FOCUS ASIA-PACIFICAPRIL 2010 VOLUME 59

Focus
Asia-PacificNewsletter of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA)

June 2011 Vol. 64

Contents
Prevention of Trafficking, Abuse, andExploitation: Role of Children
This is a report on the establishment ofcommunity-based child protection centers
in Vietnam and the role of children in theiroperation. The article likewise reports on
the problem of getting child participationin exploitative environments.
- Brian Jungwiwattanaporn
Page 2Child-friendly Spaces in Japan:
An Integrated Approach for Child Protection
in an Emergency
This is a report on the establishment ofchild-friendly spaces in evacuation centersfor victims of the earthquake-tsunaminuclear-radiation disaster in northeasternJapan. The child-friendly spaces help
children victim of the disaster recoverfrom the trauma of disaster displacement.
- Warangkana Mutumol
Page 6
Challenges to the Right of Children to
Participate: Child Labor and Situations of
Armed ConflictThis is a discussion of concrete examplesof children participation even in difficult
situations such as the cases of childworkers and children in armed conflictsituations.
- Edelweiss F. Silan, Sucharat
Satharpornanon and Chakkrid Chansang
Page 10
Human Rights Events in the Asia-PacificThis is information on important humanrights events in the region.
Page 14

Editorial

Beyond the Right to be Heard
Children’s participation rights include the right to freedom of
expression, thought, conscience and religion, freedom of
association and peaceful assembly, the right to privacy, theright to have access to information, and the right to participate
freely in cultural life and the arts.
The idea that children should be heard and that they, like
adults, have this range of civil and political freedoms, andeconomic, social and cultural rights presents a challenge notjust to governments but to every family and every adult insociety.
For years, many children, including and especially those invery challenging circumstances, have strived for recognitionof their presence, and for respect for their dignity, theircompetency, and their agency as human beings. They work
hard and show by experience their capacity to act responsibly
and be part, even lead the process of change in their lives,and in the lives of their families and communities.
There is still a long, long way to go before majority of Asian
children could be truly heard and considered in decisions
made about their lives and there is even a longer way ahead
before children’s meaningful participation becomes real in
every aspect of society. The real life stories though of children
and the way they have influenced positive social changes in
the past and in the present serve as our starting points, and as
the beacons in the long journey.

1

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JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64

Prevention of Trafficking, Abuse, and Exploitation:
Role of Children
Brian Jungwiwattanaporn

Children in the Greater
Mekong Sub–region facepressures to migrate within theirown countries and acrossborders as a solution to local
poverty. Save the Children’s
Cross–border Program iscurrently engaged in supporting
the development of childprotection models for children
a f f e c t e d b y t r a f fi c k i n g ,migration, and those without
legal status. While trafficking
prevention requires strong
involvement from policy
makers, local authorities, andcommunity members, children
and their participation within
the system are crucial for its
e f f e c t i v e n e s s . C h i l d r e n ’s
participation in Vietnam forms
the foundation of local
protection systems while a
research in Thailand brings
attention to the challenges ofs u p p o r t i n g c h i l d r e n ’s
participation among working
children in migrantcommunities. Children play arole in the prevention of
trafficking and exploitation
despite differing local contexts
in the Mekong region.
Building Community Protection
Systems
Save the Children in Vietnam
supports the development ofchild protection systems to meetthe needs of all children facing
exploitation including
protection from trafficking. The
program supports a partnershipwith local and provincial-levelauthorities at the Department
for Labour, Invalids, and Social
Affairs (DOLISA) which isbuilding community-based
ch i l d p r o t e c t i o n s y s t e m s .
Children are actively engaged
in this process. In Mong Cai, asmall gateway to China in
Vietnam’s northern Quang Ninhprovince, child leaders in local
schools and in rural community
centers, organize and leadtrafficking prevention andawareness activities while
collaborating with local
authorities on assessing anddesigning future directions fortheir work.
Community-based childprotection systems involving
children operate with different
degrees of effectiveness inVietnam. Within Mong Cai, andits surrounding villages, thesystems are well establishedand act as models for potential
replication. Through leadershipand support of the Quang Ninhprovincial level DOLISA, adultvolunteers drawn from
community leadership positions
in villages form local level
Project Management Boards( P M B s ) wh i ch i m p l e m e n treporting and response systems
for child protection along withawareness-raising on risky
migration, trafficking, andexploitation. Children areencouraged to form children’s
clubs focusing on childprotection through trainings and2workshops. They interact with
PMBs to disseminate
information on child protection
among their peer groups while
PMBs promote child protection
messages in community
meetings. Protection cases
identified either by children or
adult volunteers can beaddressed through community
interventions throughdiscussions with families
experiencing protection
challenges or if serious can bereferred to officials in DOLISA
with whom they meet regularly.
Communities in Mong Cai haveintervened in cases of domestic
abuse and have also raisedcommunity funds enabling
vulnerable children to continue
schooling and preventing therisks associated with leaving
school early.
Situated on the border between
China and Vietnam, Mong Cai
has seen its economy develop,
marking the small city as adestination and transit point for
migrants and traffickers. Manyinternal migrants are attracted
to Mong Cai which hosts
several migrant communities
from throughout Vietnam.
Cross–border trafficking ofchildren and infants remains
one of the many challenges
being addressed through aprotection system. Through thesupport of local authorities,
children are learning to protect
themselves and their peers.

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
Child leaders implement weekly
information dissemination
sessions for students and young
ch i l d r e n i n v i l l a g e - b a s e dcommunity centers. Using avariety of strategies including roleplay, singing, games, discussions,and question-and-answer
sessions they communicate
awareness on trafficking andprotection. As lead organizers
they determine the content for
their sessions based on theirprotection interests, enablingthem to explore many subjects ofconcern for local youth
including child abuse, domestic
violence, migration, andtrafficking. Child leaders areprovided with training
opportunities to develop theirfacilitation, communication, andleadership skills along with theirknowledge base on trafficking
and protection issues.
Reflections from child leaders
indicate greater confidence andfeelings of empowerment. One
child leader in Mong Cai hascommented “I used to be very
shy, but since I joined the activity
I became more confident. I haveincreased my knowledge andskills. I can come back to mycommunity to protect myself and
my friends.” These sentiments are
reinforced through collaboration
with community leaders andlocal authorities in building the
local protection system. Children
communicate with adultvolunteers in PMBs and local
DOLISA officials about thechallenges their peers confront.
Responses to protection cases
can then be developed as theawareness-raising activities of thechildren become part of thecommunity’s monitoring system.
Child leaders are active
participants in workshops
organized by DOLISA. Along

