Raipur: For the first
time, over100civil society organizations and NGOs in the state have come
together to form an alliance under ‘Chhattisgarh Child Rights Observatory
(CCRO)’ to safeguard the wellbeing of children. The Observatory will promote,
advocate and monitor child rights in the state.
UNICEF Chhattisgarh Chief
Job Zachariah said that building a child-friendly Chhattisgarh is not the
responsibility of the government alone. “It is the shared responsibility of
everyone including parents, community, influencers, faith leaders, media and most
importantly the civil society. The Observatory is a collective action led by
civil society organizations and UNICEF to put children at the center of the
development and to ensure rights of children are upheld”, he said.
The Observatory will
create awareness on the importance of child rights among parents, caregivers,
communities, and families. CCRO will advocate the rights of children with the
government, gram panchayats, corporate, media, and influencers. The consortium
will also monitor and report on violations of child rights and build more
awareness on child rights in Chhattisgarh. It will prepare reports on children, initiate campaigns like
on violence against children, and amplify the voices of children with public and media support.
Manoj Bharati, who
heads the state secretariat of CCRO said “CCRO is an independent body with the representation of NGOs and CSOs across the state. UNICEF will provide technical
assistance and guidance to the consortium. CCRO is the first-ever civil society
coalition for the overall development of children in Chhattisgarh.”
UNICEF Communication
specialist Syam Sudheer Bandi said “The observatory will be a facilitator,
advocate, and messenger of child rights. It will strive to make the development
of children a high priority by public engagement, policy advocacy, and concrete
action on the ground.”
Gautham Bandhopadhay of
CART, Bhupesh Tiwari, Secretary, Saathi Samaj Sevi Sansthan, Ramesh Sharma of
Ekta Parishad, Sushil Kumar Pandey of BJVS are among members of the Observatory
and will lead the regional secretariats in the state.
