Super Congress 2009
Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu Naresh Gupta (second right), Chief-UNICEF officer for Tamil Nadu and Kerala Satish Kumar (third left) and representative of Teens for Unity Nadia Xodo (right) at the release of special postal cover at "Super Congress 2009" at Kumaraguru College of Technology in Coimbatore on Saturday. “Only collective action can achieve the Millennium Development Goals,” said Tamil Nadu UNICEF Chief Dr. Satish Kumar. The United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals include eradicating poverty, universal education, improving healthcare, sustaining the environment among others.
Dr. Kumar was addressing the Super Congress 2009 – a jamboree of children from all over the world. He hailed the Super Congress being held in the 20th year of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Super Congress would build social momentum to achieve these goals. “The government alone cannot do it. That’s why there is an urgent need to interact with NGOs and children directly, for fresh ideas,” Dr. Kumar told . He said that programmes like these would make children aware of what they can do – like giving information to health departments about issues like non-availability of sanitation.
Naresh Gupta, Chief Electoral Officer of the state, echoed the views of Dr. Kumar. He recalled the history of the rights of children from the 1924 Declaration of the League of Nations to the UN General Assembly special session in 2002. Mr. Gupta reiterated the rights to survival, health, education, protection and participation of children. Postmaster General (Western Region) V. Rajarajan released three special covers on the occasion. The themes were: Young for a united world, Children learning to live together and Mahatma Gandhi uniting children of the world. These covers along with miniature sheets featuring three stamps on the festivals of India were on sale at the Philatelic Bureau counter at the venue.
B. K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, the chairperson of the committee of hosts welcomed the participants. The theme of the cultural performances was the golden rule – do unto others, as you would be done by. This ethic of reciprocity is present in 21 of the world’s faiths and is the guiding principle of the Focolare movement – the organisation behind the congress. The Congress, organised by Shanti Ashram- Kovaipudur in association with Namadhu Pangu, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Teens for Unity and the UNICEF, is on till August 12. The children will participate in discussions on living with diversity and will visit villages and families in the district.
