Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize 2012, 2013 & 2014
We, the Concerned for Working Children, were nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, 2012 by three Norwegian parliamentarians – Linda Hofstad Helleland, Gunn Karin Gjul and André Oktay Dahlt. We would like to thank the Norwegian parliamentarians for their nomination. We congratulate the awardees of the Nobel Peace Prize, 2012 – The European Union for their extensive work in peace, democracy and human rights.
“We congratulate the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, 2012. Thank you so much for your support. We believe that our nomination was a great honour and a recognition of our work. We will continue to ensure that our nomination is well deserved. Through our work we will continue to ensure work of high quality and endeavour to enable children in India and all over the world to realise their rights especially the right to participate in all matters concerning them” – Damodar Acharya and Nandana Reddy, The Concerned for Working Children.
The credit of CWC’s nomination goes to the organisation’s primary constituency and partners – working children – and the many battles they have fought in numerous forums at home and around the world for their voices to be heard. Their struggle has always been a peaceful one and now one of patience as they continue their crusade in an environment that not only does not recognise them as workers, but has criminalised their work.
Nomination For Nobel Peace Prize 2012
- CWC founder and director Nandana Reddy responds to CWC’s nomination for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize.
The Concerned for Working Children has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, making it the first Bangalore-based NGO or person to have the honour.
CWC was nominated by three members of the Norwegian Parliament, Linda Hofstad Helleland, Gunn Karin Gjul and André Oktay Dahlt. In their nomination letter to the Nobel Committee, they write:
“Since 1980, [The] Concerned for Working Children has contributed to several initiatives with such children’s rights organisations as Bhima Sangha [the working children’s union]and Makkala Panchayats [children’s councils] in the state of Karnataka in India to strengthen the influence of children. The organisation and its network have been pioneers in children’s participation within research, public planning, youth democracy, media and other areas. Few, if any, other local organisations elsewhere have contributed as much to this work. CWC is also an active contributor in the joint international work for the improvement of children’s participation”.
“The organisation and its network have been pioneers in children’s participation within research, public planning, youth democracy, media and other areas. Few, if any, other local organisations elsewhere have contributed as much to this work.”
-Letter by three Norwegian MPs nominating CWC for the Nobel Peace Prize
One of the parliamentarians, Linda Hofstad Helleland, told the Norwegian newspaper Adresseavisen: “Child participation is vital for building societies and democracy. Unfortunately we see that child participation and children’s voices are absent in many countries. To award a prize to these organizations which work systematically for children’s right to voice their opinions will put even more force into their work.”
CWC was nominated along two other organisations focused on children, UNICEF and Save the Children.
For more than three decades, CWC has been working in partnership with children from the most marginalised communities, especially working children, to realise their rights, with emphasis on their right to participation in decision making processes. CWC has impacted policies of international and national governments and donor agencies, on a wide variety of issues including child labour, children’s rights, children’s citizenship and education and has always viewed the issue of children’s participation as a fundamental right within the gamut of children’s rights even prior to the drafting and the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Nandana Reddy, founder and director of CWC, said in a letter to supporters:
We, as an organisation have always celebrated small victories, but this is a huge leap for the cause. It is a recognition of Children’s’ Right to Participation, one of the most fundamental rights enabling an individual to determine the path of their existence.
We are a small organisation and yet we have managed to impact on child rights policy and programming both locally and globally, bringing the right to children’s participation and self-determination centre stage. This nomination is in itself a great honour.
The credit goes to our primary constituency and partners – working children – and the many battles they have fought in numerous forums at home and around the world for their voices to be heard. Their struggle has always been a peaceful one and now one of patience as they continue their crusade in an environment that not only does not recognise them as workers, but has criminalised their work.
We could not have done this without the support of so many of you around the world who have contributed to our vision and strategies and given us the strength to pursue our goals. You have also at times been our severest critics and we appreciate your inputs and involvement in this cause.
Read messages of congratulation from CWC’s allies and friends worldwide.
The nomination received extensive press coverage, including in The Times of India, Deccan Herald, Deccan Chronicle, Indian Express, Manipal Journal and Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
See an interview with Kavita Ratna, CWC director, on the nomination:
Find more videos on CWC’s YouTube channel.