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64
with adult volunteers theyassess program implementation
progress, lead discussions, andcompose messages for
Information, Education, andCommunication (IEC) materials
that are distributed by local
officials. Afforded the status ofequal partners, children arerecognized for their
engagement in prevention workwith the realization that childleaders are most appropriate inaddressing the concerns of theirpeers. Adult volunteers andlocal officials acknowledge thatthe insights and contributions ofchildren are crucial inchallenging the forms of abuseand exploitation children face.
Within communities, greaters u p p o r t f o r ch i l d r e n a n dpositive changes within local
children has been noted alongwith reduced rates of trafficking
and children leaving school.
The PMB of one of Mong Cai’s
rural communes remarked thatchildren in their area havegreater self – protection
knowledge and awareness onsocial issues which they link tohaving no reported cases oftrafficking during the past three
years or cases of dropping out
of school which increases ac h i l d ’s v u l n e r a b i l i t y. A
secondary school student stated“I see changes in mycommunity. Before they had noknowledge of child protection
or abuse, but after our
dissemination session, they
have knowledge to protect
t h e m s e l ve s a n d t e l l t h e i rfamilies.” This reduction in childvulnerability can be credited tothe active involvement ofchildren, community, and local
government in developing acomprehensive approach inaddressing protection. Villageelders of a rural commune in3

Mong Cai discuss the advent ofchildren’s clubs raising the issue
of protection to local adults andofficials. Children monitoring
the protection challenges of
their community provide theimpetus for interventions suchas direct support for students toaccess education and healthfacilities. Effective participation
beyond token leadership has
developed over several years ofengagement in Mong Cai and iscited as a defining success forprevention efforts. As models forparticipation are replicated in
new communities, supportingchild leadership andconfronting established attitudes
towards children are being led
through DOLISA’s efforts.
Child leaders have contributed
to building a community-based
protection system through their
engagement in prevention workand their inputs into local
government dialogues. As theylook to expand their role within
the system they need tostrengthen their reporting ofcases of trafficking, abuse, or
exploitation. There is a referral
system to support cases at the
local and provincial levels thatchildren can access. As childleaders take roles beyond
prevention towards actively
monitoring their communities
their ability to protect
themselves will be enhanced.
C h a l l e n g e s t o C h i l d r e n ’s
Participation in Environmentsof Exploitation
Recently Save the Children and
the Columbia Group forChildren in Adversity conducteda research along the border ofThailand and the Lao People’s
Democratic Republic to test a
new mobility assessment tool
for migrant children. Economic

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
i n e q u a l i t i e s , c u l t u ra l a n dlinguistic similarities, and along, porous border haveencouraged many Laotians toseek work in Thailand. With astrong sense of obligation to
support their families, children
t r av e l t o Th a i l a n d , o f t e n
unaccompanied in search of
temporary work. Easy accessacross the border has madeboth formal and informal
crossing point locations key
transit and destination areas forchildren seeking employment.
While preliminary research
results are being reviewed, themethodology highlighted
several challenges in utilizingchild participation to prevent
trafficking.
Vulnerability for children
seeking work across borders
begins at home. Labor agentsand brokers, friends, andfamilies may all encourage
migration to work that leads tosituations of trafficking andexploitation for some children.
Save the Children works withlocal non-governmentalorganization (NGO) partners
and child leaders to raiseawareness on safe migrationand trafficking in areas of origin
through the building ofchildren’s clubs focused onchild protection and community
activities. Creative arts are being
employed in trainings andevents to build awareness on
trafficking and develop thecommunications skills of childleaders. Prevention efforts
impact communities positively,
but they do not ensure safe
migration, and many children
leave to find work in Thaiborder communities.
During the research, children
were found to be engaged in a

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64
variety of work. Children
worked in restaurants, hotels,
and small stores with several
children employed in the sex
services industry at karaokebars. Many children lacked
freedom of movement with
employers not allowing them toleave their place of work. This
problem was compounded bytheir status as unregisteredmigrants that increased thehesitation of employers and thechildren to engage withresearchers. Children often slept
at their work place, limiting
their engagement with otherm i g ra n t ch i l d r e n i n t h e i rcommunity and creating
feelings of social isolation.
Children employed in karaokebars often had the most freedomof movement and social
relationships with migrants
outside their place of work.
Organizing undocumented
children who face restrictive
movement and finding suitable
methods and outlets forparticipation and training
development are considerations
that need to be addressed.
Although children did notparticipate in the research
design, migrant children
organized through a local NGO
were provided with training on
research skills. These children
had migrated previously withfamilies and were enrolled inThai schools. As members of achildren’s club they seek tobuild the capacity of their peers
to protect themselves against
trafficking. They were employed
as researchers and to seek out
potential interviews for the
r e s e a r c h t e a m . H o w e v e r,
although migrants themselves,
they had few contacts withrecent migrant arrivals. A lack ofcommunication with newer

4

migrants and working children
poses a challenge in developing
stronger participation of recent
migrants in existing structures
for children. The social status ofworking children, and theirplace of employment, also
placed a barrier between
interactions of established andnewer migrants. While migrantchildren leaders are engaged intrafficking prevention andprotection, reaching the mostvulnerable segments of working
migrant children through theirpeers needs support.
Children Lead the Way
While cultural and politicalspaces differ within the Greater
Mekong Sub–region, countries
as diverse as Cambodia and
Myanmar are producing
effective community protectionm o d e l s f o r ch i l d r e n . Th e
Children and Life Association,
located in Prey Veng, Cambodia,
supports a network of child peere d u c a t o r s a n d Yo u t hCoordination Committees inthirty villages. Utilizing creativearts these groups regularly
conduct awareness-raising
activities on trafficking
prevention and unsafe migration.
Child leaders organize
children’s clubs to disseminate
information on trafficking whileproviding information on how
children can protect themselves.
Children report when “labor
agents” attempt to recruit theirpeers and provide information to
local child protection networks
on the new tactics traffickers
use to attract and exploit
ch i l d r e n . Th e s e n e t w o r k sintervene in cases of trafficking
and unsafe migration andconsider children’s participation
an integral part of theirstructure. The success of YouthFOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
Coordination Committees,
which consist of experienced
child leaders and peer
educators, has enabled them toengage with local government
structures on the issue oft r a f f i ck i n g . Th e C o u n c i lCommittee for Women andChildren (CCWC), a communelevel authority, invites child andyouth leaders to officially attend
and contribute to their
meetings. Young participants
provide insights on how toprotect children from traffickers
which has resulted in the CCWC
to agree in adopting new
indicators on trafficking andabuse into their work plan.
Building the knowledge base of
the CCWC on the changing
tactics traffickers employ, childrights, and protection
mechanisms to prevent andaddress abuse and exploitationis helping the body engage inchild protection at thecommunity level. Youth leaders
are lobbying the CCWC toallocate more budget resources
for protection from, andprevention of, trafficking while
the CCWC had beenencouraged to take an activerole in supporting parents toregister their children, as a lackof birth registration limits
opportunities for children andcreates a situation for
exploitation.
Save the Children in Myanmar
employsorganized
consultations with children innine townships across thec o u n t r y.
C h i l d r e n ’s
consultations have been held in
Kawkareik in Kayin State,
Mawlamyine and Kyeikmayaw
in Mon State; Meikhtila, Tharzi,
and Kyaukpadaung in the
Mandalay Division, Shwe Pyi
Thar and Hlaing Tharyar in the

