Vijay Chandru, Chairman & CEO, Strand Life Sciences and High Panel for Science & Technology, UNESCO

I have been associated with Concerned for Working Children since 1989 when CARD was launched, initially simply as a kindred spirit and admirer of the sincerity of the people at CWC and their dedicated and creative work with street children in Bangalore City. As the years went by, I became more involved and joined the executive council as a member. The experiments with child participation in democracy in Kundapur and particularly with the Makkala Panchayats was one of the most imaginative and inspired developments I have witnessed in India in the field of development in the last two decades. The question I have often asked myself is why this is not replicated across the nation as a transformational programme. I hope the recognition of the work at CWC implicit in the Nobel nomination by the Norwegian Parliamentary Committee will provide the impetus for wider adoption of child participation as a fundamental right.

Mauricio Tolosa, Director at THOT and President at Fundacion de la Comunicologia, Chile

Joy, deep joy, for you, and for all the working children in the world.

Joy because somewhere the good boys and girls are still fighting.

Gratitude for sharing with me this beautiful news.

Gratitude for having invited me to be a little part of your project/reality. 
My article is at: http://sitiocero.net/2012/un-brillo-cargado-de-esperanza-2/

C.Jim Jesudoss - Executive Director  of Sakthi Vidiyal, State Convenor of  Federation of Children's Movement for Right to Participation, India

The nomination is not a surprise to me because I know how much hard work you have put in promoting child participation not only in India but also around the world in many countries. Our special thanks to the children of Bhima Sangha for their effective modeling in practicing participation. I honestly tell people that CWC’s association and guidance have lifted us to the state arena and further to the national discourses on child participation. I can go to the extent of saying that CWC not only breathes Child Participation but it is so much embedded in the senses of its team members. I am extremely proud for being associated with CWC and for being a contemporary to its existence. Our special thanks to the children of Bhima Sangha for their effective modeling in practicing participation. The courage of the Bhima Sangha children have been a source of inspiration in our work among children from socially excluded communities including street children...more

Gurucharn Virdee - Inter Agency Standing Community GenCap Gender Adviser in Afghanistan

Yes, CWC provides a platform for children and young people to participate but gives them much more as this process comes from the heart. Truly, the work of CWC is transformational...more

Dr. Vicky Johnson - Head of Partnerships and Programmes, ChildHope UK

Recently I had the honor of meeting some of the children in Bhima Sanghas in Bangalore. We had an inspiring and energetic time being educated by the working children and understanding how CWC had empowered them to change their own situation for the better. I wish to say how much CWC has influenced me personally and how proud we are at ChildHope to be their partners...more

Dr. Mrutyunjay Sarangi  - I.A.S, Secretary To Govt. of India, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Shram Shakti Bhavan, India

Thank you for your letter dated 28^th February, 2012. I am delighted to learn that your organization “The Concerned for Working Children” has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Parliamentary Committee. I feel this is the recognition for your hard work and dedication for the upliftment of marginalized and working children. Please accept my heartfelt congratulations to you on this great occasion.

Dr. Arun Kumar - Director, Training, Research and Alternative Communication at Committed Communities Development Trust, India

CWC is a pioneer institution working with children and their rights. Its work on child labor is path-breaking, as it dared to dream and travel beyond the official and the mundane posturing and sloganeering of what appeared politically correct. Child Participation remains the most difficult of all rights to ensure as it demands nothing less than a complete democratization of social spaces in every sense of the term. CWC’s relentless work in this field in recent years is inspiring several fellow-travelers to question one’s engagements with children ever more critically and seek ways in which the subjectivity and agency of the child could be encouraged and celebrated...more

Professor Michael Bourdillon taught in the University of Zimbabwe for over 25 years, before retiring to focus on street and working children, Zimbabwe

The lessons I learned from CWC about child-centred approaches and the importance of child participation shaped my involvement with working children in Zimbabwe, and have remained central to much of my writing and research about working children and child protection since. I have also been able to use this knowledge and experience to involve children in other research projects, and in advising other child support programmes. Their recognition by the Norwegian Parliament is well deserved and should encourage others to follow their example in empowering children to help themselves...more

Brian Milne - freelance social anthropologist working as research consultant specialising in work with children/childhood, United Kingdom

I have known the Concerned for Working Children for many years. When I heard of the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Parliamentary Committee I must say how much it touched me emotionally. I thought of not only CWC but all of the other organisations whose child and adult members and activists worldwide of which this one organisation is but a part. However, as ever in this world and especially when we are looking at such things as the Nobel Peace Prize there must always be individuals and organisations set aside as representative recipients of such accolades. As I know CWC, they will never hold back from adding the same sentiment that this is for the world’s children. This is, of course, only nomination. That is a major achievement in itself. Should the actual Peace Prize go to CWC then it will raise the banner of the cause for all children that much higher than ever before and, at least, I hope inject us with renewed vigour for the many years and struggles still before us all to get a world that is truly fit for children.

