Location: New Babylon Meeting Center, The Hague
Date: December 8 2015, 19:30-22:00
Entrance: free
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How do you free ten thousands of children from heavy labour? How do you ensure these children know they are not alone? How do you keep children’s right on top of the international political agenda?
If someone knows the answers to these questions, it is Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi. Even though he is not as famous as his fellow winner Malala, his work is by no means less significant. In the 25 years in which he has committed his life to battling child labour he has freed almost 80,000 children from factories and other working places, and has offered them schooling and a life in freedom. A necessary struggle in his native country India, where laws against child labour are often neglected. Therefore, child labour in India is barely decreasing.
Besides his infamous invasions of factories employing children, Satyarthi also promotes children’s rights on a diplomatic level. He is the founder of Global March Against Child Labour, the largest civil society network for exploited children worldwide. Also, he is the initiator of the network Parlementarians Without Borders for Children’s Rights. Currently, House of Representatives Member Roelof van Laar (PvdA) is the president of this association of politicians, who work together with several stakeholders to abolish child labour and slavery both in India and the world as a whole.
On December 8, Satyarthi will speak about his struggle for children’s rights and against child labour in New Babylon Meeting Center in The Hague. Afterwards, there is enough time to ask questions during a Q&A. Roelof van Laar will give an opening speech.