sangat sindh report on seminar on child rights nawabshah

8/9/2019 Sangat Sindh Report on Seminar on Child Rights Nawabshah

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Universal Children Day Seminar Report: Child Rights and Role of Civil Society, 2007

Universal Children Day Seminar

Child Rights and Role of Civil Society

November 20, 2007,TRC, Hall Nawabshah

Seminar ReportBy

Nisar A. Brohi

Organised By


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1. An Introduction

2. Objectives of Seminar

3. Seminar proceedings

3.1 Abdul Haq Jamali, District Naib Nazim,Nawabshah

3.2 Prof. Abdul Karim Bhatti, Educationalist

3.3 Zahid Hussain Jalbani, Regional Project

Officer, Plan, Pakistan

3.4 Nisar A. Brohi , Director Development Foundation(SDF)

3.5 Masood A. Jamali, Project Director, Qauid-e-Awam University Nawabshah

3.6 Salih Billo, Senior Journalist

3.7 Munwer Siraj, Eminent Writer

3.8 Abid Lashari, President, Nawabshah DisabilityForum (NDF)


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1. An Introduction

Child community is the most vulnerable segment ofany society; it needs special attention not only in

their upbringing in early childhood but also inemotional and socio-educational development in theearly years of their life. In the advanced anddeveloped societies of the world, the children getscant attention at both government as well as civilsociety level. Their all rights are fully protectedand promoted. But in the backward and underdeveloped societies, the state governments do notgive children even due attention and also thesociety does not a due role for the protection and

development of the children and their basic rightsin their respective social milieus.

It is also a bitter fact that in our society,neither the government has fulfilled itsresponsibility to give proper attention on the

socio-educational development of the childcommunity nor the society has created any pro childenvironment where they could have conducive


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atmosphere for their career and personality boostup.

On the eve of universal children November 20, 2007,Sangat Development Foundation (SDF) , with

collaboration of Plan International , Pakistan andDistrict Government Nawabshah organized a seminarat Teachers Resources Centre (TRC) Hall Nawabshahon Child Rights and Role of Civil Society inorder to discuss the role of the state and itsmachinery for the child rights protection as wellas the role of the civil society. It aimed at tosensitize the responsible social actors regardingtheir civil and moral duties for the protection anddevelopment of a child community specially underprivileged and marginalized segment of our society,and as joint campaign could be launched for theprotection and promotion the child rights in thedistrict Nawabshah.

2. Objectives of the Seminar

To create awareness regarding child rights and toensure the civil society participation for thepromotion and protection campaign of the rights

of children To highlight the latest socio-educational

condition of children in Nawabshah district. To get realize the public elected representatives

to play their role for the protection andpromotion of child rights.

To discuss the emotional and socio-educationalconditions of the children with stakeholders ofthe society of Nawabshah district.

To sensitize the civil society stakeholders tocollectively work against the burgeoning violenceand crime against children in the Nawabshahdistrict.

To sensitize social actors on the child issuesand to campaign for the protection of childrights.


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3. Seminar Proceedings

3.1 Abdul Haq Jamali, District Naib Nazim,Nawabshah

In his presidential speech, District Naib NazimNawabshah, Abdul Haq Jamali said rural childrenhave been facing multidimensional problems, rangingfrom parents attitude to socio-educational andalso unavailability of basic health facilities. Dueto unawareness, the parents dont care in handlingof their children, which later on plays havoc withthe confidence building process of the childcommunity. It has also been observed the parentsdont have strong bonds of friendly relationship

and interaction with their children, which needsfor the personality formation and confidencebuilding process in the early years of thechildhood. So, due to unfriendly social atmospherein the house, the most of the rural childrendevelop depressed and confused outlook.

He further said early proper childhood care andeducation support to child growth, development andlearning-including health, cognitive, social,

physical and emotional development-from birth toentry into primary school in formal conditions.

He added there is badly need to create awarenessencompass very diverse arrangements, from parentingprogrammes to community-based child care, centrebased provision and formal pre-primary educationoften in school.

There is also need to a sustainable policy planningfor the protection of child rights, employingdifferent strategies, as directinteraction/dialogue with the parents at thelocal/village level to get them aware about thechild rights and educate them that how they shoulddeal with the children in their respective houses


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and adopt the measures to develop and promote theirtalent in the early childhood.

Simultaneously, there is also strong need to makeadvocacy with the local as well as district level

educational and social institutions and also withthe district government in order to educate themregarding rights of the children including theirsocio-educational and health problems in the ruralareas. As the holistic approach should be adoptedto work for the sustainable solution of theproblems of children living in the rural areas onthe priority bases.

3.2 Prof. Abdul Karim Bhatti, Educationalist

While speaking on the occasion, Prof. Bhatti saidit is the responsibility of the State parties shallrespect and ensure the rights to each child withintheir Jurisdiction without discrimination of anykind, irrespective of the childs or his or herparents or legal guardians race, colour, sexlanguage, religion, political or other opinion,national, ethnic or social origin, property,disability, birth or other status.

However, states recognize the right of the child tothe enjoyment of the highest attainable standard ofhealth and to facilities for the treatment ofillness and rehabilitation of health and alsostates are bound to provide access to education andto support in the use of basic knowledge of childhealth and nutrition. It is also in documents thatno child shall be subjected to torture or othercruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

and also education of the child shall be directedto the development of the childs personality,talents and mental and physical abilities to thefullest potential.

But despite of all these commitments made withinternational and local community by our state, she


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has bitterly failed to ensure proper education andsecurity of the child community in the country.

