This is to inform you that the ‘ THIRD CHILD RIGHTS ASSEMBLY’ is being organized by Shanta Memorial Rehabilitation Centre (SMRC) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha India on 10th and 11th December 2012 for children with disabilities between the age 8-14 years.

This is part of an effort to implement the UNCRPD – Article 7.3 which stipulates that children have the right to be heard.

CRPD 7.3

States Parties shall ensure that children with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them, their views being given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity, on an equal basis with other children, and to be provided with disability and age-appropriate assistance to realize that right

We look forward for all your cooperation and please send us the name of participants with all details in the enclosed formats. There is no registration fee for the contest. The topics of the assembly are mentioned below :

• Growing up
• Am I a child with a disability or ability?
• What must we do to make our houses and schools accessible
• Should we have inclusive education?
• Violence and how can we stop it
• In times of war and disasters  what can we do
• Can we do something to stop climate change

The Assembly and its Aim  

The major aim of the Assembly is to make visible a part of society which has been hidden and are on the margin of society, a group of children whom no-one sees or listens to on issues cited above :
It is believed that no-one has more valuable understanding of the discriminations facing the lives of children with disabilities than the children themselves. SMRC’s experience from the field has shown that children are acutely aware of the discriminations they face but need a forum to provide their expertise. If children are ‘enthusiastic pioneers of discrimination of human rights tools’ children with disabilities can provide information for creating change in their lives when their human rights are violated. Children with disabilities can be agents of change by identifying discussing, analyzing and prioritizing actions and varying methods of engagement with change. Children with disability’s participation would include their role as direct protagonists as well as catalysts for collective action and behavioral change in others.

Participants

The participants invited will be children with disabilities from South Asia.