October 23, 2019, Islamabad: Honourable Minister of Law & Justice, Dr. Farogh Naseem in collaboration with Group Development Pakistan launched the ‘Artivism for Child Justice’ campaign for ensuring and enforcing child justice across Pakistan in an event held at Islamabad.
The awareness campaign focuses on child justice using arts as a tool to reach out to people from different socio-economic backgrounds. ‘Artivism’, a concept adopted in consultation with children uses local indigenous arts like truck arts, puppetry, interactive theatre, visual art and musicians to allow ownership of this youth transformative process.
Truck arts, a popular art form is being used as an advocacy tool by painting more than 20 trucks and 30 rickshaws with positive messages on child justice. The children will guide, inform and actively participate in the campaign and will contribute to raising awareness on child justice by connecting artistic activities and by encouraging a model of children’s participation in holding duty-bearers accountable. A model of positive citizenry among children and youth will be promoted via creative and democratic methods.
Speaking at the event honorable Minister Dr. Farogh Naseem said that “This campaign will contribute to raising awareness on the laws that guarantee protection and justice to children and sensitise our population on the improvement we are trying to bring to ensure child sensitive dispensation of justice. We thank the children to help us conduct this awareness and address the pending challenges. We are proud of this collaboration.”
A dialogue between the children and the Minister Dr. Farogh Naseem surfaced the priorities and needs of Pakistani children to be addressed by the policy makers.
The children raised pertinent questions and asked the Honourable Minister how their voice can be heard for ensuring and promoting child justice? They wanted to know when the instruments for child justice and child protection all over Pakistan would be notified:
• Observation homes
• Upscaling and creating more rehabilitation centres and safe spaces for children
• Child protection centres all over Pakistan
A pledge was signed by children, child rights activists, policy-makers, government representatives, civil society, media, and the public at large pledged to join efforts for pro-actively taking up the child justice agenda.
