20-year Retrospective of CWIN Action

1987:

CWIN was established by a group of student activists of Tribhuvan University to protect children living and working in conditions of risk and to recognize the child as an integral part of an adult dominated society. In its first year, CWIN translated the draft UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Nepali and began to make people aware about the basic rights of the child through its advocacy programme. It began pioneer research, surveys and studies on the issues of child labour and street children. Voice of Child Workers, the first magazine in Nepal dedicated to the rights of child and the issue of child labour, was started.

1988:

Despite being a new organization, CWIN initiated activities to support children; it carried out several small research and survey activities on various aspects of child labour in Kathmandu Valley. With the cooperation of Redd Barna-South Asia, CWIN completed a field study in Calcutta looking at young women and children who were initially trafficked into India from Nepal.

In order to exchange thoughts, foster communication and strengthen and empower the child rights movement, CWIN organised the First South Asian Seminar-Workshop on Working Children. This provided an opportunity to discuss salient issues like child servitude, socio-economic slavery, the rights of the child, violations of children’s human rights and other urgent child-related issues at a regional level. The workshop was concluded with the formation of the South Asian Forum on the Rights of the Child, the first networking group in South Asia of its kind.

1989:

CWIN actively participated in the pro-democracy movement (PDM) and played a very significant role in information dissemination and in gaining international support for the people’s movement. In the same year, the Street Children Support and Socialisation Programme, more popularly known as the Common Room, was established for the first time in Nepal. This program created a place for street children to meet friends, play games and attend various activities like literary classes and indoor games. It offered medical support, a saving deposit locker programme and distributed clothes. CWIN appealed to the prime minister to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Child to give the children of Nepal welfare, progress and justice.

1990:

CWIN worked as a reporter of child right violations during the PDM, protested against the arrest and torture of children and appealed for international solidarity on the restoration of children’s rights in Nepal. In response to their appeal, many international organisations sent protest letters urging the government of Nepal to respect child rights.

At a state level, CWIN organised a series of public opinion mobilization programs to incorporate the basic needs and rights of children into the newly framed constitution. It led a delegation to the Constitution Recommendation Commission and submitted a 10-point programme to safeguard children’s rights in the proposed constitution. CWIN became the first NGO to appeal to His Majesty’s Government for the ratification of the UN Convention on the Children’s rights and organized several campaigns, including a public signature campaign, to do this.

At the start of the year CWIN translated the English version of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Nepali for UNICEF. 1990 also saw numerous materials published on child labour and the rights of a child; the publications included: four issues of Voice of Child Workers, Lost Childhood and Mero Katha (a comic book featuring a child worker’s story), posters on the rights of a child, and stickers advocating the education campaign for children.

Two brief survey studies were carried out – the first on domestic child labour and the second on children working in a stone quarry. In addition, detailed research was carried out on the street children of Kathmandu and published as a booklet titled Lost Childhood. Research was also done on children working in the tea estates of Nepal.

A number of programmes were developed for children; CWIN started the Educational Support Programme (ESP) for approximately 40 underprivileged children. A participatory program called, Friends of CWIN was established; it aimed to raise social-consciousness for future generations and find ways to tackle the causes of the exploitation and harm children face.

1991:

Prior to the upcoming elections, CWIN initiated a National Election Campaign for Child Rights and appealed to all political parties to make a commitment to work for the rights of the children. A national level Voters Awareness Programme was organised to bring the issues of children into the political agenda. CWIN tried to educate voters and motivate them to question political parties on their plans and programme for children before voting. A 10-point programme on the rights of the child was also advocated throughout the country.

CWIN published the first research-based book on the trafficking of girls in Nepal entitled “Trafficking in Girls in Nepal: Realities and Challenges’ and started publication of Bal Sarokar, a bi-monthly Nepali newsletter. The completion of the detailed research study on children working in Nepal’s tea estates culminated in a report, which was published and which disclosed the actual situation of child workers as well as children whose parents worked in the tea estates. Thus CWIN initiated the formation of Child Concerned Committees to implement programs that would benefit these children and provide education to working children.

CWIN officially registered under both SSNCC (Social Service National Coordination Council) and Chief District Office (CDO) as a child’s rights activist and advocacy organization.