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64
Yangon Division, and Muse in
Northern Shan State. Children’sgroups participate in
consultation workshops tohighlight the challenges they
face within their community,
raising issues of exploitation,
trafficking prevention, andabuse. Follow-up feedback
sessions allow children andlocal child protection groups todefine priorities and determine
a ppro ach e s to p re ve n t i o nactivities. Anecdotal reports
from Hlaing Thayar relay
children taking action on issuesof abuse and exploitation
through reporting cases toreferral systems and acting toraise awareness among
vulnerable children in theircommunities. The actions ofchildren have in turn galvanizedparental and community
support into addressing theprotection, trafficking, andexploitation faced by the young
in their villages.
Conclusion
Children’s participation is aneffective approach to addressing
trafficking prevention and childprotection. Children with theknowledge to protect
themselves and their peers
represent the first line ofdefence against trafficking.
Migrant children leaders who
can express the challenges theyf a c e p r ov i d e t h e i n s i g h t snecessary to make thesesystems efficient and capable ofaddressing the needs of allchildren who face not only
trafficking, but abuse, neglect,
violence, and exploitation in
their daily lives. Supporting theparticipation of the mostvulnerable children, often
already in situations of
exploitation, remains a5challenge. Deepening childinvolvement within trafficking
prevention systems, movingfrom prevention and awarenessraising to monitoring andreporting on abuses are
beginning to occur.
Across the Greater Mekong
Sub–region, children
collaborate with community
systems and authorities tocreate protection systems. At
the national and regional level,children are participants inforums on trafficking andprotection, contributing theirideas and recommendations on
a n t i - t r a f fi c k i n g p o l i c i e s .
Community-based protection
models and the voices of
migrant children are informing
the development of morec o m p r e h e n s ive p r o t e c t i o nsystems addressing trafficking,abuse, and exploitation. As
trafficking prevention models
replicate across communities,
overcoming establishedmindsets on children throughdemonstrating the effectivenessof their participation will be key
in establishing prevention
efforts at the local level.
Mr. Brian Jungwiwattanaporn is
the Regional Cross-border
Programme Information
Coordinator, Asia Regional
Office of Save the Children UK.
For further information, pleasecontact:
Brian
Jungwiwattanaporn, Save theChildren UK, Asia Regional
Office, 14th floor Maneeya
Center Bldg., 518/5 Ploenchit
Road, Lumpini, Patumwan,
Bangkok 10330 Thailand; ph(66-2) 6841291, 6520518 to 20
ext
304;
email:
Brian@savethechildren.or.th;
www.savethechildren.org.uk

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JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64

Child-friendly Spaces in Japan:
An Integrated Approach for Child Protection in an Emergency
Warangkana MutumolChildren are most vulnerable
during emergencies. Whenbasic resources become scarcedue to multiple and severe
disasters that lead to loss ofhomes and livelihoods,
survivors give priority to security
matters. In crisis situations,children are not always
recognized as persons withcapacity to make decisions.
With protection systems being
weak or non-existent during
emergencies, children are at riskof sexual abuse andexploitation, physical harm,
separation from their families,
and other forms of harm.
A child protection system during
emergencies is an importantcomponent to ensure appropriate
care and protection of vulnerable
children. During natural disasters,
children encounter various
difficulties: separation fromfamilies, witnessing death, andliving in unfamiliar andcontinually changing situations.
They cause both physical andpsychosocial distress. Children
therefore are in need of different
kinds of support to rebuild theirlives. The minimum response
should include delivery ofservices to secure the basic needsof children, make children
properly understand on-goingchanges, help build their own
resilience, and support
reunification with their families
and communities. Therefore,child protection in an emergency

should be viewed through aholistic approach, entailingelements of promotion of physicaland emotional well-being as wellas addressing prevention of
abuse, exploitation, and otherharm. Child protection initiatives
should respond quickly to theneeds of children and ensure their
meaningful participation andrecovery over a long-term period.
The child-friendly spaces (CFS)
are created as a special
i n t e r ve n t i o n o u t r e a ch f o rchildren, as a place to listen tothem and respond to theirneeds. CFS assists children inregain their resilience and senseof normalcy while in emergency
situation.
Although it is referred todifferently by other agencies asa safe space, child-centeredspaces, or child protection
center, this intervention is partof a common lineage of support
for children to relax, play, andinteract with others. CFS can
also lay foundations for better
protection of children so thatthey are well safeguarded frompossible harm and accidents. In
areas where there is an
emergency situation and thenormal security system is not yet
fully functioning, children arelikely at risk of various forms ofabuse, exploitation, andneglect. A CFS is there toprevent harm and establish

6

monitoring systems that addresspossible risks that children face.
Before a CFS is established,responsible agencies have to
conduct a needs assessment andreview available resources.
Objectives have to be clearlystated at the outset to determine
which direction the CFS willlead to and how to involve
children, parents, and theaffected community in theplanning and implementing
process. In case of many
unaccompanied orphan
ch i l d r e n ; t h o s e wh o l a ck
appropriate care and suffer
trauma or other previously
unknown adverse affects, a CFS
should serve as an initialmechanism that supports
children’s emotional well-being
and has to refer cases to
responsible bodies. It must
introduce platforms forestablishing child protection
systems that also enable
children to continue their lives
after the emergency situation.
2011 Earthquake and Tsunami
in Japan
The earthquake-tsunami disasterthat struck in northeastern Japan1
on 11 March 2011 is one of themost alarming crises Japan has
faced. The disaster iscompounded by the emission
across the disaster-affected areaof high-level radiation from thedamaged Fukushima nuclear

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
power plant. This disaster led toa number of causalities
including at least fifteen
thousand dead and more than
five hundred thousand displaced
persons. Of the thousands
displaced, many were children.
Initial estimate put the number
of affected children to 74,000.
Initial on-site assessmentr e ve a l e d e x t r e m e l y h a r s hconditions for children andfamilies. Many children suffereddisplacement and separationfrom home and family. They
were unable to sleep, suffered
nightmares, and experienced
anxiety and stress. Striving tolive in the unfamiliar
surroundings of the evacuation
centers, children also faced
continuing aftershocks, possible
risk of another tsunami, andevacuation from areas aroundthe damaged Fukushima
nuclear power plant. Freezing
weather worsened living
c o n d i t i o n s ; t h e r e wa s n oelectricity or running water
when the evacuation centerswere initially established. This
environment also made many
infants and young children
vulnerable to illnesses.

