Prevention of Child Marriage in Orissa, India

The India Observance will include :

• Interfaith Prayers with & for Children across the country
• Observance of the National Children’s Day on November 14th by holding Children’s Parliament
• Interfaith Workshops on prevention of Child Marriage
• School centered campaign on Child Protection and Prevention of Child Marriage

Time frame     14th to 21st November, 2012

Reach

• Children , particularly vulnerable children
• 11 States  across India: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Orissa, Tamil Nadu & Uttar Pradesh,

• Leaders , brothers & sisters from different faith traditions will come together in Interfaith workshops: Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism, Sikhism & the Bahai tradition.

A note on Children’s Parliament for DPAC 2012

Goals :

To organize Children’s parliaments in preventing Child Marriage in India. This child-centered intervention will engage young people and children through information sharing, experiential dialogue, creative participation and collective action mapping.

Reach:

GNRC India partners in 11 states of India

Expected Output

• Through GNRC India Partners across India to organize Children’s Parliament with a special session devoted to preventing Child Marriage
• A child centered model of programming where children & young people can be active participants
• Enhanced knowledge both theoretical and experiential about the harmful impact of child marriage
• Since action-mapping focuses on the role of boys and young men , it is hoped that attitudinal change can be directed towards positive reviewing of masculinity
• Children-led action beginning with a pledge in the short-term to long-term reduction in the incidence of child marriage in their communities

Participating Cities: Coimbatore, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Srinagar, Gandhigram, Kerala, Angul.

Listening to children and allowing them to contribute to decision-making processes can lead to better decisions. It leads to policies that are actually – not just theoretically – in children’s interests. It also offers children an opportunity to experience democratic decision-making and learn about their rights and powers as citizens, with long-term benefits for society as a whole

Unicef- Inter Parliamentary Union

Keywords: India, Asia, violence against children, child marriage, fbo, faith based organization, GNRC, ngo, non governmental organization, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism, Sikhism, Bahai, government,