(ANS - Hyderabad) - The members of the Human Rights Clubs are boys and girls who are very busy in their schools and active citizens in local, national and international campaigns. To increase their visibility at national level and tohelp themto develop their leadership skills a national meeting of Human Rights Clubs in schools was held in Navajeevan, near Hyderabad from 21 to 23 February.

By Job Puthenpura

The Human Rights Clubs are promoted by PARA (Popular Action for Rural Awakening) a social initiative of the Salesians in India, and supported by the Institute of Human Rights Education of the United Nations. PARA has so far started 759 Human Rights Clubs in 587 schools, affecting the lives of 32,420 students in the two states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Among the successful initiatives developed by the clubs there is for example the prevention of early marriage. The participants in the meeting reported several cases of prevention implemented in the eleven districts where the clubs are active. There is also the reintegration in educational cycles of students who had dropped out of school, as a result of persuasive actions addressed to the students themselves or their parents.

Another typical activity of club members is the provision of essential services that should always be available in a school: water, food, adequate sanitation and buildings in good condition. In this line the clubs organized meetings for the exchange of ideas to allow students to exercise their "right to participate", which means they can express their views freely and without fear. Not infrequently the principals of schools follow the indications received from the students and see to it that the necessary repairs are done.

Fr George Menamparampil, Director of "Bosconet" in New Delhi, and Fr Thathireddy Vijayabhaskar, Provincial in Hyderabad, took part in several sessions of the National Meeting.

The event gave the members of the clubs new perspectives on how to exercise their leadership and how to make their citizenship concrete and active, following their motto: "We are citizens of today and not tomorrow."

Published 04/03/2016