1992:

The elected members of parliament were congratulated on their success in the elections and were urged to fulfill the commitments they made to children prior to elections. They were briefed about the situation of children and the problems they faced in addition to Nepal’s commitment to the UN/CRC. The 1992 draft Children’s Act, which CWIN had a role in preparing, was also discussed and they were urged to adopt it.

On 6 April, during demonstrations organized by the Nepal Unity Centre, numerous children were shot by the country’s own security forces and CWIN protested against the Government of Nepal, a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, for ignoring its international commitment. CWIN brought out a special issue of its quarterly Magazine the Voice of Child Workers to pay tribute to children who were killed during the demonstrations.

During the year, CWIN started a literacy programme in the mountain village of Mahankal in Sindhupalchok district. In Kathmandu, a three-day health camp for street children was organised in the Common Room in Kathmandu; its objective was to check the health of the street children of Kathmandu and to create a health profile of the street and squatter children.

Similarly, a one-day health camp for carpet factory workers was also organized; the medical team included pediatricians, ENT specialists, gaenochologists, a surgeon and health assistants. Health checkups and medicine distribution was free of cost. CWIN undertook the first comprehensive action research on the situation and problems of child labour in the carpet factories.

1993:

This year there was a broad emphasis on implementing the CRC and the 1992 Children’s Act. More specifically, CWIN organised a major study on children at risk: street children, young victims of trafficking and prostitution, children working in different sectors and children in the squats, in jails and in debt bondage were all focused on.

The reports were published to increase public awareness and to urge HMG/Nepal to provide support, rehabilitation and empowerment for the survivors. In the same year, CWIN played a significant role for the establishment of the Children at Risk Net-Working Group (CAR-NWG), an alliance of NGO’s working for the children living in the most difficult circumstances.
CWIN also actively participated in the formation of the Women Defend Pressure Group and helped prepare the Sankalpa Prastab (memorandum) against rape, trafficking of girls and child marriage in the House of Representatives.

CWIN introduced two literacy programmes in areas of high risk for girl trafficking and for working children in tea estates in eastern Nepal. Due to heavy monsoon and a disastrous flood, which killed and displaced many Nepalese, NGOs, including CWIN, formed a joint front for relief action. Medical personnel and other volunteers were sent to Sarlahi and Makawanpur.

Likewise, theatre was successfully used as a tool to convey a social message - a stage drama performed by rag pickers along with the renowned Aarohan Group presented all aspects of their lives and was staged for six days with a house full on each day.

In 1993 a group of 14 Belgians affiliated to Chantiers Jeunes Pour le Development, an organisation in Belgium, which provide young people an opportunity to participate in projects in developing countries, came to Kathmandu and built an extension to CWIN’s Common Room and involved themselves with the children and played various games and sports.

1994:

This year there was a continued focus by NGO’s and the Government on the welfare, development and rehabilitation of children living and working in high-risk conditions, and CWIN participated in the activities of the Children at Risk Net-Working Group (CAR-NWG).

Several political forums were organised during the mid-term elections to ensure the rights of the child in Nepal; a special political forum of the representatives of the national political parties was brought into the Political Interaction Forum, in order to encourage the parties to make commitments on the rights of the child in Nepal.

CWIN also introduced several new projects: the CWIN Children’s Home, a transit centre for children at risk; Balika, a programme for girls at risk; and the CWIN Social Marketing Programme as a fund raising initiative. To encourage the reading, listening, and concentration skills of street and slum children, a library was opened in the Common Room along with indoor games.

CWIN, in close cooperation with the Public Health Concerned Trust (PHECT-NEPAL), organized a three-day primary health care and first aid training for carpet workers of Chabahil, Kathmandu. The programme was developed to provide factory workers with general knowledge about basic health care, give practical training in the administration of first aid and to inspire them to make regular use of a first aid box, which was supplied to each factory involved in the training. A similar programme was organised for the carpet workers in Jorpati and Boudhha area.

Anti-Slavery International (ASI), with the co-operation of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, launched its new book, Child Labour in Nepal, in Geneva. The book described many issues involving child labour including how urban migration in Nepal led to an increased exploitation of child labour and was jointly published with CWIN as it drew on research carried out by CWIN.

