KAILASH SATYARTHI (EN)
“I refuse to accept that the collective power inherent in each individual cannot make the world a better place than it has ever been. Change is already knocking at the door.”
Kailash Satyarthi is a pioneer in the global movement against child labour. In addition to his established organization and trademark Rugmark, Kailash leads the “Global March Against Child Labour”, an alliance of 2,000 social organizations and trade unions in 140 countries.
In 1983, Kailash Satyarthi founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan – Save the Childhood Movement and Rugmark – a carpet trade organization that guarantees fair practices and a renunciation of child labor. Over the past decades, these movements have saved more than 80,000 children from slavery, trafficking and exploitative labour. By influencing consumer behaviour, Kailash also manages to influence corporate behaviour, thus establishing and spreading new economic practices. Over the past ten years, his innovative approach has led to a 70 percent reduction in child labor in South Asia and the release of over one million forced laborers. He has also led a nationwide movement to make education a constitutional right – an impetus that has paved the way for the right of children to free and compulsory education, which has been in place in India since 2009.
Kailash was accepted into the international Ashoka network as an Ashoka Fellow 21 years ago. He is the second social entrepreneur in Ashoka’s global network to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. (Source: http://germany.ashoka.org)
Link: https://bba.org.in/