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Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), one of the world’s most renowned organizations' led the ‘CGI Asia Meeting’ from 1-3 December 2008 in Hong Kong, to discuss about the latest developments on the issues of Education Energy and Climate Change, and Public Health’. Mrs. Sumedha Kailash, the director of Bal Ashram was one of the special invitees of this meeting. Former US President- Bill Clinton, Ban-ki-Moon (Secretary General, The United Nations), Gloriya Macapagal Arroyo (President, Republic of the Philippines), the President of Singapore were among the many dignitaries of the meeting.
Clinton Global Initiative stands to turn ideas into action to help the world move beyond current state of globalization to a more integral community of shared responsibilities and values.
There were three working sessions in the meeting and Mrs. Sumedha represented Bal Ashram in the session that discussed education. She spoke of her experiences of working with children disadvantaged because of health, gender, geography, economic, or political reasons. She said that “Globalisation has brought about several polarities and that is what the world is trying to grapple with. But education is the primary force which would ensure that the fruits and benefits of globalization reach all people, especially the marginalised sections.”
Mrs. Sumedha Kailash also met the Mr. Bill Clinton and discussed about the issues of child labour and education in India. Mr. Clinton appreciated the work of Bal Ashram as well as Bachpan Bacha Andolan (BBA) for the elimination of child labour. During the interaction, Clinton also asked about Kalu Kumar (Rescued and rehabilitated in Bal Ashram) whom he met in 2000 with the founder of BBA, Kailash Satyarthi.
Ms. Sumedha Kailash also expressed herself to International Actress Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li, well known actor and the founder of One Foundation and discussed about the activities of Bal Ashram and child labour issues in India.
Kalu Kumar was trafficked at the age of 9 years. He worked 15 hours a day on a carpet loom. He was rescued from slavery in 1999 and rehabilitated through Bal Ashram.
Currently, he is associated with BBA as an activist and spreading awareness among the people to eliminate child labour.
Kalu met President Bill Clinton in 2000 representing child labourers like him. |
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