1995:

1995 saw a greater commitment from the state to the issue of child labour; CWIN president Mr. Gauri Pradhan called Prime Minister Manamodhan Adhikari to discuss the problem of the child labour and children at risk, and submitted a paper on the elimination of child labour and of children in servitude. As a result, the Prime Minister asked his advisors to go through the recommendations and submit a report on the solution of child labour problem and said he was ready to fulfill his commitment to eliminate the exploitation child laborers face.

Similarly, CWIN submitted a letter of memorandum to the chairperson of the Citizenship High Commission to draw the government’s attention to the fact that street children were deprived of their right to nationality. Since the vast majority of street children neither live with their parents nor own any paternal property they are deprived of their basic right to name and nationality. The concerned authority assured CWIN that it would give priority to the issue of children at risk to guarantee their right to name and nationality.

This year, CWIN introduced CWIN Centre for Girl Children at Risk, CWIN Skill Education and another transit home. A training programme for children at risk was started and a new Socialisation Centre for street children and children at risk in Pokhara, Kaski district was set up. Advocacy on the rights of the child through teachers, social workers and trade unions was initiated. The same year, CWIN completed its survey study on children at risk in Pokhara, which involved observation, interaction, discussion and interviews with 50 working children representing eight sectors of labor. CWIN also conducted a survey-research on urban domestic child labour in the Kathmandu Valley. It initiated the formation of the National Labour Academy with several trade unions and human rights organisations of Nepal.

The CWIN Girl Child department (BALIKA) collaborated with PHECT-Nepal to start a community awareness programme for child health by setting up a number of welfare programmes in the villages. As part of the survey and research programme, BALIKA organized a wide-scale study on child marriage, which focused on the Terai region where incidents of child marriage are highest, and aimed to raise public awareness on the harm of child marriage.

Established with initial support from CWIN, the Children’s Library called Lu Niva or the Rising Sun was formally opened on May 27, 1995 in Khkana village, Lalitpur. From the beginning of 1995, as a part of a capacity building process and income generation for livelihood, CWIN initiated the Skill Education and Training Programme for street children, children of squatter areas and other destitute and helpless children. CWIN partnered with the Australian Embassy in Nepal to run a Health Clinic for street and child workers in Kathmandu.

A group of eight young volunteers of Chantiers Juenes, a Belgian NGO, started a new community development project with CWIN in Lapilang village, Dolkha district. With the support of these volunteers, CWIN built a health center in the village, which previously had only a closed homeopathic dispensary. The volunteers worked with the villagers carrying stones, making the foundation of the building and living and learning with the community.

1996:

CWIN was nominated for the National Steering Committee on the Elimination of Child Labour and also for the National High Level Task Force on the Child Development. It coordinated the South Asian Child Workers’ March against child servitude in Nepal. The March was a huge success which could bring attention of stakeholders on the issues of child labour exploitation throughout the South Asian Region.

CWIN this year filed the first legal case against child servitude in court in favor of a tortured domestic child worker. CWIN conducted a case study based survey on child marriage and a study on the rape of minors in Nepal.

1997:

On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, CWIN organised a national symposium on the roles of different stakeholders and their commitment towards children. Leaders from two major political parties of Nepal - Former Prime Ministers Hon’ble Manmohan Adhikary from UML and Hon’ble Girija Prasad Koirala from the Nepali Congress joined the symposium as distinguished guest speakers.

CWIN also published the first annual issue of the State of the Rights of the Child in Nepal. In addition, several publications based on in depth research were produced like: Tempo Conductor Child Labour in Nepal, Unfair and Exploitative Labour Relations, Up-dating Situation and Problem of Street Children and Juvenile Justice in Nepal: A Case Study. A number of advocacy and training programmes were also conducted focusing on child rights and child labour.

The emphasis placed on the importance of child participation led CWIN to organize a children’s meeting, which led to the creation of a Child Rights Forums in rural and urban areas.

1998:

In 1998 there was another breakthrough for CWIN. It established its central office consisting of information, training and administrative centres. A website, www.cwin-nepal.org (now www.cwin.org.np) was also launched with comprehensive information about CWIN and child rights issues.

This year, CWIN concentrated on the monitoring of the CRC and promoting child participation. In order to advocate the importance of child participation in the child rights movement, CWIN facilitated Child Rights Forums in 10 districts.