CWC and all others now supporting and endorsing this nomination my heart and soul are with you all the way. See related blog post

Peter Dixon has been a Save the Children director in Nepal and Sri Lanka, and more recently an independent International Development Consultant specialising in children's rights and child rights based approaches, United Kingdom

When  most organisations were just starting on the path to making a reality of children’s right to be heard CWC was not only practicing, but taking the time to share, to demonstrate and to constructively engage with others to achieve change for children. As an organisation I remember  them for having achieved a real partnership with the children of Karnataka, for their innovative research, and for their proactive engagement with progressing children’s rights not just locally but internationally. I think I’ve probably made reference to some learning from CWC’s work in just about every course I’ve delivered. Of all of the very many NGOs I have met over the years CWC stands out and its very appropriate to hear that they have been nominated for the Peace Prize....more

Douglas Springate - retired from the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom  

A major issue for children doing research is that of dissemination, of getting change agents and those responsible for making decisions about children’s lives to listen to their research and then make changes to lives and environments of children. CWC been actively training many children as researchers, who had then achieved some extensive information which politicians had listened to and acted on. The voice of the child is not only heard but responded to. The region of that CWC is situated in has much to teach the world about children’s voice and participation...more

David Gribble – teacher, writer, member of the editorial board of Other Education, Co-ordinator of the International Democratic Education Network (IDEN), United Kingdom

What I find astonishing when I read about CWC is the degree of trust in the knowledge and awareness of young people, and the way these young people have been enabled to influence and assist local government. This shames Britain, where children often have no influence in their own schools, let alone in their local communities. I very much hope that the influence of CWC will soon spread over the entire world...more                                                                                                                                     

Priyanthi Fernando, Executive Director, Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), Colombo, Sri Lanka 

CWC is special for lots of reasons - its goals, its commitment, its achievements, its organisational culture, its people! What I admire most, is the fact that it uncompromisingly walks the talk, sticks to what it believes in, and maintains its principles in everything it does. I witnessed how adults in CWC worked with children with no hint of patronising them, and how the children responded with much enthusiasm and creativity. I congratulate CWC on this well-deserved nomination, the world has a lot to learn from them...more

Cristiano Morsolin - Italian social worker, operator of international networks to defend children rights in Latin-America

We think in communion with CWC and Bhima Sangha, that the popular education and the identity and world view of the field is very important. And the children organization from below is the street to change, as the positive experience of Bhima Sangha “children syndicate”, speaks to all humanity. It’s urgent to build up a new network, a new alliance with social movements, university, policy makers in the worlds that promotes children participation and a new paradigm of child citizenship. The United Nations don’t understand the Economic-Social-Cultural Children rights and we, as civil society, have to open their eyes…more

Dr. N. Rathna - the former Director of All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) and of the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped (AYJNIHH), India

We are very proud that the CWC has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. You and your team of colleagues and more importantly, all your children have worked hard and well, really participating in development, that you really deserve the recognition. 

The world-wide recognition is welcome as it gives you a greater opportunity to bring into greater focus on what you have held important for all times - Child Participation in decisions regarding them and recognition of the difference between Child work and child’s exploitative labour. This gives CWC an opportunity to awaken the whole world that children should be given an opportunity to participate and that they must be heard...more

Consultants for MIAN – Micro Insurance Association Netherlands
                                                                      An important eye-opener for us was seeing how CWC is taking the children serious, listen to their needs and truly hear them. We often do not really listen to what a child has to say as a result of which we are finding solutions for non-existing problems and do not discuss the real issues the children have...more

Dr. Raj Kumar Khatri, IAS, Secretary to Government Infrastructure Development Department, Bangalore, India                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
I am in receipt of your letter dated on 8th March 2012. Please accept Congratulations on this achievement. I convey my Best wishes for your success.

