Ghanaian school children to participate in international voting

Takoradi, Feb.9 GNA- About 100,000 Ghanaian school children between nine and 17 years would this year participate in an international voting to elect an individual or organisation that has made outstanding contribution towards the protection of the rights of the child. Miss Ekua Ansah-Eshon, Programme Director of Advocates and Trainers For Women's Welfare, Advancement and Rights (ATWWAR), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), announced this at Takoradi on Wednesday. The Programme Director of ATWWAR was speaking at a day's workshop on the Global Vote For the Rights of the Child, organised for media personnel.

Miss Ansah-Eshon said the polls would take place between March 5 and April 7 this year, and would be co-ordinated by ATWWAR on behalf of the Ghana NGO Coalition on the Rights of the Child.

She said the majority of schools that have so far opted to take part in the polls were from the Shama-Ahanta East Metropolis and Elimina, Ahanta West and Nzema East districts.

Miss Ansah-Eshon said identifiable child organisations would also participate in the voting and the winner would be presented with the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child (WCPRC) which would attract 100,000 dollars.

Miss Ekua Ansah-Eshon, Programme Director of Advocates and Trainers For Women's Welfare, Advancement and Rights (ATWWAR), an NGO, announced the nominees to be voted for the WCPRC 2006 award.

They included Jetsun Pema of Tibet who for 40 years fought for Tibetan refugee children in India and the Association of Orphan Heads of Households (AOCM) for fighting for children and young people whose parents were killed during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Also on the list was the Craig Kielburger of Canada, who fought for 10 years to free children from poverty and other violations of the rights of the child.

Miss Ansah-Eshon said her Royal Majesty, Queen Silvia of Sweden would present the award to the winner of the polls at her castle. Miss Ansah-Eshon said Children World, an NGO in Sweden, conceived and launched the Global Vote For the Rights of the Child in 2001, and Ghana took part in the polls for the first time in 2004. She said prizes would be awarded to winners who would excel in Child Rights, democracy and global friendship activities. Miss Ansah-Eshon said the WCPRC was primarily devoted to ensuring the rights of the child, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. She said the contest was aimed at divulging knowledge about children's rights and rewarding people who had worked exceptionally to ensure the rights of the child. 09 Feb. 06