On the occasion of the International Child Rights Day and CWIN’s 12th anniversary, CWIN launched the first helpline system for children at risk in Nepal, called CWIN Helpline 271000 to help protect children at risk through emergency relief and counseling services. Over the year, CWIN introduced some innovative and action based programs to continue its efforts; it established CWIN Center, a student Hostel for children at risk and CWIN Local Action, a knowledge-based programme against alcohol and drug use.

In order to strengthen its capability and proficiency in action, CWIN also restructured and redesigned programs such as CWIN information and Resource Center, CWIN Health Clinic, and CWIN Center for Children at Risk.

1999:

On the occasion of the 13th anniversary of International Child Rights Day and CWIN’s 13th anniversary, CWIN established a blood bank for children at risk. CWIN also founded a Contact Centre for migrant children at risk and completed a survey-research, which analysed trafficking, migrant child labour and child labour in the bidi (local tobacco) industry.

This year, CWIN organised 115 community-level programs, helped in the emergency relief of 1682 children, gave medical aid to 3296 children and sponsored the education of 1026 children. Also, 339 children at risk were rehabilitated, reunited with their families and given opportunities for skill development trainings. And, 122 sick children were admitted and given medical treatment at hospitals and at CWIN Health Clinic.

At a state level, CWIN organised an election campaign to make the political parties sensitive towards child rights. This year CWIN launched another campaign comprised of lobbying, pressure and legal action against child sex abuse and paedophiles to ensure that the rights of the child are safeguarded.

CWIN took strong actions against paedophiles and helped the Nepal Police arrest one of the paedophiles raid hand. A paedophile kidnapped three children, whoc gave testimony against him from the playground of CWIN Centre for Children at Risk. Fortunately, the Nepal Police with CWIN’s assistance arrested the criminals involved and rescued the kidnapped children. CWIN urged HMG/N to take future actions to combat commercial sexual abuse in the country and appealed internationally against paedophilia in Nepal.

CWIN’s advocacy programme focused on the adoption of the ILO Convention on the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour, which led to lobbying for the adoption of Child Labour Bill in the parliament, and focused discussions on the role of education in reducing child labour.

As an integral part of the broader human rights movement in Nepal, CWIN actively participated in fact-finding missions on several incidents of human rights violations regarding the CPN (Maoist) initiated Janayuddha (People’s War). It also played a part in pressure programmes for the formation of the announced Human Rights Commission and formation of the Alliance for Human Rights and Social Justice (ALLIANCE).

2000:

The beginning of the year 2000 was a rewarding moment for CWIN; the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), globally recognised and honoured CWIN’ President Mr. Gauri Pradhan as one of the world’s leaders working for the best interests of children.

On the occasion of 11th International Child Rights Day, CWIN and the Central Child Welfare Board jointly organised a review workshop - Decade of Ratification of UN CRC: Implementation and Achievements of Our Commitment, where a report on the issue was presented. CWIN also released a ‘small book’ to popularise the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which has been cited as the smallest book in Nepal.

Over the year, CWIN also conducted 50 different trainings on various issues of child rights in different districts of Nepal.CWIN also conducted a national workshop and training on Medico Psycho-social Counselling for Sexually Abused and Exploited Children and Youth in cooperation with UNESCAP and World Education Nepal. To promote child participation, a National Workshop on Young People’s Participation Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation was organised. CWIN also published a booklet entitled Our Rights, Our Responsibilities and a briefing kit on the role of District Child Welfare Boards.

An emphasis was placed on CWIN’s campaign to end child labour through meaningful education. Various trainings, orientations and workshops were conducted on this theme, as well as a street drama which was performed in schools and public places. Under the community support programme, CWIN worked with volunteer groups and communities in construction of school buildings in Kalleri village of Dhading district and Kolma village of Syangja district; 17 such projects in needy areas in different parts of the country have been completed since 1993.

2001:

CWIN continued its participation in the Global Campaign for Education via the Global March against Child Labour Movement. They jointly launched and facilitated the UN Day to Stop Child Trafficking on 23 August 2001 in Kathmandu.

