POWER TO THE CHILDREN

Children in India have taken their lives into their own hands. They don’t want to tolerate social grievances as well as environmental pollution any longer.
They have been founding children parliaments and electing their own ministers in order to stand up for their rights. They are not only changing their own lives for the better, but also those of their communities.
The film takes the perspective of the children to tell us about the challenges
they have to face in a society that expects them to follow the example of adults.
We will see how these children have opted to take a new path – with determination, courage and creativity.

How do Children Parliaments evolve?

There are two types of Children Parliaments. One is founded by the children; the other is founded by the schools.
This film is only about Children Parliaments which are founded by children.
The initiative usually comes from the local human rights or environmental organisations who first inform the children about their rights. In India, most children are unaware that child rights, such as the right to education, even exist.
The charities explain to the children how democracy works and provide a trustworthy person by their side to support them.
As soon as the children are able to solve their problems by themselves, the supporter leaves, but remains a contact person for the children.

What effect do children parliaments have?

Child marriage
A large proportion of young girls are still being married off in the rural areas of India.
Even in the villages that we see in the film, girls were being married off every year, sometimes as young as 12 years old. The children of both parliaments are proud that they have managed to abolish child marriage completely in their villages. If they find out that a young girl is going to get married, they immediately contact the parents of the girl and explain to them that child marriage is forbidden by law and that girls have a right to education. If the parents do not agree, the children contact CHILD LINE, a governmental organisation that advocates for child rights.

Child labour
The children from both villages in the film have also managed to stop child labour and make sure that all children go to school. If a child does not turn up at school, they ask for an explanation from the parents of the child. In the case of parents forcing their child to work, the children inform them of child rights. If the parents insist that their child works, the Children Parliaments contact CHILD LINE.

Domestic violence and alcoholism
Obedience to parents is given the highest importance in India. If one parent is violent or dependent on alcohol, the children become conflicted. They know they have to follow their parents, but if the father beats them and their mother because of his addiction to alcohol, there will be no protection anymore. They know their rights, but there is no one to protect them. Therefore, they try to help themselves by starting campaigns against alcoholism and violence.

Environmental issues
There is usually no garbage disposal in the rural areas of India.
Villages and whole regions are contaminated with plastic garbage.
In addition, people from the villages burn their plastic waste.
The children from the Children Parliaments understand the connection between global warming and the burning of garbage. They are starting campaigns in their villages to inform the adults who are very often illiterate.

Water – and Electricity supply
The children from the Children Parliaments have learned how democracy works. They know that the mayor of the village is supposed to ensure sufficient drinking water and overcome problems with the sewage.
They also make sure that defective street lights get repaired.
They write petitions and threaten to contact higher authorities in case the mayor forgets his duties.
Countless Children Parliaments have solved water and electricity problems this way.

How did the idea for Children Parliaments come to life?
The NCN (Neighbourhood Community Network), a non-governmental organisation from South India developed the concept of independent children parliaments. Their aim is to make children aware of their rights. Their concept is accepted and used by many local human rights and environmental organisations. Over the years, the NCN has helped set up more than 50,000 children parliaments all over India.

Anna Kersting
author, director and producer; lives in Berlin.

How did the idea for this film come about?
In 2011, while doing research on child labour in India, I heard about Children Parliaments for the first time. Shortly afterwards, I visited a children’s congress in South India.
Over two hundred and fifty children, between 12 and 17 years old, had gathered at a school campus. They were delegates of Children Parliaments from different parts of India. These children spent three days in the shade of big trees, discussing child labour, education, child marriage and domestic violence, looking for solutions till late into the night.

The power and passion of these children touched me so deeply that I decided to make a film about them. I saw the chance of putting an end to child labour and child marriage if children themselves could stand up for their rights.

Coming soon to your cinema