Srinagar May 28, 2018: Jammu Kashmir Child Resource Centre (JKCRC) today concluded the three day orientation-cum training workshop organized for the functionaries of Integrated Child Protection scheme (ICPS) including District Child Protection Units (DCPU’s), Child Welfare Committees (CWC’s) and Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB’s) setting the stage for ensuring child rights in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The orientation-cum-training programme was conducted by imminent Supreme Court Lawyer and Juvenile Justice Activist Anant Kumar Asthana who deliberated upon the nuances of JJ Act and ICPS at length besides other child rights experts including Javid Rashid, Assistant Professor at Kashmir University, Advocate Faisal Qadri, Rajesh, UNICEF’s MIS expert and Arif Bashir, IEC expert, who spoke about the relevance and significance of a comprehensive Information, Education and Communication strategy in this regard.
As part of setting up of the child protection systems in the state, JKCRC had organized the workshop for capacity building of the newly recruited staffs of DCPU’s, CWC’s and JJB’s of all the districts of Kashmir Division including Leh and Kargil. About 175 participants took part in the three day workshop.
Applauded as the biggest achievement by the Minister for Social Welfare, Sajad Gani Lone for ensuring child protection regime in the state and rolling out ICPS after several delays, the initiative is all set to ensure that every child can live with equity, dignity, security and freedom and enjoy childhood to the fullest.
The Minister has reiterated his vision for ensuring that every child in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law are brought into the safety net in conformity with the Jammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act-2013 and ICPS norms.
Acknowledging the role of the Social Welfare Minister, Sajad Gani Lone for his ‘exemplary work in rolling out ICPS and setting up JJB’s in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Justice Hasnain Masoodi (Retd), who is Chairman of the ‘Selection-cum-oversight Committee’ which is an Apex body for monitoring and evaluation of ICPS, applauded the venture and assured the participants that in order to carry out the daily functioning’s, all arrangements shall be in place very soon.
While giving the concluding remarks, he further said that all the functionaries were required to give their best in order to ensure child protection and child rights on the ground levels. He also applauded the role of Shafat Sultan, MD ICPS and the whole team of JKCRC for organizing and conducting the workshop which, he said, was the need of the hour.
The Minister for Social Welfare applauded JKCRC for successfully conducting the workshop and added that such workshops go a long way in ensuring that the staff recruited for the purpose is well aware of the nuances of such sensitive policies and are best placed to deal with any arising situation in this regard.
“The Honorable Minister has been personally monitoring the child protection vertical in the department and believes that such initiatives were more relevant and also desperately needed in situations like Kashmir: Both Children in Need of Care and Protection and particularly Children in Conflict with Law need immediate attention,” said M Iqbal , Chairman JKCRC.
Iqbal, while thanking the Resource Persons, participants and other dignitaries, said that more such ventures were in the offing and hoped that the dream of the Honorable Minister is realized very soon.