CWIN initiated a campaign for child tempo conductors in cooperation with trade unions, entrepreneurs, concerned governmental bodies and the traffic police. This lead to the formation of a joint working committee comprising of CWIN, SWC, the traffic police, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Children, GEFONT, Trade Union Congress, Micro Bus Business Association, Safa Tempo Business Association and Gas Transportation Business Federation.

For the 12th International Child Rights Day and CWIN Day, CWIN organised various programmes with children at risk. On 19 November, a Street Children’s Friendly Football Match was set up among children living on the streets. Habitat International Coalition (HIC) and CWIN jointly organised a Regional Workshop on Children’s Housing Rights in Kathmandu. Also to mark this occasion, CWIN and the Central Child Welfare Board jointly organised a national workshop on the role of childcare centres in protecting child rights. Forty-five childcare homes from 16 districts participated in the workshop, which concluded with the formation of a national network of childcare homes called Children’s Home Net. CWIN also released a book on the management of childcare homes in order to ensure the protection of children’s rights.

To commemorate the 34th National Children’s Day, a unique event, the Children’s Mural on Cloth was organised. The theme was ‘Say Yes for Children’ and 150 children from different working backgrounds, physically challenged children and school children took part in the mural by drawing paintings on 10 themes of the campaign. CWIN also collected pledge forms from the public to ‘Say Yes for Children’.

Two young people from CWIN attended the 2nd World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children held in Yokohama, Japan in December 2001. To promote children’s views in the National Plan of Action against trafficking, CWIN, in collaboration with the ILO’s Kathmandu office, organised a national consultative workshop with children to review the National Plans of Action Against Trafficking in Children. Child participants from 21 districts came up with 25 different suggestions to be incorporated into the National Plan of Action.

CWIN also organised Saha Srijana another unique programme promote children’s participation in literature for children. Renowned poets and writers created literature on the paintings made by children. This new initiative gave the poets and children a chance to understand each other’s aspirations and art. CWIN, with UNICEF-Nepal, organised a stage show to celebrate Meena Day to release the 14th episode of the Meena cartoon series on domestic child labour and to sensitize the public on the issues of girls through the Meena series.

This year, CWIN actively involved itself in lobbying for the paper concerning children in 10th five-year plan to have a rights-based approach. CWIN conducted 60 different training and orientation programmes during this period for important stakeholders such as teachers, political party members, police officers, trade unionists, social workers, students, journalists, government workers, etc to enhance human resource development in the field of child rights. In addition, a three-day training workshop was organized on child rights and child participation for teachers and facilitators of child clubs in the Sunsari and Morang districts. CWIN also organised a follow-up training to the national workshop and training on Medico Psycho-social Counselling for Sexually Abused and Exploited Children and Youths in cooperation with UNESCAP.CWIN’s Local Action Programme released a research report Alcohol and Drug Use in Nepal: With Reference to Children. It also carried out action research on child sex abuse in Nepal with the aim of identifying the magnitude of sexual abuse amongst school children and children in especially difficult circumstances.

As a member of the human rights community, CWIN was actively involved in defending human rights in the country and advocating the importance of protecting children. It was involved in the peace building, which aimed to find solutions for the armed conflict, through the human rights alliances and forums such as the Peoples Committee for Peace-Dialogue (Janastariya Santi-Barta Samiti).

2002:

2002 was the 15th anniversary of CWIN and a musical album - Aasha Ka Kiranharu(Lights of Hope) was produced to promote children’s issues through popular songs. CWIN participated in ‘Peace for Children’, a national campaign with Bal Chetna Samuha and Milijuli Nepal, and collected 100 000 signatures of children and submitted them to the Prime Minister with an appeal to restore peace for children.

To continue its efforts to strengthen child rights issues, CWIN initiated and facilitated: Street-Net; a network of NGO’s working with street children and Community-Net; a network of community organizations and community police. This year, CWIN also published Children’s Forum in children’s literary magazines, Muna and Sunkeshra.

CWIN organised a meeting with representatives of political parties to influence their commitment to children in their election manifesto. A report on alcohol and drug use among street children in Nepal was published and research was carried out on glue sniffing among street children in Nepal. To address the burning issue of children in conflict, CWIN published a book, Effect of Armed Conflict on Children in Nepali, which was written by Mr. Gauri Pradhan.