However, it is utmost responsibility of the stategovernment not only ensure the protection of the

child community but also strongly follow thecommitments made to the international communityunder millennium development goals (MDGs) 2015.

Prof. also called upon the civil society to comeforward for the support and security of childrenwith a view to ensure the future of the nation.

3.3 Zahid Hussain Jalbani, Regional ProjectOfficer, Plan International, Pakistan

Regional Project Officer, Plan Pakistan, ZahidHussain Jalbani speaking on the occasion saidchildren of our nation has never had due attentionin neither their early childhood nourishment nor intheir education and career development. This ismarginalized community in our society.

He further appealed to the parents that they shouldget registered their children in the nationalcampaign for registration in order to get them

counted in the national figures. Because, theregistration would also support to the policymakers to map out policies regarding the welfareand betterment of the child community. Theregistered strength of child community would alsoarrest the attention of the government in thecountry and make the government compel to chalk outpro child development initiatives.

He further said plan international Pakistan has

been making all out efforts since last couple ofyears for the registration of children throughoutthe country, especially in remote and backwardareas through creating awareness and alsoinvolvement of the public elected representativesto collectively work and help for child


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registration campaign in their respectivedistricts.

3.4 Nisar A. Brohi , President, Sangat DevelopmentFoundation (SDF), Nawabshah

Mr. Brohi first welcomed the participants and saidSangat Development Foundation (SDF) is not for aprofit and non-governmental entity, working closelywith vulnerable rural communities in the districton their socio-economic and health related issues.He also showed his gratitude to Plan InternationalPakistan and Local Government Nawabshah of supportfor holding the seminar on the eve of universalchildren, on rights of the children not only to

highlight the problems of the children of the ruralcommunity but also work with community for theirsustainable solution.

He further said any person or nation always growand develop in the harmonious and peacefulconditions rather than violent and virulentenvironment. The violence always stagnates and evenreverses socio-economic and intellectualdevelopment of an individual or nation.

Simultaneously, the violence in our educationalinstitutions has had very bad effects on the careerand confidence build up of the children.

The teacher should be a role model for child, andthe teacher should have well-establishedinteraction with any child to whom he is teachingand guiding. A teacher should handle a child withproper and fatherly manner. The teacher, withcurriculum activities, should also inculcate the

positive and healthy values of the society in achild/student of the institution.

He suggested stern measures should be taken toensure the violence free environment in oureducational educations. There is also need for acomprehensive awareness campaign regarding the ill


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effects of the violence culture on the child andits future, so the teachers should be made awarethat they should take care and restrain to thepunishment of the students studying in theinstitutions.

3.5 Masood A. Jamali, Project Director, Quiad-e-Awam University (QUEST) Nawabshah

While speaking on the occasion, Project DirectorQUEST Masood Jamali said there is a number ofviolence against children cases in our society,ranging from domestic to over all social violence.Even in our most government educationalinstitutions have abusive culture in their

institutions and also physical and emotionalmolestation happens to be as normal activity.

He appealed to the stakeholders of civil society tocollectively work for the protection and promotionof the child rights especially in the rural areas,where there is lack of education and awarenessamong the people. There is also need of advocacywith the legislative and executive machinery of thelocal, provincial and federal departments, as the

child rights should be ensured.It is the need of the time that if we want to beprosperous and developed nation than we should havea huge investment on the next generation, childrenof the country, he added.

3.6 Salih Billo, Senior Journalist and Editor SindhGreen , Nawabshah

While speaking Mr. Billo said there is a number of

cases of abducting, torture, molestation, rape,maltreatment, and kidnapping and killing for theransom of the innocent children are reported dailybasis in our society, which reveals our commitmentwith child rights.


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There is bitter violation of Child Rights at alllevels in the country but the government has failedto give shelter to the child community all over theworld. It is the government duty to providesecurity and safety to all but especially children,which is the most vulnerable community of thecountry.

But at present the children community has beenpassing through critical condition of violence andabuse incidents to kidnapping and killing, whichhave played havoc with their future.

The time has now come that the civil society shouldjointly work for the child rights protection and

development. The political parties should alsoadopt clear and sound policy in their manifestos toensure the rights of children in the country.

3.7 Munwer Siraj, Eminent Writer

Eminent writer Munwer Siraj speaking in the seminarsaid that there is a bitter child rights violationcases in the rural areas, the main cause is theuneducation and illiteracy among the rural people.

The violence against children is the routinebusiness in the remote areas, which has had lastingimpact on the child. He also quoted a number ofchild rights violation cases recently occurred inthe rural areas in houses as well as educationalinstitution located in the rural areas.

He appealed to the civil society organizations thatthey should come forward to rescue the silentslavery of the innocent children in the rural

areas, where there future and lives have been soldby their greedy and uneducated parents, and also bythe so called bourgeois class who always wants tochain the poor community through economicexploitation and getting the innocent children ofthe proletariat class in under their cruel rule.


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3.8 Abid Lashari, President, Nawabshah DisabilityForum (NDF)

Mr. Lashari said the most vulnerable segment of oursociety is the disabled community then it be

special child or person with disability (PWD).Their have been a gross violation of their rightsin our society, but none has come to help them inensuring their rights.

He said that the disabled segment of society hasbeen having a lot of problems and miseries atpresent, even the governments announced twopercent quota is being utterly violated, but noneis there to take the violators at task.

It is a time to show the commitment with thepersons with disabilities, especially childcommunity, which is the most vulnerable anddependent class of the society.

sangat sindh report on seminar on child rights nawabshah

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