Parlements d' Enfants le Concept

THE CONCEPT OF NPC.

General Notion:

 Neighbourhood Parliaments of Children (NPC) are being organized in thousands throughout Tamil Nadu and in other states of India and abroad too.

 NPC is the territorially organized forum of children from about 30 niehgbourhood families irrespective of Caste, Creed, Religion and Social Status. Children in these NPCs take charge of their neighbourhoods and do their bit to help improve the situation around.

 NPC thus give children a forum to participate in governance, beginning from the neighbourhood. These NPCs are federated at the level of the Village, Panchayath, block and the district so as to give greater and greater reach for the children’s voices. Such children’s parliaments help children to dream big as our former president Abdul Kalam encouraged, growing as responsible persons, to develop their talents and leadership potentials and to effectively contribute to the society.

 Children have their own ministers in these neighbourhood parliaments and at the various federated levels as mentioned above, to attend to various concerns that pertain at the respective levels.

“Through these NPCs, children have helped to solve issues that long remained unsolved in villages. They have lots and lots of success stories to tell. Like how they brought new bus routes, new roads, new street lights, new libraries, drinking water facility, re-admit the school dropout children, control child trafficking, stand for the children’s rights and for a human rights as well and concentrate on studies with full confidence, etc. In some places, due to the leadership of children certain villages were declared liquor free. They add life and colour to panchayat councils and gram sabhas who enjoy encouraging the children. We could even say the children in these neighbourhood parliaments end up as role models for the grownups as regards civic participation.

My Doctoral Research proves that these neighbourhood parliaments of children lead for:

1) A Structural Changes (different from that of the present)

2) Promotes Attitudinal Changes. (to be a better and genuine leaders of the future)

3) Promotes Direct Democracy of everybody (Not representative but presence and participation of everybody)”.

We are confident that effective social change for the future of not only India but the whole world where social justice and equality is possible through these children parliaments. These forums will pave way for constructing a society where there will be no Caste, Religious fanaticism, Social status, Racial differences and all the injustices will be rooted out in future, when these little ones come up with the constructive values to create a perfect society. We animate them to march towards these objectives in these forums.