Dag Endal - Project Coordinator, FORUT Norway

This is great news! And certainly well deserved! I congratulate you with this nomination and wish you the very best of luck in the final selection procedure.

Andal Damodaran - Vice-President of Indian Council for Child Welfare, Tamil Nadu, India

Wonderful news! Congratulations to  all at CWC!

B. David - State Programme Manager, Centre for Advocacy and Research, Bangalore, India 

Congratulations, it's great news! Happy that all the good work is being recognized. Keep it up and all the best for the selection.

Kanchan Kaur - Dean of The Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore, India

Congratulations! Hard work and dedication does pay off!

Berit Knudsen - Regional Coordinator, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Sri Lanka, Zambia at Redd Barna, Norway

Congratulation, this is fantastic news. I will spread the news here in Save the Children Norway. You have always been a great organization and you and the children deserve this.

Dr. Victor P. Karunan - Deputy Representative & Representative, UNICEF Malaysia

This is wonderful news...wishing you all the very best. 

Raghunandan Hegde - Member of NGO, Swagath Education and Community Action, India

Very warm congratulations to the entire team for the Nobel Peace Prize nomination. As governance is getting increasingly corporatised, and capitalist forces seek to dictate the global political agenda, if anything will save our world from complete destruction, our children are going to play a critical role in it. The realisation of their right to participation is the first, and undoubtedly the most important step of this process. In this regard, it's wonderful to see CWC's efforts. Here's wishing the CWC team lots of strength, enthusiasm and energy for the years ahead!

Sai Prakash - President of Erin Foundation Bangalore, India

We once visited CWC's out-of-the world facility near Kundapur. The work that Nandana Reddy and her team are doing is stupendous. Also read in today's newspapers about the link they are bringing between children of Kundapur and Bangalore.

Deborah Drake Matthews  -  politician in Ontario, currently the province's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care in the government of Premier Dalton McGuinty, Canada

I can't imagine a finer, more deserving candidate for this extraordinary recognition. We're all very proud of your work. Warmest congratulations.

Gururaja Budhya - Secretary of Urban Research Centre, Bangalore, India

Congratulations to all at CWC. I understand that this recognition will enhance the scope of Children's participation in governance issues to a new dimension.

Raghavendra Bhat - UNICEF Child Protection Project Coordinator, Raichur, India 

Excellent congrats, we are all proud of CWC! This award is for children of Karnataka and India. It is for CWC's work on children's issue particularly participation. 

Gerison Lansdown - the founder director of the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, and is an international children’s rights consultant and advocate. She was actively involved in the drafting of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is an Honorary Fellow of UNICEF-UK, a visiting scholar at Queen’s University, Belfast, an associate of the International Institute for Child Rights and Development in Victoria, Canada, and co-director of CRED-PRO, an international initiative to develop child rights educational programmes for professionals working with children, United Kingdom

I cannot express how delighted I am for all of you. CWC has been for many years a beacon of passion, commitment, creativity, reflection, analysis and advocacy for and with children to strengthen awareness of their rights and build real change in their lives. It is brilliant that it has been acknowledged with such a fantastic award. What an achievement!

Rajni Singh - Partnerships & Programmes Manager, ChildHope, United Kingdom

A BIG BIG BIG - BIGGEST CONGRATULATIONS TO CWC FOR 'THE NOMINATION FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE' - AMAZING NEWS! As always we are so very PROUD of CWC and the work that you do with CHILDREN, again! This is just amazing! 

Mala Kumar - freelance journalist and editor at Pratham Books, Bangalore, India

Congratulations!!!! I've followed CWC's growth over the years. And I'll keep my fingers crossed while you go ahead and win the Nobel! Just being nominated is a GREAT recognition!

Claire O'Kane – last position as Child Rights and Participation Adviser, Save the Children, currently freelancing on child rights, protection, participation work, Myanmar/Burma

I have been involved in work supporting children’s participation and citizenship since 1995, especially in the Asia region. I have especially appreciated the ongoing commitment of CWC to empower working children and to find integrated ways to support the participation of all children in local governance processes which increase the accountability of State and local government actors to children. CWC are pioneering in their work, and are effective in documenting and disseminating the lessons learned to inspire and inform other children’s organisations, CBOs, NGOs, and INGOs within and beyond the Asia region. The journey of learning and inspiration continues and all of us need to continue collaboration to ensure that all children, especially the most marginalised children, including children with disabilities get space and opportunities to express their views and to be heard within their families, work places, schools, communities, in local and national governance. We need to continue to advocate that Governments take responsibility to put in place mechanisms and to support processes that allow the realisation of children’s civil and political rights, so that more and more girls and boys can safely and pro-actively be active citizens.

