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We have certainly made some progress over the
past two and a half decades in addressing issues
related to child rights. And yet, with more than
111 million children in India deprived of their
basic rights, our efforts have been but a drop
in the ocean. The only way to achieve change of
significant dimensions is to scale up our efforts
so that every Indian becomes aware about the situation
as well as the things they can do to improve it.
What better time to kickstart this effort than
our 25th anniversary!
And so, we are
using our 25th year anniversary as a platform
to launch a mass awareness campaign on child rights.
We will be urging people from all walks of life
to come forward and pledge support to India's
children by speaking up for child rights and demanding
that they be guaranteed what is rightfully theirs.
The mnemonic selected for this pledge is a pinwheel.
Why a pinwheel? Because it:
symbolises children and fun
is universally recognised in
our country of 18 official languages
is non-static and therefore indicative of the
movement it represents
is Indian
What the spinning
wheel was to the freedom movement, we believe
the pinwheel will be to the movement for child
rights in India.
Over the year,
we will encourage people to use the pinwheel -
in various ways - to indicate their support to
the cause. And so you can
download
pinwheel posters
and put them up in your office, school, building
or colony
save
the badge as
wallpaper on your computer
add the pinwheel
to your email signature
get instructions to
make
your own pinwheel
Our volunteers will also be carrying
out a mass contact programme to sell physical
pinwheels. For Rs.5/-, you will get a pinwheel
and for an additional Rs. 5/-, you will get a
badge. You are expected to sign the pinwheel and
return it to us, while the badge is for you to
keep and wear. Both indicate your support for
the movement for child rights. On Jan 26th 2005,
the campaign will culminate in a grand finale.
All the pinwheels that people have signed and
returned to us will be planted in 3-4 locations
countrywide (we hope to plant at least 1 million
pinwheels). This activity will be taken to people
all over India through a 3-4 hour live telecast
on national TV. The programme will be in the form
of a telethon comprising (a) ground level events
at the locations (b) celebrity performances/ endorsements
(c) fund raisers through SMS/ phone.
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