
- http://www.globalmarch.org/cpcolumn/archive-19Jan2010.php
Defender of Democracy Award Speech of acceptance by Mr. Kailash Satyarthi
- http://www.globalmarch.org/cpcolumn/archive-October2009.php
World Bank-IMF Annual Meeting 4 October 2009
- http://www.globalmarch.org/cpcolumn/archive-4thOct09.php
Rehabilitation and Re-integration of children in the main stream society
Kailash Satyarthi at Bachpan Bachao Andolan relentlessly strives towards safe and immediate remediatiation of children found trapped in the clutches of slavery. He ensures that first aid, psychological help are administered to the rescued children for overcoming the trauma that they have been into.According to Mr. Satyarthi, a successful rehabilitation must end with the re-integration of the child in the main stream society so that the child is not re-drifted into slavery and trafficking. Mukti Ashram in Delhi and Bal Ashram at Virat Nagar (Jaipur) are the two rehabilitation centres of Bachpan Bachao Andolan that ensure safe, comfortable and rejuvenating for the children before they are repatriated or re-integrated in the main stream society.
- http://www.bba.org.in/rehabilitation/index.php
Bal Mitra Gram
Bal Mitra Gram or child friendly village is a novel and a pioneering concept that was adopted by BBA under the aegis of Mr. Kailash Satyarthi in 2001 to make villages and wards in India child labour free where every school-going child could attend school. This is in conformity with the broad objective of BBA (SACCS), which stands for total elimination of child labour and ensuring education to all children.This is successfully accomplished by involving the local community and participation of children to constitute Bal Panchayat (Children's Parliament) which serves as an effective tool to influence the decision making process and ensuring the participation of children at the micro level. BMG has been triumphant in making sure that the issue of gender inequality is addressed. Children’s parliament addresses the issues related to Quality of education and loopholes of education system and by highlighting these pitfalls; BMG has been blooming in a number of villages to improve the quality of education. This is only process it has been able to knock the sleeping conscience of the Government by constantly taking up the issue related to the development of the children at the village level. The Children at the Village have brought about a radical change in the society by rescuing child laborers, exposing erroneous policies in the mid day meal schemes, raising voice for a separate lavatory for girls, mobilized public opinion for facilities like potable sufficient drinking water, libraries and classrooms. These children also unearthed other issues like extortion in the garb of illegally stepped up school fees. Their noteworthy contribution for chartering Bal Mitra Gram is commendable.
Bal Mitra Gram is an initiative that facilitates child's first tryst with Democracy and instills confidence for taking up larger challenges in life. Bal Mitragram perfectly exemplifies Governance for the Children, By the Children.
At present nearly 317 villages are being brought under the ambit of Bal Mitra Gram. Most of these villages have already been rechristened as child friendly villages, while work is in progress to transform the remaining eighty new villages are in the making.
- http://www.bba.org.in/bmg/whyBMG.php#2
Temple Entry of Untouchables
In 1987, Satyarthi led a group belonging to low casteCaste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
, popularly known as untouchables
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
, for whom entry into temples was almost impossible due to the prejudices of the upper caste. Leading a group of about 200 untouchables, he forcibly entered the Nathdwara temple (Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
) which is the biggest and most prestigious Hindu shrine in north India. Entry for untouchables (dalits) was strictly prohibited in this temple. Although, he was beaten up by the goons and members of the priest community, he was successful in drawing the attention of the whole country towards this social injustice. The press extensively covered this event, which embarrassed the upper caste and the government as well. The President of India could not remain silently at the sidelines. He announced a personal visit to the temple with the untouchables. The net result of Satyarthi's efforts is that the temple is now open to all castes.
Soshanmedh Yagna at Varanasi
On December 10, 1996, when the country was observing the World Human Rights Day, Satyarthi chose to honor the day in his unique style. In VaranasiVaranasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
(the holy city of Uttar Pradesh on the banks of the Ganges), he organized a Yagna (oblation to Lord Fire) combining human rights and spiritual values. In an unconventional manner, he invited the parents of enslaved children from the lowest caste, the high caste priest, sociologists, lawyers and human rights advocates to participate in this sacred ritual where a joint pledge was taken to liberate the slave children as the real worship of God. Immediately, the participants set off to physically rescue the children. This was a unique combination of spiritualism, age-old cultural traditions and dedication to human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
.
Marches
Satyarthi promotes the approach of walks and marches used by saints and monks in ancient times for mutual learning and spreading of human values. Over the years, he has organized dozens of YatraYatra
' , in Hinduism and other Indian religions, generally means pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, places associated with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred pilgrimage sites. Tīrtha-yātrā refers to a pilgrimage to a holy site, and is...
s (marches) to mobilize the masses, bring media attention, and generate political debate on the issue of child labor. Satyarthi does not believe in combating child labor through an elite, bureaucratic, academic, intellectual or narrow project-based approach. In the course of his crusade, Satyarthi also realized that the battle for child labor eradication cannot be fought by the strength of NGOs alone. Involvement of influential segments of society like religious leaders, politicians, trade unions, lawyers and other intellectual groups is a must. The most significant component of all of Satyarthi's marches is that child laborers, freed bonded children, and their parents have been among the key participants and leaders. A few of these include:
- Bihar to Delhi March traveled 2000 km from the heart of the carpet industry employing child labor in Nagar Utari (Bihar) to Delhi in 1992
- Bharat Yatra Against Child Labor covered over 5000 km from Kanyakumari to Delhi in 1994
- South Asian Child Workers' Freedom March traveled 1500 km from Calcutta to Kathmandu in 1996
- Global March Against Child Labor across the world in 103 countries traveled over 80,000 km in 1998
- Shiksha Yatra was a nationwide march on education covering 15,000 km across the length and breadth of the country in 2001
- South Asian March Against Child Trafficking was a march along the Indo Nepal Bangla border spanning 2,500 km and 20–25 days in 2007.
- Nepal March for Education in 2009 traversing 1500 km criss-crossing in Nepal.
Recognition
The life and work of Kailash Satyarthi have been the subject of a number of documentaries, television series, talk shows, advocacy and awareness films, Magazines and news items of all leading print and electronic media worldwide. Satyarthi's contribution has been recognized through several prestigious international awards. These include:- Defenders of Democracy Award (2009-US)
- Alfonso Comin International Award (2008-Spain)
- Medal of the Italian Senate (2007-Italy)
- Heroes Acting to End Modern Day Slavey by US State Department (2007-US)
- Freedom Award (2006-US)
- In October 2002, Satyarthi was awarded the Wallenberg Medal from the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in recognition of his courageous humanitarian work against the exploitation of child labor. - Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Award (1999-Germany)
- La Hospitalet Award (1999-Spain)
- De Gouden Wimpel Award (1998-Netherlands)
- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights AwardRobert F. Kennedy Human Rights AwardThe Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award was created by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial in 1984 to honour individuals around the world who show courage and have made a significant contribution to human rights in their country....
(1995-US) - The Trumpeter Award (1995-US)
- The Aachener International Peace Award (1994-Germany)
Personal
Satyarthi lives in New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India. His family includes his wife, a son, a daughter, colleagues and children.