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64
S ave t h e C h i l d r e n b e g a nmobilizing its resources andidentifying partners, relief
agencies, and authorities in andaround the impact area toassess the services available andto efficiently meet the needs ofchildren and families. A fieldsurvey at the very outset of theemergency response found thatchildren were in urgent need ofbasic relief items as well as
psychological support to deal
with fear and uncertain
environments.
Child-friendly Space as a
Primary Approach
The field survey disclosed
thousands of homeless children
staying in different evacuation
centers, with nothing to do. The
children often could not express
their feelings and held backwhat they wanted to say.
“I would just walk up anddown the corridors, and try to
do something like run about,but mostly it was notinteresting” Kazuki Seto, eight
years old, in an evacuation
center in a primary school in
Miyagi prefecture.

"Our house was swallowed by
the big piles of waves. It
continued to come in directly
to where we were standing, I
was so afraid. Now I want togo home, I need a bath andwant to be together with myfriends" - Kosuke, six years old.
"I was terrified, I could not
believe what I was seeing. We
could not even think about
returning home - my house
was destroyed and besides,
we were frightened that
another tsunami would come"- Riko Tomita, twelve years
old.

7

In response, Save the Children
in collaboration with Japanese
partners established CFS as theeasiest, quickest approach tolearn more about children’s
problems and also rendersystematic support to them. The
first CFS opened on 16 March2011 at a primary school, while
many more were establishedsubsequently totaling nineteen
CFS in different affected areas.
Staffs at CFS initially helped
children understand what had
happened and how to manage
their feelings of loss anduncertainty. The spaces also
freed parents and families fromworries and stress; the parents
could then focus on reestablishing their livelihoods
knowing their children were insafe hands.
Save the Children started
involving children at the very
beginning of the process. In
Miyagino ward, Sendai city,
Miyagi prefecture two weeks
after the disaster, Save theChildren staffs explained theidea of having spaces forchildren to the people in theevacuation centers and asked
some children volunteers towork together in setting up thearea. Children helped clean andFOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
make the space ready. They also
made posters explaining what a
CFS was to invite more children
to join.
The CFS is tailored to support
children in different age groups
from four to fourteen years old.
A c t iv i t i e s i n c l u d e m a k i n gorigami (paper folding), drawing
pictures, molding clay, andplaying games in which children
are involved in designing rules
and contents. After participatingin the CFS activities, children
express relief and the feelingthat they are getting stronger
with the many friends andadults standing by their side.
Adult staffs have played games
to assess children’s psychosocial
conditions as well. In close
cooperation with doctors andcounselors from thegovernment, Save the Children
has developed a referral systemthat is ready to help children
found suffering from serious
trauma.

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64
Parents and caregivers are
guided on how to work withc h i l d r e n . Th e y a r e g i v e nmaterials on how to support
children’s emotional well-being,
including tips on talking tochildren about theirexperiences. Occasionally,
those found having serious
traumatic stress are referred toprofessional social workers forfurther counseling.
"I play with everyone! All
along, just fun""At first when we saw it (CFS)
opened, we thought it was a
bit boring because there was
no activity. The place was notlively, but now it is and welike it. It seems really good tobe here because there are a
lot of things going on and I
am happy about it""It's a great place where wef e e l s a f e . We h ave n oconcerns of being on ourown. We don't want to bealone."

Play and GamesCFS empower children throughp l ay. S t a f f m e m b e r s wh oorganize activities are also
tasked to observe the situationof the children; they bear inmind that stress and worries
may not surface from daily
conversation with children.
Therefore, play and games areused as tools to help children
relax and feel comfort. Whileparticipating in various activities
supported by trained adults,
children feel more secure, andstart to speak of their fear andworries. Children also havechances to interact with otherfriends, which help them
express themselves as theyrebuild their lives.

CFS helps build the resilience ofchildren and creates an entry
point for developing other life
skills. It is also important for
adults and the community toprovide continuous support tohelp children cope with theaftermath of the disaster.
Therefore, Save the Children has
also implemented a school- andcommunity-based approach tohelp children live with highspirit. Delivery of five thousand
five hundred “Back to School
Kits” and the organizing of acreative event called “Dream
Truck Theater,” where children
have the chance to celebratechildren’s day through games,
concert, and drama, are anothersteps to empowering children

8and ensuring healthy integration
to their communities even while
they are undergoing therecovery process. This kind ofcommunity-inclusive programaims not only to promote therights of children, but also toensure that after the rescue
stage has passed there will be
a n e f f e c t i v e c h i l d r e n ’s
development program whereparents and other childcare
providers will be highly
motivated to be part of.
Children’s Resilience andParticipation"We have friends who losttheir families and their homes,
some have left our school. The
town is covered withwreckage and it will take along time to get back tonormal. But we will work
hard for this and bring backour town.
A Japanese medical aid
worker's diary:
I talked to a boy who had afever and a loss of appetite.
He showed me a
Doraemon2 book covered in
mud. I asked him what his
f avo r i t e wa s o f a l l o f
Doraemon's tools.
'I used to like the ozashiki
tsuribori (indoor magic
fishing mat), but now myfavorite is the taimu
furoshiki (wrapping cloth oftime). I want to wrap up thewhole city with the taimu
furoshiki and make it goback to how it was before
the earthquake.'

In emergencies, children areoften recognized as passive
victims who merely receive
relief items and services.

