Peacebuilders focuses on plight of street children through entertainment program

Peacebuilders, a partnership project involving the Church of North India (CNI), the Henry Martyn Institute in Hyderabad, the Methodist Church of Britain, the United Reformed Church of the UK, Pilots (non–uniformed organization for children and young people) and JMA (part of MethodistChildren, the children's work of The Methodist Church in Britain) hosted an entertainment program for and about the street children of the world at LTG Auditorium, New Delhi.

The 3 hour–long program, entitled "PEACE BUILDERS: CHILDREN FOR PEACE" comprising of dance shows, presentations and skits performed by street children, guided and nurtured by various NGOs, highlighted the plight of street children and the perils and disadvantages they are exposed to. The main attraction of the program was a play entitled "Shanti Shantam" staged by the street and working children under the guidance of the Delhi Brotherhood Society of the CNI.

The 'Peacebox,' a special initiative of Peacebuilders, was introduced during the program following which hundreds of people, including street children and children at risk, were seen scribbling their messages of hope, peace, wishes, prayers or ideas on pieces of papers which were thereafter inserted in the 'Peacebox' to be delivered and read out to their counterparts in other parts of the world.

"We seek peace in every sphere of our lives. But true peace is one that comes with justice," said Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan, general secretary, CNI, adding that the children of today as the leaders of the future were the hopebearers of global peace.

"We are engaged in various programmes among children, women, youth and the community at large through our different initiatives at both micro and macro levels. One of our primary concerns is working with children at risk," Rev. Pradhan elaborated. "In the city of Delhi our intervention has been largely among street and working children through the Delhi Brotherhood Society of the Church of North India."

"We have different projects to mainstream them through non–formal education, vocational training and shelter," he added.

"We believe that children are harbingers of Peace, which to us is establishing justice for those at the margins and for the oppressed. This involves a process and we believe that children being one of the best agents of change need their present to be nurtured to shape them for the future," added Sudipta Singh, program coordinator, CNI.