For the promotion of children’s right to participate, CWIN facilitated the formation of 255 Child Rights Forums in 23 districts, which provided a platform for 37 400 children to participate. Dalit Jagaran Manch and CWIN jointly organized a national meeting on the rights of dalit children, followed by a campaign against the social discrimination of children. In collaboration with AHURA Bhutan, Lumanti and HIC, CWIN organized a children’s workshop on housing rights and children; the children’s declaration from the workshop was presented in the UNGASS by a female Bhutanese refugee.

CWIN started Adolescent Education classes for empowerment of girls from slum and urban poor areas.

2003:

On the issues of child sexual abuse, CWIN published a report entitled Silent Suffering based on research in Kathmandu Valley and started research on child sexual abuse in four other districts in different regions. CWIN Alcohol, drugs and Development organised a national workshop entitled Alcohol Use and Nepali Society: Reflection on Children. It also produced a directory of organisations working on the issues of alcohol, tobacco and drug use.

CWIN established a helpline (535700) in Biratnagar and an empowerment and socialization programme for street children and children at risk, which was named Hamro Sajha Thalo, in Kathmandu. A book titled Saha Srijana was published as a joint creation of children and renowned writers to promote children’s participation in literature for children. The number of Child Rights Forums increased to 270 in 30 districts with involvement of more than 50,000 child members.

On the occasion of its 16th anniversary, CWIN felicitated its staff and volunteers who had been working for CWIN for more than ten years as well as media persons who had contributed to the child rights movement in Nepal. A blood donation program was also organised and adolescent girls from CWIN BALIKA arranged a discussion programme on the role of adolescent girls to combat violence against girls.

2004:

2004 was an inspiring year for CWIN; President Mr. Gauri Pradhan was appointed the Chairperson of the Central Child Welfare Board (CCWB) – the first appointment of a member of civil society instead of a minister. Under the convenorship of Mr. Pradhan, CCWB formulated National Plans of Action for children for the first time in Nepal. CWIN played an important role to ensure participation of children from all five development regions in the process of this policy making.

CWIN conducted a campaign, ‘Exploitation to Education’, with CIRCLE projects in 10 districts of Nepal to promote education for working children and brought various advocacy materials to support this campaign. Research called ‘No More Suffering: Child Sexual Abuse in Nepal’, with reference to four districts was carried out with UNICEF-Nepal. And, in cooperation with FORUT Norway, CWIN Local Action completed research on the impact of an anti-alcohol campaign in Rolpa, Rukum and Salyan.

On the occasion of CWIN's 17th anniversary, CWIN organised a massive peace rally in Kathmandu to promote "Children as Zones of Peace" and place emphasis on building peace for children.

The ‘Children Are Zones of Peace ’ campaign was extended to 32 districts. Hundreds of social workers and peace workers, from different parts of the country, were trained on the issue of children in conflict. CWIN also extended humanitarian assistance to children affected by armed conflict in remote districts such as Mugu and Bhojpur. A Peace Hostel for Boys, partnership with Plan-Nepal and ICRC, was started in Kathmandu for children associated with armed groups and armed forces. CWIN continued its programmes in Rolpa, Rukum and Salyan to protect the rights of children in armed conflict. Similarly, CWIN extended support to different organisations working on the issues of children in conflict as a resource organisation.

A CWIN representative presented an alternative report to the UN CRC Committee in Geneva, which raised issues like the abuse and exploitation of children, and the situation of children trapped in armed conflict.

The CWIN Website (www.cwin.org.np) was voted among the 50 best websites of Nepal for two consecutive years by Nepalnet.com. CWIN also ran a fortnightly radio programme named "Children are Zones of Peace" with Radio Sagarmatha.

2005:

Democracy and human rights were ignored and curtailed by the state in February 2005, making it yet another challenging year for CWIN and all other rights organisations. CWIN President Mr. Pradhan was arrested at the airport upon returning from a child rights meeting abroad. The Supreme Court of Nepal released Mr. Pradhan after CWIN-Nepal and National Human Rights Alliance filed a writ petition under habeas corpus as his detention was illegal.