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
Working closely with themmakes us realize how muchstrength children have and theways they use to cope with loss
and tragedy. Right after theJa p a n e s e d i s a s t e r a g r e a tnumber of child survivors were
rescued, who kept their hopeand spirit. Many children waited
quietly in line for many hours
with their parents to receivef o o d a n d w a t e r. I n t h ee va c u a t i o n c e n t e r s , o l d e rchildren also helped taking careof younger ones; they sharedfood, snacks, toys, and hardly
complain about the difficult
situation they have faced.
Recently, the CFS gatheredchildren to do an art piece tobuild the morale of everybody
in the evacuation center.
Children worked on an origami
poster – folding papers andwriting messages to encourage
people. The small art pieces
were placed on a wall whereother people in the evacuation
center can write something on
to express their own feeling as
well. This child leadership
activity is an entry point towards
community healing – children
have helped a lot in lifting up
the spirits of people who are stillin difficult circumstances and in
the process of recovering fromthe tragedy.
Future Tasks
The CFS established for the
recent northeast Japan disasterconsult the Japanese children
disaster victims on any matterthat affects their lives. They will
later on develop long-term
recovery plan that provides forthe children’s involvement inemergency preparedness
planning processes. Under the
long-term recovery plan, theJUNE 2011 VOLUME 64
CFS will be adjusted to become
community child protection
centers that work with children
after school to provide further
support during the postemergency situation. They will
also make children take part indecision-making; and willp r ov i d e o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o rchildren to learn about theirrights and how to become
active citizens in their own
communities.
Warangkana Mutumol is a
Thailand Cross-border
Programme Advocacy andCapacity-building Officer, Asia
Regional Office of Save theChildren UK.
For further information, pleasecontact: Warangkana Mutumol
Save the Children UK, Asia
Regional Office, 14th floor
Maneeya Center Bldg., 518/5
P l o e n ch i t R o a d , L u m p i n i ,Patumwan, Bangkok 10330
Thailand; ph (662) 6841291,
6520518 to 20; fax (662)6841289;
email:
warangkana@savethechildren.or.th ;www.crossborderprogramme.word
press.com

References
Child Protection in
Emergencies, 2006, Save theChildren Sweden and theI n t e r n a t i o n a l S av e t h eChildren Alliance
Guidelines for Child Friendly
Spaces in Emergencies,
Field-testing version, January
2011, by Global Education
Cluster, Global Protection
Cluster, INEE, and InterAgency Standing Committee

9

Save the Children Emergency
Response Blog for Japan
Earthquake and Tsunami,
www.savechildren.or.jp
Save the Children Exclusive
Briefing Document: Save theChildren’s Commitment to
C h i l d r e n a n d Fa m i l i e s
Affected by Japan’s Massive
Earthquake and Tsunami,
www.savechidlren.or.jp
A Ja p a n e s e m e d i c a l a i dworker’s diary, http://jktsenglish.blogspot.com/

Endnotes
1. The earthquake and tsunami
struck mainly three prefectures(Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi)i n t h e s o - c a l l e d To h o k u(northeast region) of Japan thatfaces the Pacific Ocean.
2. D o r a e m o n i s a p o p u l a r
television cartoon character inJapan.

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64

Challenges to the Right of Children to Participate:Child Labor and Situations of Armed Conflict
Edelweiss F. Silan, Sucharat Satharpornanon and Chakkrid ChansangChild labor in Asia is a hugeburden. But we believe inthe resources of Asia. We also
believe in the vitality andwisdom of child workers
themselves. The problem ofchild labor cannot be solved
without the participation ofchildren. They have their own
analysis of society; they havetheir own strategies not only forsurvival but also theirconditions of work, theirconditions in life. We can learn
from them, we have to.1

Recognition of the humand i g n i t y, c o m p e t e n c e , a n dagency of working children has
u n d er p in n ed th e work of
institutions in addressing childlabor in Asia for decades.
Working children and youth
leaders have the voice of theyo u t h a n d ch i l d r e n f r o mvulnerable communities thatchallenged governments andsocieties on the way children
are treated and their problems
addressed. With the emergenceof stronger civil society support
for children’s participation after
the universal ratification of theUnited Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child, good
examples of strong children andyouth groups and initiatives
have evolved in Asia and otherregions, including in places
affected by armed conflict.
Experience and research showthat even in situations of war
where lives of children and theircommunities are frayed andfragile, children and young

people have shown strength,
resilience, and interest andcapacity to be part of thesolution. The children know therisks, and their stories show
myriads of strategies to survive,
keep themselves safe, and evenhelp other people. Truly, in theworld of work and in the worldof war, failure to take into
account children’s perspectives
is a step away from more
effective solutions and may
even result to their exposure to
greater risks. Recognizingchildren as actors in their lives,
and tapping their wealth ofresources on the other hand
could lead not just to children’s
individual development andbetter protection, but also tomore effective solutions to thebigger problems that they andtheir communities face.
Children’s Organizationsof the Foundation for Child
Development:
We were … motivated to set up
the Child Labour Club because
we [thought] that theseworking children should begiven an opportunity for selfdevelopment. We went to find
… children in small factories,
through hotlines, festivities(during peak times of
migration), and organisingmobile child clubs in areasn e a r f a c t o r i e s t h a t h av e
working children. After sometime, we learned that children
who had on-going contact with
us were enthusiastic to express
themselves and to consult withus, both when they had
problems and when they’d liketo plan for the future, say,education….This indicated thatthese children could develop
their potential when they are
given opportunities like otherchildren.2

Child Labor Club in Thailand

The core members of the Child
Labor Club go throughleadership training, attend
seminars on collecting data onchild labor, and plan activities
to reach working children in
their workplaces and encourage
their participation.

The Foundation for Child
Development, a nongovernmental organization(NGO) that provides health andother services to children
working in factories around
Bangkok, started the idea of
forming the Child Labor Club in
1982. As explained by the staff

While less Thai children migrate
for work at present due to theimproving economic situationof Thai families, children andyoung people from neighboringc o u n t r i e s – M y a n m a r,
Cambodia, and Lao PDR – taketheir place in Bangkok. The
Child Labor Club now faces

C h i l d r e n ’s o r g a n i z a t i o n s
exemplify the value ofparticipation of children in
addressing their problems. Twochildren’s organizations prove
this point.

10

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFC
new challenges, particularly thevulnerability of most migrantchild workers who do not haveproper documentation. These
child workers are subject toarrest by the police and tocontrol and exploitation by
employers. Getting permission
from employers to allow themto participate in activities
becomes more difficult, while
the child workers themselves do
not want to leave theirworkplaces for fear of getting
arrested. The Child Labor Club
persists in finding creative ways
to pursue its role of being aplace for child workers, by childworkers. It continues to monitor
workplaces, approach childworkers to encourage
participation in club activities,
organize peer-to-peer support
for them, and hold activities( c r e a t ive a r t s wo r k s h o p s ,recreation activities and sports)
and radio programs. It reports
on situations of exploitation andabuse, and organizes dialogues(together with the Foundation
for Child Development) with
employers and business owners,
and local authorities. One of
the earliest leaders of the Child
Labor Club, who is now ateacher said:
I was very shy when I firstjoined the Club but after a few
activities, I became active… I
developed my leadership skills
after working as volunteer toorganise activities for otherworking children. I had tocontact children working infactories, produce newslettersand attend the Clubs’ board
meeting. I also served as
mentor for other children who
had problems and did not wantto talk to the [Foundation forChild Development] staff due
to age differences. [Because] I
speak other dialects … children
from those dialect-speaking
areas talk to me. Then I can

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64
further discuss their problem
with other staff. Although I was
paid more by working in a
f a c t o r y t h a n by b e i n g a
volunteer, that is not asimportant as the opportunity todevelop myself. I have a dreamof becoming a teacher. If I
finished my study, I’ll return tomy hometown and teach there.

