Children unite globally to end child labor… A story of giving.

By Amy Dean

In 2008, Thomas Hircock father told him about the villiage children in Jhakhand, and Bihar, India. His father, David works closely with the Indian organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), or Save the Childhood movement, helping stop child labor in the northeast states of Jharkhand and Bihar. In these areas, the literacy rate is often no higher than twenty percent, and most girls do not attend middle school. When David asked the villages what they needed most to help with children’s schooling, the answer wasn’t paper or pens—it was bicycles. With schools often five to seven kilometers away from villages, the hardest hurdle in curbing child labor wasn’t making the child go to school, it was getting them there.  And David’s son Thomas was determined to help.

The Indian state of Jharkhand lies in the northeast, under a blanket of dense forests and housing some of the most mineral-rich land on earth. The forests make travel difficult, and the profitable mines increase the likelihood of child labor in the region. Consequently, school attendance is low, and for those that do attend, it can be a dangerous journey. Natural predators, like snakes and leopards, are found along the paths to school. Even child trafficking has been known to occur in the area. In spite of these dangers, the girls still want to attend school. Their male peers are allowed to spend the night at schools, but it’s considered culturally inappropriate for girls to do the same. So the young girls must complete the dangerous trek twice a day, with lengths for some up to ten kilometers one-way.

Thomas, at age fourteen, teamed up with his school, Stratford Friends School and together they created the bike club and raised $600 to buy 10 bicycles in 2008. Four years later, the bike club is stronger than ever. In 2011, they raised over $900. The bikes are built in India, and constructed to withstand the difficult forest terrain. Each comes with a repair kit, to ensure long-term use. With each bike possibly holding the weight of four children, quality was stressed over quantity.

Every year when possible Thomas travels to India with his father, often to the State of Jharkhand to distribute the bicycles, and the villagers are very grateful for their contribution. Welcoming parties and food often greet the Hircocks in each village, with festivities continuing as the girls gleefully take the bicycles for their first spin.

BBA founder and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Kailash Satyarthi has cited the bike club as a very influential program in stopping child labor. At a recent UN Conference, he praised Thomas’ efforts, saying that only when children unite globally to end child labor, can an ending be in sight.

As for the future in Jharkhand and Bihar, the bikes have already set the girls’ aspirations high. It’s easier for the girls to attend school, and it allows them to visit neighboring villages to inform other children about their educational rights, guaranteed by Indian law.  Raj Kumari, a young girl now aged 13 of Jharkhand, when visiting the local district magistrate along with some other children, asked the magistrate about building a high school for the area. He responded, “You are a young tribal girl, what do you want with an education?”

Kumari’s confident response? “One day I want to be a district magistrate like yourself.”

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Sharing the story of the Nagas with the world

Recently, well-known journalist and Tribal Link colleague, Ms. Barbara Crossette interviewed Athili Sapriina while he was being sponsored by Tribal Link to attend Columbia University’s Human Rights Advocacy Program (HRAP). The interview resulted in an article for passblue.com. Please take a moment to read this excellent piece the and inspired responses it received.

Athili has informed us that the article has been featured on the front page of the Morung Express, the top ranked newspaper in Nagaland. It is also the second page anchor story of the Eastern Mirror.

Thank you to Barbara Crossette and passblue.com for sharing Athili’s story with the world.

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Columbia’s HRAP Fellows attend meetings & workshops in Washington D.C.

Athili Sapriina in Washington, D.C. with Columbia University's Human Rights Advocacy Program, November 2011

By Athili Sapriina

The first week of November was special; the HRAP participants went at Washington DC to meet with exciting organizations and individuals. Fourteen human rights advocates along with Stephanie and Sam from the Institute for the Study of Human Rights (ISHR) of Columbia University took the three-hour journey by train on October 31. Immediately upon checking into the hotel and we were off to the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights that afternoon.

Marselha Gonçalves Margerin is advocacy director at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights (RFK Center) she is a member of The Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG) advisory council. We also met with Anna Triponel of PILPG in NY and she is the director of the NY Office. The RFK Center has interest in indigenous peoples issues, having worked in Mexico in the past. They have worked on the right to education for indigenous peoples in the Americas, as well as a study done on untouchability of Dalits in India.

On November 1, I had three appointments. The first was the Fund for Global Human Rights. We were met by Jerusha Burnham, Grant Administrator/Program Associate. The fund supports oganizations working on indigenous land rights, women’s rights, and the issue of forced labor.  Next we went to the Enough Project, an organization that focuses on Africa and specializes in advocating for policy changes.

Later in the day, we met with Human Rights First, an organization whose office was at Capitol Hill, right next to the Supreme Court. The organization’s niche is encouraging the United States Government to take definitive positions on human rights. Four advocates met with Quinn OKeefe, Director of the Human Rights Defenders Program, which is primarily led by lawyers and works on business and human rights, refugee protection, fighting religious discrimination, etc.

On November 2, I met with Mary Wyckoff, Director of Access to Justice of Global Rights. Here I have been able to find a linkage with Nagas because Ms. Megan of Global Rights was aware that the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG), a global pro bono law firm, was involved in the Naga issue. She linked me up with Ruben Carranza, Director, Reparative Justice Program at the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and we have plans to meet.

We then went to the Academy for Educational Development, which is now known as FHI360. We met with Anne O’Toole Salina, program director for peace building and conflict mitigation at the Center for Civil Society and Governance and Riley Abbott, program officer of the Capable Partners Program. FHI360 helps organizational developmental capacity through training on grants management. It works closely with USAID on conflict assessments.

The next day, all fourteen advocates went to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and learned about their programs from Theodore Feifer. We then met with representatives from the Advocacy Project, a fellows program for representatives of grassroots organizations. It works with organizations based in marginalized communities, including India, Nepal, Africa,  Guatemala, etc.

The last meeting was held at the World Bank Inspection Panel, which was formed primarily due to tremendous advocacy work by indigenous peoples around the world. The panel strives to work independent of the World Bank; however, less than 80 cases have been taken up by the panel, which they attribute to lack of awareness of such a mechanism. I met with Peter L. Lallas, executive secretary briefly and spent a larger amount of time with Dilek Barlas, Deputy Executive Secretary of The Inspection Panel.

The exposure I got in DC to support organizations for human rights work was truly eye opening. I hope to be able to keep contact with the people I met there in the hopes that we can help each other in our common missions.

 

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Project Access

Project Access supports indigenous peoples’ participation in international meetings and conferences where decisions are being made that affect their rights, cultures and livelihoods.

Girls Education Program

Education, Leadership, and Rights Training for Indigenous Girls in East Africa.

Indigenous Entrepreneurship

This Program supports indigenous peoples' development of sustainable enterprises in their communities.