Social Activist Kailash Satyarthi to get 2009 Defender of Democracy Award in US
New Delhi:Social activist Kailash Satyarthi of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan will be presented the
coveted 2009 Defender of Democracy Award by the Parliamentarians for Global Action
(PGA) on Tuesday evening (Oct.20). Satyarthi is the Chairperson of the Global
March Against Child Labour and Founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan “Kailash ji is
being presented this prestigious award for his contribution towards eradication
of child labour in India and also campaigning for it around the world,” Rakesh
Senegar of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) in New Delhi . “This award is given
by Parliamentarians for Global Action. Previously, Helm Johnson Sirles, the President
of Liberia, Ms. Robinson, United Nation’s former High Commissioner for human rights
and Lakhdar Brahimi, former Special Representative of U.N Secretary General of
Afghanistan have been the recipient of this award,” Senegar informed. The awards
ceremony will be held at the United States Library of Congress in Washington D.C.
in conjunction with PGA’s 31st Annual Parliamentary Forum which is being hosted
at the US Congress by PGA’s International Councilor, Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
and its congressional members, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Washington), Rep. Carolyn
Maloney (D-New York) among others. Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) is
a non-profit, non-partisan international network of over 1,300 legislators in
more than 100 elected parliaments around the globe. It aims to promote peace,
democracy, the rule of law, human rights, sustainable development and population
growth issues. PGA is honouring Mr. Satyarthi for his life-long work and commitment
to end child labour in India and around the world, and his global campaign for
education rights for children. Satyarthi gave up his lucrative career as technical
engineer to work for child rights. For nearly three decades, he has campaigned
to end child labour in India and around the world, rescuing over 77,000 bonded
and child labourers. He travelled with many child core marchers for 80,000 kilometers
for the 'global march against child labour'. The global march culminated in Geneva
where the United Nations created an international law against child labour and
the worst forms of child labour, ILO Convention 182. Kailash is the Founder of
Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) Chair of the Global March
Against Child Labour, and the creator of the Rugmark label; the universally recognized
symbol that certifies that rugs have been made without the use of exploitative
child labour.
