Globalising compassion for our Children, say the laureates and leaders

at the National Capital

Pallavi Rebbapragada

On a nippy December morning, a mild fog floated over the road curving inward
into the Rashtrapati Bhavans ceremonial hall. Around a cold water fountains
sprinklers, women in stiffly-pinned sarees and men in suits fresh-from-winters
first dry cleaning, manned the gates. Once the guests entered the mighty hall,
there was a passionate fire in their words that quickly melted many winters of
inaction away. The Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit is a first-of-itskind congregation of global leaders to address the cause of childrens rights. The
two-day summit began on Saturday with opening remarks by Nobel peace
laureate 2014 Kailash Satyarthi. India is a land of compassion, love and humility.
Today, only and only the cause of children can unite the world and a united
future is urgently needed, said the man whose powerful efforts through the
Bachpan Bachao Andolan have opened the worlds eyes toward the problems of
child labour, slavery and all kinds of stolen childhoods. Children are not the ones
responsible for war, yet they are worst affected by violence. They are denied
education and die of preventable diseases. It is time that solutions that are bold
and transformative are put in place, he remarked. These include holistic policy
for children, science and technology that is substantive and making children the
beneficiaries of growth and development. Moral, political and intellectual voices
need to come together and turn the tide in favour of childhood, which is in
danger, he urged the potent minds in the room to bend the arc of history in
favour of the children. In the spirit of building the legacy we want to leave
behind, the summit took off.
The Hon. President of India Pranab Mukherjee then addressed the studded with
stars like HH Dalai Lama, HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco, HRH Prince Ali Bin Al
Hussein of Jordan, HRH Princess Laurentien of The Netherlands, UNESCO Special
Envoy on Literacy for Development and HE Jose Ramos-Horta, Former President
of Timore-Leste and Nobel Peace Laureate.
The Hon. President reminded the audience that 10 December is Human Rights
Day and it is only education that neutralises disadvantages and equalises
opportunities. What is required are pro-active policies that place childrens issues
in the centre stage. HH Dalai Lama, in his usual lovable style, said we are all the
same. Asserting the universality of kindness as a source of mental peace, he
pointed out that if man has created violence it is his responsibility to earn back
his peace. A healthy body and a healthy mind have a cross-connection. The
basis of inner peace is warm-heartedness, he said and hoped that those born in
the 21st century strive to make it a century of peace and not strife.
While some children die a slow death, due to preventable diseases, others lose
their lives to accidents. When Princess Charlene of Monaco walked up to the dais,
she drew the attention of the audience to the fact that the biggest accidental
killer of children is drowning. The World Health Organization estimated that
372,000 people drowned worldwide in 2012. More than 40 fatalities every hour
and more than half the victims are under the age of 25 and children under the
age of five are the most affected. When a drowning is non-fatal, often the victim

is left with severe aftereffects, in particular neurological. So it isnt just formal

and moral education, but life skills that need to be imparted to children. She
reiterated Mandelas words on owing our children a bright future. Prince Ali Bin
Al Hussein spoke about the thousands of refugees his country hosts and how a
majority of them are children, who are victims of rape, prostitution and are
forcible relocated. As of November 2015, UNHCR reported that there are
4,289,994 Syrian "persons of concern" of whom 630,776 are registered as
refugees in Jordan. There are about 1.4 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, only 20
percent are living in the Za'atari, Marjeeb al-Fahood, Cyber City and Al-Azraq
refugee camps. There is a deficit of hope and dignity, he spoke, in a language
most people seem to immediately understand.
Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Centre, told Firstpost
that protecting the dignity and safety of the human rights defenders is important
because it motivates others to take up the cause. The Speak Truth To Power
curriculum developed by her foundation is based on the UNs principles of human
rights education and taught to millions of students around the world. Using the
stories of human rights defenders in an innovative, flexible manner, lessons are
designed to fit any subject, teaching students that they, too, can learn to selfidentify as a human rights defender and have a role to play in the global fight for
justice.
Amid world leaders like HE Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister of Australia; HE Mr.
Gilbert Houngbo, Former Prime Minister of Togo; Ms. Leymah Gbowee, Nobel
Peace Laureate; Mr. Jeffrey Sachs, Director, The Earth Institute; Ms. Tawakkol
Karman, Nobel Peace Laureate; Mr Angel Gurria, Secretary-General, Organisation
for Economic Cooperation and Development; was a young boy named Imtiyaz Ali.
He was trafficked from Bihar at age nine and made to work in a garment factory
for 50 rupees a day. After being rescued by the Bachpan Bachao Andolan, he
says his life has found a goal. If one mans conviction can change thousands of
lives, imagine if each one present in this hall (let alone the country) thought like
him, how many lives will be saved? He asks.
The Summit features sessions on Circles for Freedom: Lend Voices to our
Children, Childrens Freedom, Creating Better Lives: Healthy & Educated
Children and Changing Our Childrens Future: The Ripple Effect; Building
collective wisdom for our children. These voices that are raised were in favour of
humanity, and not for political or economic gain. And, even those millions who
have been nearly deafened by roars of violence and injustice are waiting to hear
them.