Congratulations and very very warmest greetings.

Fumino K Narasaki - Senior Communication Officer, Plan Japan

Thank you very much for letting me know the GREAT & ENCOURAGING news. Congratulations!!

Kumar Bhattarai - Vice Chair Consortium, Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre, Nepal 

Congratulations!!! We are proud of you.

Antonella Invernizzi - Senior Lecturer at the Department of Applied Social Sciences, Swansea University, United Kingdom

This is a very special new, very precious in times where good news are quite rare... I am truly glad to read this. I hope this will bring CWC and all the movements that work with the agenda you put forward the resources that are needed...  and contributes to give some thoughts (in this part of the world) about respecting working children, their identity and their struggle.

Ellen Bjølseth - Information Manager; FORUT Norway 

Congratulations on the nomination for the peace prize! This was indeed wonderful news. 

Anita Mathew – Consultant; Women and Child Rights, Goa, India

Congrats! that is a great honor indeed! 

Dr. Bijaya Sainju (Ph. D. on Child Labour) - CONCERN-Nepal 

This is really a good news. Congratulation, we all are with you and we vote for you.

William Myers - an educationalist, has been working on policy for marginalised children for over 20 years. He is a consultant on child work and has formerly served both UNICEF and the ILO as an official dealing with child work issues, California, United States

You have worked so hard and tirelessly on this issue, and to such effect, that this nomination is highly deserved.  It has been a pleasure and inspiration to have known and worked with you, and now to celebrate with you a just recognition of your work. It also has to mean a lot to your family and co-workers who have been through so much with you, and I send my best wishes and congratulations to all.  I hope this also makes your path easier in work you still are doing, especially with the Indian Government.  While the nomination is itself a very high honor, I have my fingers crossed for you to be selected for the prize. 

Amod Khanna - Director of Towards Action and Learning (TAAL), India

Congratulations! The hard work does pay off! Kudos to  your team and the spirit with which you work.

Arlene Manoharan - Centre Co-ordinator at Centre for Child and the Law, NLSIU, India 

Wow! Congratulations! This is truly wonderful news and a fit recognition for the sustained and nuanced efforts that CWC has been making all these years to promote the recognition of children's strengths, and their unique power to make the world a better place. I have personally been enlightened by your work and writing, and at CCL too we are happy to be working in solidarity with you to advocate for accountability to children. This is surely going no be a huge boost for each and every child who has been touched and empowered by your work. May you all grow from strength to strength.

Neetu Sharma - Fellow and Projects Manager of the Centre for Child and the Law, NLSIU, Bangalore, India

Hearty congratulations to team on this amazing  accomplishment which I am sure is a result of decades of hard work and commitment towards the rights of children. We are proud to have you as partners in this journey!

Julian Kramer - Head, Analysis Unit at Directorate of Integration and Diversity, Norway

Congratulations! We thoroughly agree with the nomination of CWC for the peace prize and we are holding our thumbs for you!

P.E.Reji - Programme Coordinator, South Zone, TDHSRO, India

 

Hearty Congratulations at the outset itself, for the wonderful achievement of getting nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Parliamentary Committee. This is indeed a great acknowledgement and appreciation of your work on children’s rights and particularly, children’s right to participation. We wish and hope that you get the Nobel Peace Prize. We still have a long way to go in realizing children’s rights to participation at various levels. Let us continue to strive for the same.

Lokendra Poudyal - Consultant at WordlLink, Kathmandu, Nepal 

CONGRATULATIONS to you and your CWC colleagues! It is good to see that your continuous devotion and hard work for a right cause has been recognized. On this occasion, I would like to express my best wishes for greater and greater reputation of CWC in the days to come.  

Dulan de Silva - Executive Chairman at Berendina Microfinance Institute, Berendina Development Services, Sri Lanka

When I did the evaluation of CWC work in 1998 you'll told me with lot of passion that your dream was to eradicate child labor in India. I laughed as my experience was with NGO's which did projects. But the laugh in now on me. Now I realize you are not a NGO but a 'Movement" with a mission and this nomination will go a long way ensuring that you attain your goal soon and give all children in India a childhood.