Through the work of themembers of the Club, which
has been running for almost
thirty years now, thousands ofvulnerable Thai and migrantchild workers have not only
found protection in theirworkplaces but were also
helped to find new and better
directions in life.
Children’s Clubs in Nepal
During the decade-long internal
armed conflict in Nepal, local
NGOs and communities inaffected areas strongly
supported the development ofchildren’s clubs that would
allow children opportunities fordevelopment and protection in
their localities. The children’s
clubs seriously took their roles
in reaching out to children in
their communities, sharing
information to them, advocating
for the rights of children, andreporting situations of children
at risk. The following reportprovides a glimpse of thesignificance of children’s clubs
in the lives of children in
conflict zones. A child was
recruited to join the armed
group of the Maoist Communist
Party of Nepal. He was latercaught by the Nepali police,
and suffered torture while indetention. Upon release, themembers of the armed
opposition group came back toconvince him to stay with thegroup. Given the name“Bigyan,” he was trained and11armed. He joined military
operations. But he tried toescape a number of times, only
to be caught and warned that if
he succeeded in escaping, hisfamily would suffer. He gave
this account with the help of his
friends:3
After the Dingla attack, I finallyescaped and was admitted to aschool in Sunsari. Some childclub members came to know
about my past and approached
me. I tried to avoid them in the
beginning because I never
liked to talk to anyone andcould not concentrate on mystudies. First, I was hesitant toshare my pain but later, when I
became convinced about thechild club’s motive, I honestly
told the members how I was
forcibly made to join the
Maoists and escaped fromthem.
With the support, care andencouragement from child club
friends, I joined the club andstarted to mix with them. I
started contributing to the wall
newspaper that was regularly
published by the club. I shared
my pain through poems andarticles. I had the opportunity
to participate in child clubtraining. The trainers discussed
child rights and concerns about
ch i l d r e n a f f e c t e d by t h e
c o n fl i c t . I s h a r e d m yexperiences with a staff
member from the Centre forCommunity and Social
Awareness (CICSA). I used tospend many sleepless nights tillthen. I was always worried
about being caught at any
moment.
Once I returned from thetraining and went home, mymother told me that my former
friends (Maoists) had come insearch of me… From that day,my life became mobile, shiftingfrom one place to another,asking shelter from my friends.
I received life-threatening

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFC
messages from the Maoists
again and again. When childclub friends came to know
about this, they approached
CICSA, thereafter UNICEF at
the district and finally UNICEF
in Kathmandu appealing formy life and the right tocontinue my studies. Afternearly a month of regularfollow-up from the child cluband CICSA, I was rescued by
C h i l d Wo r k e r s i n N e p a l(CWIN) and the International
Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC) through UNICEF and
was able to continue mystudies in Kathmandu in apeaceful environment.
I am really grateful for the
support I received from thechild club. I got back my life
and this has given me hope to
live. I feel that if child clubs
raise a united voice, it will bepossible to protect the rights ofthousands of conflict-affectedchildren in our country. I feel it
is our responsibility too.

Children as Part of Solutions
Investing on children and young
people’s participation can have
not only an impact on their own
protection and development but
also contribute tremendously inaddressing broader social,economic, and political issues.
Oftentimes, issues that affectchildren similarly affect adults
and their communities. And
positive changes on the plight ofchildren positively impact on
the quality of life of adults.
Conversely, adult-led efforts inchanging the social, political,
and economic conditions ofcommunities can benefit fromlistening to the thoughts ofchildren and young people. The
children can be directly
engaged in the activities relating
to economic initiatives,
advocacy, peace building,

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64
strengthening social services,and governance.
Behind the successful lobby ofcivil society groups for the
adoption of the International
Labour Organization (ILO)
Convention Concerning Decent
Work for Domestic Workers in
Ju n e 2 0 1 1 a r e t h e m a ny
domestic workers organizations
that called attention to theplight of domestic workers,
especially children and women
who comprise about 80% of
d o m e s t i c wo r k e r s . Th i s
Convention provides for theprotection of the rights of an
estimated fifty-three million
domestic workers across theworld. In the Philippines, anorganization of domestic
workers called Samahan at
Ugnayanng
mga
Manggagawang Pantahanan sa
Pilipinas (Organization and
Network of Domestic Workers
in the Philippines) or SUMAPI
was organized in 2005 with thesupport of Visayan Forum, an
NGO working on child labor
issues. Many of SUMAPI’s eight
thousand members were stillchildren when they joined theorganization. The group actively
reaches out to domestic workers
through park and market visits.
It provides counselling service,referrals to social services, andeducational support. It works
hand in hand with their NGO,
government, and civil society
supporters to achieve changes
both for children and adultdomestic workers. They were at
the forefront of the campaign
for the Magna Carta for
Domesti c Wo r k e r s i n t h ePhilippines aiming to achieved e c e n t w o r k f o r Fi l i p i n odomestic workers.
The Children’s Development
Khazana (CDK) is a bankestablished in 2001 for street

12children in New Delhi by the
NGO Butterflies. The bank, also
known as Bal Vikas Bank, serves
street children who despite
adversities still look forward to abright future and thus want tosave money earned. It evolved
from the saving and credit
union scheme (Khazana) of
Butterflies. Supported by thepartnership between Butterflies
and Childhope, and incollaboration with local
partners, CDK operates inseveral cities in India, and also
in other countries (Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal
and Sri Lanka).4 The children’sbank operates on banking andcooperative principles. The
bank is only for children andadolescents, mainly street
children. It is owned and run bychildren under the guidance ofadult facilitators. The project is
implemented as a component oflife skills education program,that train children to become
responsible, learn how toprioritize needs, make budget,and save money.5 Their savings
provide security for their future.
CDK “enables its members toearn an interest on theirdeposits and its adolescentmembers to access advances for
initiating small economic
enterprises cooperatives.” 6
Those who apply for funds aretaught how to make businessplans, and manage enterprises.
OK Negros is a youth
organization in one of theprovinces most affected by theinternal armed conflict in thePhilippines. It was establishedin 2009 by the participants of achild rights and humanitarianlaw workshop organized by acoalition for young people fromthe upland communities of
Negros province. Young people
from the upland communities
were very much affected by the

