Promoting MDGs through children's rights education, the arts and the media project-Become a Stakeholder

[DR.J.CHRISTOPHER DANIEL]

Goodwill Social Work Centre is a registered Indian Non-governmental organisation registered as a Society under the Tamilnadu Societies Registration Act 27 of 1975, Government of Tamilnadu {India}, Foreign Contributions (Regulations) Act 1976, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. It is duly registered under section 12-A {b} of the Income Tax Act 1961.It is a registered member of the Civil Society Organisation {CSO} Constituency of the India CCM (www.indiaccm.org). Our Society's Registration number is: 112/1981 and our FCRA number are: 075940124. It is working within the State of Tamilnadu, India. It has its website: www.goodwillsocialworkcentre.org.
Since its inception our organisation has been working in the areas of children's rights, children’s rights through artwork, Children’s environmental health rights, humanitarian aid, Intensive family preservation of dysfunctional families, Youth and women development, on-formal employment training for youth, community technology services, environment education and action, social research,, NGO capacity building and networking and NGO consultancy. GOODWILL is highly professional in its approach and its methods are underpinned by a strong academic research ethos. Highly impressed by the professionalism in GOODWILL’s governance and management of programmes,the Global Links Initiative(www.glinet.org) ,a registered company and a charity in the United Kingdom has entered into a partnership agreement with GOODWILL on 6th October 2007 to work together to provide services and capacity building programmes for GLI Networkers in Tamilnadu,India.

The Goodwill Social Work Centre proposes to undertake 'Promoting MDGs through children's rights education, the arts and the media project' ,which will not only aim at integrating UN convention on the rights of the child and The Milliennium Declaration and eight Milliennium Development Goals and building a holistic understanding of the UN Convention on the child and the Milliennium Declaration and inspiring the interest of children and young people in development issues that affect children and their rights but also combine arts with a study of the UN convention on the rights of child and the Milliennium Declaration as a way to promote children’s understanding of their legal status in society. The project will focus on three main areas of advocacy namely 1.Empowerment of children and young people and promoting and supporting their participation in the children's rights and MDGs campaigns 2. Building proactive relations with national,private and local media and 3.Enhancing inter-agency/NGOs/Civil society cooperation for preventing issues and concerns affecting childen. The project will be envisaged taking cognizance of the fact that all these areas are inter-related and mutually supportive,which constitute a powerful and effective force for change.

Knowing the importance of integrating children's rights and MDGs with children's art for development and with a view providing opportunities for children to effectively participate an advocacy,awareness raising ,education ,media intervention campaign on and Children's rights and MDGs to inspire the interest of children and young people in the development issues that affect them and their environments,the Goodwill Social work Centre proposes to launch ' a project 'Promoting MDGs through children's rights education,the arts and the media to cater to the needs of children and young people in and around Madurai, Tamilnadu, South India and backward areas in and around Madurai, Tamilnadu, South India keeping in view the following objectives:

1.To build a holistic understanding of children's rights and the issues that the MDGs seek to address which affect children and their rights.
2.To help children understand the context for the MDGs and become familiar with the eight goals .
3.To combine arts with a study of the UN convention on the rights of children and MDGs as a way to promote children’s understanding of their legal status in society.
4.To develop art skills, improve self confidence and enhance creative and enjoyment in the arts and to know of their rights to childhood including MDGs.

The proposed project will be undertaken in line with the following guiding principles:
1.All children have the right to clean air, safe food and drinking water, and consumer and commercial products free of environmental health and safety threats;
2.All have the right to healthy homes, healthy child care facilities, healthy schools and healthy communities;
3.All children and adults have the right to know about proven and potential hazards to their environmental health and safety.

The project will focus on creating an awareness among the children and local communities as well concerning various rights based issues enshinred in MDGs namely poverty,education,food and nutrition, health and shelter ,peace,discrimination,disability,child labour,armed conflicts, sexual exploitation, environment,violence against children,media,children in conflict with law. Children will be provided with an opportunity to explore what ‘the best interests of the child’ mean in the UN Convention on the rights of the child and MDGs through arts education and participation. They will have a chance to express their attitude about their rights and to share and discuss their experiences with others. This is an innovative programme for rural and urban children in the age group 7-17,which will provide ways to learn,debate,raise awareness and foster activism about their rights to survival,protection,development,participation as enshrined in the UN Convention on the rights of the child(1989) and The Milliennium Declaration through art training and participation in art work and the media.

The project will not only aim at integrating UN convention on the rights of the child and The Milliennium Declaration and eight Milliennium Development Goals and building a holistic understanding of the UN Convention on the child and the Milliennium Declaration and inspiring the interest of children and young people in development issues that affect children and their rights but also combine arts with a study of the UN convention on the rights of child and the Milliennium Declaration as a way to promote children’s understanding of their legal status in society.