Achyut Das - Director Agragamee, India

This is a great NEWS to celebrate! We are proud of CWC.

Morten Lønstad - Secretary General, FORUT Norway

I am very happy and proud that CWC is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2012. It is a great honour to be nominated.

M. F. Marikkar - Project Coordinator; FORUT SriLanka                                           

I am very pleased and indeed you deserve this selection, and my thanks to the Nobel selection committee for considering you for this top prize, which recognises the service of CWC to the humanity. I am sure that this will give you further thoughts about the impending disaster of the world children community (in the context of poverty, disasters, etc.), and you will act according to the global needs in the near future. As a person close to CWC, my thoughts and wishes are to scale up your efforts , help the children communities all over the world.

Christie Nash - Projects Coordinator at the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education, Canada

Oh wow oh wow oh wow!!! This is amazing news! Thank you soo much for letting me know. I can think of no organization more deserving! Many many congratulations to you all. Your work is inspiring for a better world.

Sumnima Tuladhar - Executive Coordinator in CWIN-Nepal

All of us are absolutely delighted to hear this wonderful news! We are so proud of your nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is a true recognition for the broader movement for children's participation. We believe that you have managed to bring the right to children’s participation and self-determinate on centre stage. We appreciate all your genuine efforts towards advocating for children's right to participation. We are sure you will keep inspiring many more initiatives around.

Vipin Bhatt - Consultant Child Participation and Protection, India

Congrats and best wishes once again.

Thomas Nigel - Professor of Childhood and Youth Research, School of Social Work, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom

Wow, that's fantastic news! We make sure to mention it in the literature for conference “Children, Young People and Adults: Extending the Conversation” dated for 5-7  September 2012. Thanks for letting us know, and many congratulations!

Dulcine Crasta - CPU - Coordinator, DWCD - UNICEF, Bangalore, India

Congratulations! It is really great news for all who are working with children. May all your dreams for children come true.

Ashish Kothari - founder-member of Kalpavriksh, a 30-year-old environmental research and action group, India

Congratulations!!!

Nirja Mattoo - Chairperson at the Centre for Development Corporate Citizenship, SPJIMR, India

Thank you so much for your mail, heartiest Congratulations  for the great work, which is most deserving and perhaps for the first time an organisation  in India. CWC's nomination means a huge recognition to the development sector and especially for those who work for the exploited children who with no future ahead.

Terje Heggernes - Secretary General of FORUT for 24 years, Resident Representative of FORUT Sri Lanka 

Congratulations for the nomination to all friends and dedicated workers in CWC. Thinking this already will mean a great support and important recognition for the important work of CWC.

Nina Nayak - Chairperson, Karnataka Commission on Protection of Child Rights, Bangalore, India

Share your happiness and pride and wish you and all the children you continue to empower best wishes for the final selection ...which would be an even bigger feather in your cap and that of all Indian NGOs.

Mallikarjuna Konduri  - Executive Creative Director at Apparatus Media Lab, India

I am just quietly gloating over the nomination with pride. When I heard of it, I could not believe it, having believed it; I know it is fully deserved. You have worked hard and with true dedication, you have pursued your vision despite cynicism and casual acceptance of the status quo, you have sustained your spirit through successes, you have kept your optimism through failures, and most importantly, you made a difference to those who needed the most. For this, the entire CWC team deserve the kudos.

Whether you can make it to the Prize or not is not in your hands. Being nominated is in itself a huge honour by those who recognize the importance of the work you have been doing. I hope and pray that despite the many obstacles that still remain in your way; you can touch the finish line.

Lips grinning, heart singing, fingers crossed. My heartfelt congratulations to ALL of you at CWC.

T.R. Raghunandan - Development and governance consultant, Bangalore, India

This is a wonderful recognition. Through this, I hope the way in which children have been democratically empowered gets highlighted. I also hope that finally, Karnataka state will wake up to the great service that CWC has been rendering and treat your concerns with greater respect and understanding.

Kevin Kuebler - Co-Founder at Silver Heights Capital Management Inc., Canada

Congratulations on having all the hard work of you and your team recognized.  I hope that you are getting lots of personal satisfaction coming from this, as well as, of course, a higher profile for the ongoing efforts of CWC towards its goals.