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
armed conflict between thePhilippine government and the
Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng
M a n g g a g awa n g P i l i p i n a s(RPM-P) and its armed wing
Revolutionary Proletarian ArmyAlex Buncayao Brigade (RPAABB), a break-away group of
the Communist Party of thePhilippines-New People’s ArmyNational Democratic Front(CPP-NPA-NDF). The young
people realized that they could
help change the situation in
their communities by educating
young people on their rights.7
They held children’s forums inconflict-affected areas in theprovince, advocating for theprotection of children fromrecruitment into the armedf o r c e s . E v e n t u a l l y, t h e yparticipated in forums with the
RPA-ABB, which has adopted adeclaration in 2005 stating its
objection to the use of children
as soldiers.8 OK Negros
continues its education workwith children and young people
in the communities of Negros. It
is also getting support from the
Office of the Presidential
Adviser on the Peace Process.
The 2000 peace agreement
between the Philippine
government and the RPA-ABB is
helping in the work of OK
Negros.
Bhima Sangha is a union ofworking children in Karnataka,
India that was formed whenworking children who wereparticipating in the activities of
the Concerned for Working
Children realized that they werebeing taken into account by thegovernment and by tradeunions. They have over 20,000
children-members (undereighteen years), advocating fortheir rights and the rights of
their parents and communities
to a better quality of life. The
children are often referred to as

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64
protagonists. Being social
actors, they reach out to otherworking children and informthem of their rights. Bhima
Sangha members are actively
involved in local government
structures in their villages
through the Makkala Panchayatsor children's village councils
t h a t t h e ch i l d r e n ’s u n i o norganized as ‘parallel
governments’ of children thatinteracts with official villageauthorities to represent children
in decision-making and
g o v e r n a n c e a t Pa n c h aya t(village) level. They campaign
for issues confronting children
such as education and childmarriage. They have formed
commissions to study andcollect information on accidents
that killed working children.
Bhima Sangha is helping otherworking children in India inorganizing their own unions. It
is a member of the organizingc o m m i t t e e f o r t h e fi r s t
international meeting ofworking children and afounding member of theInternational Movement ofWorking Children.
Challenge of Weaving
Children’s Participation into
Work and Lives
While these exciting andinspiring experiences are
expanding as more agencies
grow in their appreciation of thechildren’s rights to participate,
truly meaningful participation
enjoyed by children still remain
in geographical pockets or
occurs in short periods basedon special policy events. In
general, engaging children isstill seldom thought of as a
critical part of strategies to solve
enormous issues affecting
children and society. Engaging
children is often an afterthought

13

or is assumed as just an elementof the implementation strategy.
For example, just recently, theInternational Labour
Organisation released the report“Children in hazardous work:
what we know, what we needto do”. The report cited studies
from industrialized anddeveloping countries indicatingthat every minute of each day, achild labourer somewhere in
the world suffers a work-related
accident, illness or
psychological trauma. The
report estimates that one
hundred fifteen million of theworld’s two hundred fifteen
million child laborers areengaged in hazardous workand that forty-eight million ofchildren in hazardous work arein Asia. Recommendations
included renewing efforts toensure that all children are inschool, strengthening
workplace safety and health for
all workers with safeguards for
those under eighteen years, andproviding the legal foundation
for action against hazardous
child work. Interestingly, thereport is quiet on how theperspectives of this huge
number of children inhazardous work can be heard
and considered and how they
can be actually engaged inrefining these strategies or infinding new solutions to the
problems. Perhaps children
participation is assumed since
the ILO Recommendation 190
requires programs to take into
consideration the views of thechildren directly affected by theworst forms of child labor.
However, to be able to truly tap
the enormous wealth, energy
and skills that young people
offer and to fully recognize
children and young people as(Continued on page 15)

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFC

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64

Human Rights Events in the Asia-PacificT

he Gwangju Metropolitan
City Government and the
May 18 Memorial Foundation
co-hosted the 2011 World
Human Rights Cities Forum
held on 16-17 May 2011 at
Gwangju city, Korea. The
conference aimed to serve as aplatform to solidify international
cooperation among local
communities around the world
and to network cities andmunicipalities committed to theimplementationofinternationally recognizedhuman rights standards andnorms. It had the following
objectives:* To enhance international
cooperation and solidarity
among human rights cities* To share experiences andcase studies from advanced
human rights cities* To promote the spirit of May
18 Democratization
Movement and the humanrights-oriented policies andactions of the Gwangju
Metropolitan City.
Several Asian cities wererepresented in the conference(Kaoshiung [Taiwan], Sakai[Japan], Penang [Malaysia],
and Lamphun [Thailand]) alongwith those from North America
and Europe. A number of Asian,north American and Europeann o n - g ove r n m e n t a lorganizations were also
represented in the conference.
For further information, pleasecontact: The May 18 Memorial
Foundation

May 18 Memorial Culture Hall,
Seo-gu Ssangchondong 1268,
Postcode 502-260 Gwangju,
Republic of Korea; ph (8262)
457-0518; fax (8262) 456-0519;
www.518.org/eng; or Korea
Human Rights Foundation, 4/F,
Seomoon Bldg. 368-22,
Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul,
South Korea 121-893; ph (82-2)
363-0601 (office); fax (82-2)
363-0208; Khrf99@gmail.com;
www.humanrights.or.kr.
TSF South Asia Regional
Workshop
The Technical Support Facility(TSF) South Asia held the South
Asia Regional Workshop on 2730 June 2011 in New Delhi forcapacity development ofconsultants and implementerson delivering quality technicalassistance for advancing humanrights and gender equality fort h e H I V r e s p o n s e . Th e
workshop had the objective ofbuilding the capacity of
consultants by equipping themwith tools and resources needed
as gender consultants. The
workshop introduced theconsultants to key issues ingender and human rights for
HIV response and then thes p e c i fi c s k i l l s b a s e d o nengendering national strategicplans (NSPs) and integrating
gender in Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM)
p r o p o s a l s . T h e s p e c i fi cobjectives of this workshop
were: 1) Create a cadre ofpromising and functioning
gender and HIV consultants; 2)
P r ov i d e p a r t i c i p a n t s w i t h