This project is an integral part of the children’s rights campaigns being taken up by our organisation which includes children’s rights education and training,CR communications,CR research and CR networking at the national and global level. The artwork will include, children’s rights theatre, children’s rights- based arts education and training for children, classical dances(Bharathanatyam,Kuchipudi,,folk dances(karakattam,mayilattam-Peacock dance,thappatam,kavadiattam,kollattam, folk music and songs, drawing and painting, cartooning, children’s rights mural arts, floor arts,(a local traditional art painting) needlecrafts, lacework, writing contests and competitions, portrait and figure drawing and cartooning on computers etc, which develop art skills, improve self confidence and enhance creative and enjoyment in the arts and to know of their rights to childhood and MDGs.

In the initial phase of the project, the Goodwill social work centre will select a list of schools located in and around Madurai,Tamilnadu,South India to cover village schools and schools located in peri-urban areas and urban areas. Already the centre has completed school mapping in this region. A list of male and female children who are in the age group of 7-17 will be prepared and children will be enrolled in this project with prior permission from their parents and school authorities. While selecting the children the goals and objectives of the programmes will be clearly explained to the parents and teachers.

The GOODWILL will set up a ‘CHILDREN’S RIGHTS AND MDGs PROMOTION AND CAMPAIGN CENTRE,’ which will undertake to organize 1. Integrated Children’s rights and MDGs education and 2.Children’s rights based arts educational courses and workshops in various forms of creative arts 3.Children’s rights arts exhibitions, arts collection, visits to arts museum, kids art camps, arts competitions, creative writing, puppetry etc.4.Training in folk dances and music and songs including 'Bow songs'(Villu pattu-a traditional folk music) portraying child rights and MDGs related issues and needs.

Impact/expected outcome:

Children will gain an understanding and awareness about children's rights in particular rights relating to MDGs namely the right to survival, food and nutrition, health and shelter, an education, and to participation, equality and protection – rights agreed to, among others, in the international human rights treaty the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 2.Children become familiar with the Milliennium Declaration and eight Milliennium Development Goals as well as reach some understanding of the role of childen,parents,civil society groups and local governments, and international organisationals in tackling poverty and inequality 3.The programme will promote the performing arts as a means for children to explore their feelings,give expression to them and convey their message to the wider community. Children will gain skills and confidence to create and perform their own piece of drama,folk dances and songs relating to children's needs and rights and issues appropriate to their cultural and social setting and in their own languages and dialects 4. It will enhance the potential for community integration and awareness about MDGs through media interventions and increase multiplier effectiveness 5. The project will be a door through which children and young people set off on their journey to awareness, realisation and action for achieving MDGs within their environment in which they live.

I am looking for partnership initiative from friends and members who might be interested in supporting our organisation in taking up this rights based programming for children and local communities.

Thank you so much for reading.

Prof.Dr.J.Christopher Daniel,Ph.D
Executive Director
Goodwill social work centre
Madurai,India

Goodwill Social Work Centre is a registered Indian Non-governmental organisation registered as a Society under the Tamilnadu Societies Registration Act 27 of 1975, Government of Tamilnadu {India}, Foreign Contributions (Regulations) Act 1976, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. It is duly registered under section 12-A {b} of the Income Tax Act 1961.It is a registered member of the Civil Society Organisation {CSO} Constituency of the India CCM (www.indiaccm.org). Our Society's Registration number is: 112/1981 and our FCRA number are: 075940124. It is working within the State of Tamilnadu, India. It has its website: www.goodwillsocialworkcentre.org.

Since its inception our organisation has been working in the areas of children's rights, children’s rights through artwork, Children’s environmental health rights, humanitarian aid, Intensive family preservation of dysfunctional families, Youth and women development, on-formal employment training for youth, community technology services, environment education and action, social research,, NGO capacity building and networking and NGO consultancy. GOODWILL is highly professional in its approach and its methods are underpinned by a strong academic research ethos. Highly impressed by the professionalism in GOODWILL’s governance and management of programmes,the Global Links Initiative(www.glinet.org) ,a registered company and a charity in the United Kingdom has entered into a partnership agreement with GOODWILL on 6th October 2007 to work together to provide services and capacity building programmes for GLI Networkers in Tamilnadu,India.

The Goodwill Social Work Centre proposes to undertake 'Promoting MDGs through children's rights education, the arts and the media project' ,which will not only aim at integrating UN convention on the rights of the child and The Milliennium Declaration and eight Milliennium Development Goals and building a holistic understanding of the UN Convention on the child and the Milliennium Declaration and inspiring the interest of children and young people in development issues that affect children and their rights but also combine arts with a study of the UN convention on the rights of child and the Milliennium Declaration as a way to promote children’s understanding of their legal status in society. The project will focus on three main areas of advocacy namely 1.Empowerment of children and young people and promoting and supporting their participation in the children's rights and MDGs campaigns 2. Building proactive relations with national,private and local media and 3.Enhancing inter-agency/NGOs/Civil society cooperation for preventing issues and concerns affecting childen. The project will be envisaged taking cognizance of the fact that all these areas are inter-related and mutually supportive,which constitute a powerful and effective force for change.

