In response to Nelson Mandela’s call to keep our governments accountable to their promise of halving poverty by the year 2015 and ending it by 2025, children in India have rallied themselves into a movement called NINEISMINE. The UPA (I) government had promised in its Common Minimum Program to allocate 6% of the GDP for education and 3% for health. These promises best reflect the aim of realizing goals 2(education for all), 3 (gender equality) and 4 (Safe childhood) of the MDGs (United Nations Millennium Developmental Goals). Governance Accountability therefore is the crux of the campaign. Children say ‘Wada Tumara… Haq Humara” (Your Promises, Our Rights) The realization of Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that is the Right to Participation is the root of the campaign. It attempts to provide children (and in particular those in situations of exclusion and deprivation) platforms to engage with their government. It aims at advocacy for children and by the children.
Summary of Activities
An attempt to harness the voices of 5 lakh signatures of children across India Read More
Children – national/international – are to send in photographs expressing their support for the campaign Read More
18th of July – Mandela Day
The Launch of the website www.nineismine.in. Each registration gives the campaign access to Rs 9 from the funds collected
14th of August – Wada Na Todo Diwas
Children wear white headgear to school marked with the NINEISMINE logo or the ‘Promise of 9’ in local languages and invite the local press to publicize their call for 9
9th of September – NINEISMINE Day
Children are invited to rope-in nine more friends / schools / organization / village / towns / personalities / officials / politicians into the campaign.
17th of October – UN End Poverty Day
Children are invited to engage with Members of Parliaments and ask them for their support for quality education and basic health and in particular for 9% of GDP. They ask them to sign the NINEISMINE pledge on official letterheads.
13th of November – The Day of The Deprived Child
Each state is invited to organize a children hearing on the Right to Education while inviting 3 representative testimonies of vulnerable children in their states. These testimonies are filed as cases of neglect at the State Commissioners for the Protection of Child Rights
Nau Kadam Express
Nine Tribal children with disabilities from villages of the North-East of India will travel through 9 states of India by train to reach the National Capital on Child Rights day in the hope of engaging with parliamentarians seeking their support for the call for Nine. Along the way they will engage with children of 9 states using mime and participate in the state Children’s hearings. Read More
20th of November – Child Rights’ Day
Children from various schools are invited to engage with local panchayat members, councilors, Village sarpanch members and state MLAs seeking their state’s support in achieving the promise of 9
30th of January – Public day Celebrations
A Rally of 9 child-representatives from each state will assemble in Delhi a month before the announcement of the National Budget. The format that they would use is that of the Republic Day Parade Read More
27th of February – Budget us in Day (Day Diya Utsav)
Children light candles at significant places in villages and cities in anticipation of the delivery of 9. Interact with the press
1st of April – Anniversary of the Implementation of the Right to Education
Action yet to be finalized.