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Hyderabad, 1-2 February 2021: People’s Action for Rural Awakening (PARA), a Salesian-run NGO in Ravulapalem in the province of Hyderabad in its continuing endeavor to promote Human and Child Rights Culture has launched the third phase of human rights education (HRE) with title ““Strengthening and promoting children’s and human rights in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana” in state-run schools, other stakeholders, child centred CBOs of twin states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. PARA, Ravulapalem, which has been running HRE programmes for nearly a decade organized an inaugural on 1st and 2nd February 2021 in Bosco Institute for Research and Development of Youth (BIRDY), Hyderabad with its HRE staff. Fr Vattigunta Ignatius, Director of PARA detailed the context of the project and introduced those present for inaugural, namely, Fr Thathireddy Vijaya Bhaskar sdb, Provincial of Salesian Province of Hyderabad, Fr Maddhichetty Noel sdb, Director of BoscoNet and Fr Bellamkonda Sudhakar sdb, Director, Bosco Seva Kendra (BSK), development office of Salesian Province of Hyderabad. Riding high on its earlier achievement of forming 600 HR clubs, among government school students, networking with line departments and activating VCPCs in the two states, PARA aims to continue to take forward the movement of HRE among school-going children and other allied stakeholders in state-run high schools.
Fr Bellamkonda Sudhakar sdb believed that by diffusing human rights education, knowledge is passed on to the next generation through mentoring, thereby fostering a link mechanism between the mentor and mentees. He recalled the work of Don Bosco and the continuing generations of Salesians, serving as facilitators among children and youth. Fr Sudhakar also recalled that the inaugural was launched just a day after Don Bosco’s Feast, which is celebrated every year on 31st January. “By imparting awareness education on child rights among children in 12 districts of two states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, we are reinforcing Salesian Preventive System as envisaged by Don Bosco.” Fr Maddhichetty Noel sdb stressed the importance of Human Rights Education in the context of Sustainable Development Goals and declining of rank in the Human Development Index. Citing work of civil society organizations globally, he called for a monitoring system to study impact of people growth in every society. “If we are able to make leaders out of children in our villages and schools, then only can we see the impact of HRE.” Fr Thathireddy Vijaya Bhaskar sdb exhorted the need for a perpetual revolution among children and youth to strive for an egalitarian society. He went back in time to his schooling days, drawing examples of thought process among growing up children and their Teacher. He said, “We need an education system that inculcates a quest for inquisitiveness and reasoning among children rather than learning by rote or mere memorization”.
Fr Vattigunta Ignatius, brought forth milestones achieved in HRE programme in the first and second phases, which included training of School Teachers, mentoring children’s group leaders and many school-going children with values of human rights education. He also recalled that PARA had the honour of sending two children to United Nations as child representatives from Khammam and East Godavari. Soon after the inaugural, HRE staff of PARA sat down to discuss the road ahead for 2021 through a staff capacity building/training programme on introduction, planning, monitoring, reporting and evaluating aspects of the project. These were led by Mr R. Venkataswamy, Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator, Mr Anand Babu, Training Coordinator, Mr T. Ramesh, AP State Coordinator and Mr S. Ambedkar, TS State Coordinator.
On second day of the programme, reporting for the previous quarter as well as planning for upcoming quarter were discussed. There was also Fr Parri Sarath sdb, Assistant Director of BSK, who brought out the various facets of development activities that they were involved in among youth and the marginalized. The two-day training concluded on Tuesday with reporting for the previous quarter and planning for the forthcoming quarter.
