Journalism of Courage
While discussions are on in Delhi for taking a stand on climate change policy,the future generation children have not been adequately briefed on the situation. What do children from disaster prone areas have to say about the adversities of climate? These and many more queries were raised in the two-day workshop organised by Holistic Child Development India in the city on November 12-13.
The workshop aims at enabling children from different disaster zones in rural areas to come together,express their views on climate change and its impact of their lives,education,health,well-being and livelihood of their parents,how they adapt to climate change and what constraints they face in adaptation,what solutions they can offer and how they can be agents of change were discussed in the two day workshop.
Director N Thomas Rajkumar said the details will be compiled and send to the government in a month’s time. We believe that children being the future will bear the brunt of climate change and will be greatest victims of its impact. Nevertheless they can be very powerful protagonists for positive change and they have the right to participate in policy making concerning climate change and can contribute significantly towards mitigating the ill effects of climate change, he said.
The organisation wants the booklet also distributed at the forthcoming Copenhagen meeting in December. These voices need to be carried across as they are the affected ones, he added. While the 41 children attending the workshop are vocal about their trials and tribulations with nature. Coming from drought prone,and flood affected areas,they have braved all kinds of climate changes. A Class X student, Kosila Kumari from Jharkand,wants the government to provide alternative job opportunities in times of drought. My family suffered a lot. The government should provide alternate employment, says 15-year-old.
Pratiksha Jirate from Dharini in the state said that their area always gets flooded in the rains. There are no dams in the area,’ she says. Ruja Joshi from Sarsa said the government needs to re-work its disaster management system.