14practical tips and hands-on
skills in developing andunderstanding some key tools
particularly relating toengendering NSPs andintegrating gender into GFATM
proposals; 3) Increase the poolof consultants who are female,men having sex airh men(MSM), and transgender people.
Tw e n t y - e i g h t c o n s u l t a n t s
participated in the workshop.
For further information, pleasecontact: TSF-South Asia
Secretariat, Ranibari Marga #86, Lazimpat, Kathmandu,
Nepal; ph (977-1) 4426792,
4433902; fax (977-1) 4439643;
e-mail: info@tsfsouthasia.org;
pemu.bhutia@actionaid.org;
w w w. t s f s o u t h a s i a . o r g /advertisement/add_new.php
Meeting of the Asian Society ofInternational Law
The Asian Society ofInternational Law will hold is
3rd Biennial Meeting in Beijing
on 27-28 August 2011 with thetheme “Asia and International
Law: A New Era.” The meeting
will explore the many issues
confronting the peoples of Asiaand the international
community more generally. The
topics to be addressed include,b r o a d l y, h u m a n r i g h t s ,international economic law andprivate international law, thelaw of the sea, development
and the environment,international law relating tosecurity and conflict, and thehistory and theory ofinternational law. A panel will
be devoted to the crucial issue

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC

JUNE 2011 VOLUME 64

of the teaching anddissemination of internationallaw in Asia. The conference will
explore Asian state practice,regional developments and the
Asian traditions of internationallaw, and the ways in which
Asian societies are attempting toformulate and adapt
international law to meet theirneeds and their growing
economies. At the same time,
the conference will examine
developments in internationallaw more broadly. Both Asianand international perspectives
on the selected topics arewelcome, as it is only wheninternational lawyers are fully
conscious of the changing
international politicalenvironment, and truly
understand the economic needs
and social conditions of both
the developed and developingworld that they can genuinely
facilitate the creation of asystem which helps ensure

equal opportunities and mutual
benefits for all parties and thus
contribute towards achieving
the great and enduring goals ofinternational law: global justice,peace, and prosperity. For
further information, pleasecontact: Chinese Society ofInternational Law, 24 Zhanlan
Road, Xicheng District, Beijing
100037 China; ph (86-10)
68323096; (8160) 68314018; email: secretariat@csil.cn;
www.csil.cn.

Children’s participation

Ms. Edelweiss F. Silan is theRegional Cross-borderP r o g r a m m e D i r e c t o r, M s .
Sucharat Satharpornanon is theRegional Programme Assistant,and Mr. Chakkrid Chansang is
the Regional Advocacy
Coordinator in the Asia Regional
Office of Save the Children UK.

bour Club work from 1982 to
1998, under the Child Labour
Project, Foundation for Child
Development.
3 Quoted from Capacity Building
Workshop on Strengthening
Meaningful and Ethical Participation of Girls and Boys (Kathmandu: UNICEF and Save theChildren Sweden, 2007), page73.
4 See the website of Children's
Development Khazana in
www.cdk.co.in/cdk_presence.php.
5 Ibid.,inwww.cdk.co.in/cdk_objectives.p
hp.
6 Ibid.,inwww.cdk.co.in/lifeeducation.php.
7 Telephone interview with Redo
De Leon, President of OK
Negros, June 2011
8 See Southeast Asia Coalition to
Stop the Use of Child Soldiers(SEASUCS) and the Philippine
Coalition to Protect Children
Involved in Armed Conflict (Protect CIAC), Preventing Children's
Involvement in Armed Conflicts
in the Philippines: A Mapping ofPrograms and Organizations(Quezon city: Southeast Asia
Coalition to Stop the Use ofChild Soldiers and the Philippine Coalition to Protect Children Involved in Armed Conflict), page 21.

(Continued from page 13)
human beings with equal rights
and dignity and potentials asadults, there is a need to invest
more time, more effort, andmore faith in facilitating
meaningful partnerships withchildren and engaging thembetter in the work on humanrights education, in addressing
discrimination, poverty andsocial issues, in improvingsocial services, and inpromoting peace and justice.
Perhaps better strategies can be
designed to help achievetargets.
The bigger challenge though isin weaving the principles ofrespect for children’s dignity,
integrity, and competence in
day-to-day life, placing them infocus, listening to them, andhonestly considering what they
say and what they can do. If thiscan be done in day-to-day
interaction with children,
perhaps this can also be done in
the more serious matters that
adults are responsible for.

For further information, pleasecontact: Edel F. Silan, Save theChildren UK, Asia Regional
Office, 14th floor Maneeya
Center Bldg., 518/5 Ploenchit
Road, Lumpini, Patumwan,
Bangkok 10330 Thailand; ph(66-2) 6841291, 6520518 to 20
ext
304;
email:
edel@savethechildren.or.th;
www.savethechildren.org.uk.

Endnotes
1

2

Quoted from the editorial ofChild Workers in Asia newsletter,volume 1, no.1, July -Sept 1985,
http://asiasociety.org/policy-polit
ics/social-issues/human-rights/ch
ild-workers-asia.
Chompoonuj Klomklom, Coordinator of the Center of Concern
for Child Labour between
11982-1986, quoted in Child
Labour Club for Working Children: A summary of Child La-

15

HURIGHTS OSAKA Calendar

DE
AU
OSAKA

ST
PO

BUR
E

HURIGHTS OSAKA has published a pilot version of a booklet on business and human rights entitledRespecting the Dignity of People (in Japanese language). The booklet is expected to be used by theemployees of business enterprises at human rights training seminars or workshops. The booklet refers to
the recent development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) theories and international standards
and guidelines on the business activities, in particular their impacts on human rights. Based on
feedbacks from various interest groups and business enterprises in Japan, the final version of thebooklet will be published by the end of 2011.

JAPON

TAXE PERCUEPRINTED MATTERAIR MAIL

May be opened for inspection by the postal service.

HURIGHTS OSAKA, inspired by the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, formally opened in December 1994. lt has the following goals: 1) to promote human rights
in the Asia- Pacific region; 2) to convey Asia-Pacific perspectives on human rights to the international
community; 3) to ensure inclusion of human rights principles in Japanese international cooperative activities; and 4) to raise human rights awareness among the people in Japan in meeting its growing internationalization. In order to achieve these goals, HURIGHTS OSAKA has activities such as Information Handling, Research and Study, Education and Training, Publications, and Consultancy Services.
FOCUS Asia-Pacific is designed to highlight significant issues and activities relating to human rights in
the Asia-Pacific. Relevant information and articles can be sent to HURIGHTS OSAKA for inclusion in thenext editions of the newsletter.
FOCUS Asia-Pacific is edited by Osamu Shiraishi, Director of HURIGHTS OSAKA.
Sender:

HURIGHTS OSAKA(Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center)
3F, piaNPO, 2-8-24 Chikko Minato-ku Osaka 552-0021 Japan
Phone: (816)6577-3578
Fax: (816)6577-3583
E-mail: webmail@hurights.or.jp Web site: http://www.hurights.or.jp

HURIGHTS OSAKA