CWIN Alcohol, Drug and Development (ADD) completed a study called, Anti-Alcohol Campaign and its Impact on Children and Impact of Alcohol and Tobacco Advertisements on Children and launched it amidst a national meeting with celebrities and media in Kathmandu. The CWIN Street Theatre Group, a young people’s theatre group, organised street performances in various districts to raise awareness and advocate the importance of education to reduce child labour and the harm in using tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

CWIN published a book on child protection in Nepal and an advocacy book on child labour and Education in Nepal entitled Balsharam Ra Sikchha. CWIN made interventions for the prevention and control of child labour exploitation through its campaign programme, Exploitation to Education under the CWIN-CIRCLE project. This year, CWIN CIRCLE Programme produced a TV documentary entitled Seeking the Light of Education, which was broadcasted through national channels in Nepal including Nepal Television. CWIN has also given its support to strengthen the National Forum of Working Children. In May 2005 CWIN actively participated in the eastern regional level Convergence of Working Children and in the South Asian Convergence of the working Children held in Kathmandu in August 2005.

In the year 2005, CWIN with its various programmes, supported more than 12,000 children at risk through socialisation and empowerment programmes, educational support, family reunions, health services, psychosocial support, psychological counselling, skill development and training in life skills. CWIN’s helplines in Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Hetauda rescued many children from various risk situations and empowered them through education and vocational training. Realising the role of religion in the protection and development of children, CWIN organised an interaction programme with religious leaders, scholars and child rights activists to reinforce role of religion in children’s’ development. CWIN also extended its work in seven of the slum communities in Kathmandu. By the end of the year a good rapport was built with community groups and an education support group had been formed with representatives from different community based organisations and child clubs. CWIN organised a 3rd winter camp for street children with the aim of protecting them form the cold of the winter season and enhancing their socialisation and empowerment in addition to trying to reunite the children with their families.

CWIN’s Educational Support Programme, in coordination with other departments and centres of CWIN, supported 6112 children for their education. Among them were day labourers, domestic child workers, children at risk, those working in the carpet industry, children residing in slum areas, agricultural workers, street children and rag pickers. CWIN as a member and convenor of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE-Nepal) led Global Action Week and carried out school enrolment campaigns in fifty-eight districts. A national children’s workshop was organised as a part of this week in which child labourers, representatives of child rights forums and general students took part in issuing a declaration reminding different stakeholders of their responsibility to ensure the education of every child and to maintain security in schools. CWIN organised 310 training sessions for schoolteachers, political party members, youth, women and parents’ groups, NGOs/CBOs, child club members, and different user groups on the protection and promotion of child rights in seven districts.

CWIN this year also organised an awareness programmes on child sexual abuse for children and community members in different districts — as a result, peer pressure groups were formed within schools in districts to fight against child sex abuse.

This year CWIN published a book on "Religion and Children" and aother book on "Experiences of Children's Participation". Similarly, for the first time in Nepal CWIn produced audio stories collection called " Bhalu Ko Bagaincha - Bear's Garden"

2006:

The year 2006 created a new horizon for a peaceful and democratic Nepal. The people of Nepal achieved victory over the King’s autocratic regime after a nineteen-day long peaceful protest and demonstration, which started on 6 April 2006. The Pro-democracy people’s movement reinstated the parliament and the nation formally entered the phase of a Constituent Assembly. A ray of hope emerged for all Nepalese as the peace talks between the Seven Party Alliance and the CPN (Maoist) progressed to reinstate human rights and democracy in the country.

As a member of the civil society, CWIN played an important role defending not only children’s rights but also overall human rights in the country. CWIN staff also joined the human rights observers’ team to monitor human rights violations during the people’s movement. A network was formed to safeguard children’s rights during the uprising and CWIN provided shelters to some of the injured children and extended further support to other survivors. The ‘Children are Zones of Peace’ campaign was strengthened nationwide through the community, media, children’s mobilisation, trainings and advocacy. CWIN also continued all its programmes of action in 34 districts focusing on children in conflict, child labour, child sexual abuse, trafficking, street children and other children at risk.

This year under the Micro Project of FORUT ADD, CWIN made a video documentary on the emerging role of children as change agents in society to minimise use of tobacco entitled "Steps Towards Change". Similalry, CWIN started E-Balsarokar, a monthly e-newsletter in Nepali for wider dissemiantion of information on child rights.

