The Hindu Business Line : This manifesto is a far CRY from the rest

WITH elections to Parliament just weeks away, CRY (Child Relief and You), the Mumbai-based non-governmental organisation, has launched a two-pronged campaign to build both public and political commitment to the issues of child rights in India.

One aspect of the campaign is a `Children's Manifesto' that seeks to obtain a commitment to child rights from India's political parties. The more public face of this initiative, however, is what the organisation calls the `pinwheel campaign'.

The objective behind the campaign is to get the urban middle class more actively involved in the child rights movement, says Ingrid Srinath, CEO, CRY.

At the same time, the organisation hopes to turn the pinwheel into a symbol of the child rights movement. "We hope the pinwheel will become to child rights, what the red ribbon is to AIDS," she explains.

As part of the `pinwheel campaign', which will run till November 14, the organisation's volunteers are meeting people across the country and requesting them to read the `Children's Manifesto'.

Those who agree with this charter of demands for child rights are then requested to buy a pinwheel for Rs 15, sign it and return it to the volunteers as a symbol of their support.

The idea is to collect pinwheels from across the country and `plant' them at several venues across the country on Children's Day this year, says Srinath. Those who buy a pinwheel will get a pinwheel badge as a token of their commitment to child rights in India. The organisation will also send out letters of appeal — on child rights — to political parties on behalf of those who buy pinwheels, she adds.

The target is to get 1 million signed pinwheels by November 14, says Srinath.

On that day, a national `telethon' on children's issues will be conducted on a national satellite television channel, she adds.

While the campaign is currently on in seven cities — Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune — those who are located in other cities and want to support the pinwheel campaign can simply logon to the organisation's Web site (www.cry.org) and register their support.

So far, the support for this initiative has been quite "promising", she says. The `pinwheel campaign' will feature in a forthcoming episode of the television series Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin on Sony TV, says Srinath.

Jassi, the lead character of the serial, will talk about the campaign and possibly even sign a pinwheel on screen, she adds.

More Stories on : Social Welfare | Children & Parenting

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Viagra good for the heart: Study

Cooling their heels

This manifesto is a far CRY from the rest

Business with burning heart

Music industry battles hard to combat piracy problem

Casio India pitches in line with musicians