Knowing the importance of integrating children's rights and MDGs with children's art for development and with a view providing opportunities for children to effectively participate an advocacy,awareness raising ,education ,media intervention campaign on and Children's rights and MDGs to inspire the interest of children and young people in the development issues that affect them and their environments,the Goodwill Social work Centre proposes to launch ' a project 'Promoting MDGs through children's rights education,the arts and the media to cater to the needs of children and young people in and around Madurai, Tamilnadu, South India and backward areas in and around Madurai, Tamilnadu, South India keeping in view the following objectives:

1.To build a holistic understanding of children's rights and the issues that the MDGs seek to address which affect children and their rights.
2.To help children understand the context for the MDGs and become familiar with the eight goals .
3.To combine arts with a study of the UN convention on the rights of children and MDGs as a way to promote children’s understanding of their legal status in society.
4.To develop art skills, improve self confidence and enhance creative and enjoyment in the arts and to know of their rights to childhood including MDGs.

The proposed project will be undertaken in line with the following guiding principles:
1.All children have the right to clean air, safe food and drinking water, and consumer and commercial products free of environmental health and safety threats;
2.All have the right to healthy homes, healthy child care facilities, healthy schools and healthy communities;
3.All children and adults have the right to know about proven and potential hazards to their environmental health and safety.

The project will focus on creating an awareness among the children and local communities as well concerning various rights based issues enshinred in MDGs namely poverty,education,food and nutrition, health and shelter ,peace,discrimination,disability,child labour,armed conflicts, sexual exploitation, environment,violence against children,media,children in conflict with law. Children will be provided with an opportunity to explore what ‘the best interests of the child’ mean in the UN Convention on the rights of the child and MDGs through arts education and participation. They will have a chance to express their attitude about their rights and to share and discuss their experiences with others. This is an innovative programme for rural and urban children in the age group 7-17,which will provide ways to learn,debate,raise awareness and foster activism about their rights to survival,protection,development,participation as enshrined in the UN Convention on the rights of the child(1989) and The Milliennium Declaration through art training and participation in art work and the media.

The project will not only aim at integrating UN convention on the rights of the child and The Milliennium Declaration and eight Milliennium Development Goals and building a holistic understanding of the UN Convention on the child and the Milliennium Declaration and inspiring the interest of children and young people in development issues that affect children and their rights but also combine arts with a study of the UN convention on the rights of child and the Milliennium Declaration as a way to promote children’s understanding of their legal status in society.

This project is an integral part of the children’s rights campaigns being taken up by our organisation which includes children’s rights education and training,CR communications,CR research and CR networking at the national and global level. The artwork will include, children’s rights theatre, children’s rights- based arts education and training for children, classical dances(Bharathanatyam,Kuchipudi,,folk dances(karakattam,mayilattam-Peacock dance,thappatam,kavadiattam,kollattam, folk music and songs, drawing and painting, cartooning, children’s rights mural arts, floor arts,(a local traditional art painting) needlecrafts, lacework, writing contests and competitions, portrait and figure drawing and cartooning on computers etc, which develop art skills, improve self confidence and enhance creative and enjoyment in the arts and to know of their rights to childhood and MDGs.

In the initial phase of the project, the Goodwill social work centre will select a list of schools located in and around Madurai,Tamilnadu,South India to cover village schools and schools located in peri-urban areas and urban areas. Already the centre has completed school mapping in this region. A list of male and female children who are in the age group of 7-17 will be prepared and children will be enrolled in this project with prior permission from their parents and school authorities. While selecting the children the goals and objectives of the programmes will be clearly explained to the parents and teachers.

The GOODWILL will set up a ‘CHILDREN’S RIGHTS AND MDGs PROMOTION AND CAMPAIGN CENTRE,’ which will undertake to organize 1. Integrated Children’s rights and MDGs education and 2.Children’s rights based arts educational courses and workshops in various forms of creative arts 3.Children’s rights arts exhibitions, arts collection, visits to arts museum, kids art camps, arts competitions, creative writing, puppetry etc.4.Training in folk dances and music and songs including 'Bow songs'(Villu pattu-a traditional folk music) portraying child rights and MDGs related issues and needs.

Impact/expected outcome:

Children will gain an understanding and awareness about children's rights in particular rights relating to MDGs namely the right to survival, food and nutrition, health and shelter, an education, and to participation, equality and protection – rights agreed to, among others, in the international human rights treaty the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 2.Children become familiar with the Milliennium Declaration and eight Milliennium Development Goals as well as reach some understanding of the role of childen,parents,civil society groups and local governments, and international organisationals in tackling poverty and inequality 3.The programme will promote the performing arts as a means for children to explore their feelings,give expression to them and convey their message to the wider community. Children will gain skills and confidence to create and perform their own piece of drama,folk dances and songs relating to children's needs and rights and issues appropriate to their cultural and social setting and in their own languages and dialects 4. It will enhance the potential for community integration and awareness about MDGs through media interventions and increase multiplier effectiveness 5. The project will be a door through which children and young people set off on their journey to awareness, realisation and action for achieving MDGs within their environment in which they live.

I am looking for partnership initiative from friends and members who might be interested in supporting our organisation in taking up this rights based programming for children and local communities.

Thank you so much for reading.

Prof.Dr.J.Christopher Daniel,Ph.D
Executive Director
Goodwill social work centre
Madurai,India