Children as Catalysts of Change

Children's Participation in Rural Development in India

Abstract

The participation of children in bringing about change in their lives as well as the communities they live in is presented here from the experience of The Concerned for Working Children's rural project in the South Kanara district of Karnataka, India. The concept of a children's trade union and its empowerment as a tool for achieving this goal are discussed. The nature of community participation in the rural program is also highlighted, with particular stress on the participation of these communities in decisions which affect their lives, as the basic objective of this project is to empower children and rural communities to lead a self-reliant.