In partnership with European Union European Commission Humanitarian Aid (EU ECHO), CWIN established a helpline in Nepalgunj and extended humanitarian assistance to children in conflict in five districts of mid-west Nepal.

A National Consultation Workshop on Child Protection Issues in the Constituent Assembly was organized by CWIN to make children’s voices heard in the constituent assembly; children representing twenty seven districts participated in the programme and the declaration they prepared was given to the concerned parties. Likewise, CWIN organised a National Working Girls’ Forum where working girls from 15 districts gathered to discuss their issues and submitted memorandum to concerned authorities for improving situation of working girls in Nepal.

Global Action Week 2006 was organised with a theme of ‘Every Child needs a Teacher’. During Global Campaign for Education (GCE) action week, a canvas painting on the theme organised. 36 school going children and 19 working children from different centres took part in creating the painting. On the occasion of its 19th Anniversary, CWIN organised a national interaction programme on Role of Stakeholders in Protecting Children. Its partners, Save the Children Norway-Nepal (SCNN), Plan Nepal GRT-Italy and FORUT- Norway (Solidarity for Development) were honoured for their support and solidarity for a more than a decade. Singer and Musician Mr. Ramesh was also honoured for pioneering children’s songs in Nepal.

2007:

2007 marks 20 years of CWIN. After the end of the 12-year-old armed conflict, CWIN focused its activities on peace and children. It organised public hearings and consultations with national stakeholders on the subject of ‘Children as Zones of Peace in a Changed Context’. It also revised the concept of ‘Children as Zones of Peace in Changed Context’ and distributed the concept paper nationwide. This year CWIN launched a new campaign entitled ‘Lets Build New Nepal with Children’ to give due importance to children’s voices regarding the issues affecting them in the Constituent Assembly. Various consultations were organised with different sectors of society including, the political parties, their student’s and women’s wings; human rights and child rights organisations, children’s organisations and clubs, and civil society organisations like the federations of teachers, trade unions, indigenous and nationalities, etc. The campaign received overwhelming solidarity and response from all concerned.

For its 20th anniversary, CWIN organised a national symposium entitled “Respect for Child Rights while Building a New Nepal” where the top leadership of major political parties of Nepal- Mr. Madhav Nepal, General Secretary of the CPN (UML) and Mr. Prachanda, Chairperson of the CPN (Maoist) were present as distinguished guest speakers. The programme was graced by the Rt. Honourable Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Girija Prasad Koirala as the chief guest. On the occasion, CWIN’s Founder President Mr. Gauri Pradhan was honoured for his remarkable contribution in human rights and initiating the child rights movement in Nepal in 1987 with the inception of Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN-Nepal). On the same occasion child clubs contributing for strengthening children’s participation in Nepal were also honoured. CWIN also launched a video documentary, a multi-media CD and a booklet on its Two Decades of Action For Children, with Children.

This year, CWIN’s Peace Home and the Boys Peace Hostel worked towards family reunions for many of the children who were involved in the conflict. It continued its activities on promoting quality education for children in conflict-affected areas. CWIN also addressed the issue of social reintegration of the Children Associated with Armed Forces/Groups (CAAFAG).

Another campaign of CWIN’s focused on the protection of children in transportation sector; CWIN organised consultations of stakeholders Pokhara, Kathmanu, Biratnagar and Hetauda to strengthen the Task Force on Transportation to protect children working in transportation sector. CWIN also initiated a participatory review of its policies on child protection, Gender and Social Inclusion, HRD and Employment. This year, CWIN’s President Mr. Gauri Pradhan was nominated as a member of the advisory committee from Asia to the UN Study on Violence.

CWIN sent a fact finding mission to Kapilvastu District to study the situation of children caught in the ethnic violence that occured in 16 September 2007. CWIN made public the report of the incident and also provided humanitarian assistance for internally displaced children residing in the camps.

To raise awareness of issues of child rights and children at risk, CWIN ran a fortnightly radio programme entitled ‘Bal Chautari’ on Radio Sagarmatha FM. To strengthen its campaigns CWIN also ran radio programmes on Metro FM on various child rights and girl’s issues. CWIN produced video documentaries called Urban Children at risk in Nepal and Problems of Street Children Living with HIV.