Social Activist Kailash Satyarthi to get 2009 Defender of Democracy Award in U.S

Social activist Kailash Satyarthi of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan will be presented the coveted 2009 Defender of Democracy Award by the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) on Tuesday evening (Oct.20).

Satyarthi is the Chairperson of the Global March Against Child Labour and Founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan

"Kailash ji is being presented this prestigious award for his contribution towards eradication of child labour in India and also campaigning for it around the world," Rakesh Senegar of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) in New Delhi.

"This award is given by Parliamentarians for Global Action. Previously, Helm Johnson Sirles, the President of Liberia, Ms. Robinson, United Nation's former High Commissioner for human rights and Lakhdar Brahimi, former Special Representative of U.N Secretary General of Afghanistan have been the recipient of this award," Senegar informed.

The awards ceremony will be held at the United States Library of Congress in Washington D.C. in conjunction with PGA's 31st Annual Parliamentary Forum which is being hosted at the US Congress by PGA's International Councilor, Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and its congressional members, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Washington), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) among others.

Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) is a non-profit, non-partisan international network of over 1,300 legislators in more than 100 elected parliaments around the globe. It aims to promote peace, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, sustainable development and population growth issues.

PGA is honouring Mr. Satyarthi for his life-long work and commitment to end child labour in India and around the world, and his global campaign for education rights for children.

Satyarthi gave up his lucrative career as technical engineer to work for child rights. For nearly three decades, he has campaigned to end child labour in India and around the world, rescuing over 77,000 bonded and child labourers.

He travelled with many child core marchers for 80,000 kilometers for the 'global march against child labour'. The global march culminated in Geneva where the United Nations created an international law against child labour and the worst forms of child labour, ILO Convention 182.

Kailash is the Founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) Chair of the Global March Against Child Labour, and the creator of the Rugmark label; the universally recognized symbol that certifies that rugs have been made without the use of exploitative child labour. (ANI)

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