Workshop Tourism! In the name of Poor Kids

FIRST THE FIGURES: Nearly 12 workshops on women and child trafficking in three months. In other words, every month there are at least four workshops on trafficking of children. Besides, two training programmes to sensitise the police has been held at Police headquarters, Panjim. In September three more consultations on trafficking have already been announced.
NOW THE FACT: These workshops and conferences are increasingly becoming more about "building partnerships" and less about children or trafficked victims. Check out what is happening in the child friendly state, even as activists are busy formulating new "drafts of conduct" and "mainstreaming child rights". This is just the tip of an iceberg.
The trafficked victims of Baina are still awaiting rehabilitation. A minor girl from Mohana, Orissa is trafficked to Goa and employed as a domestic help at a Public Prosecutor's (PP) house in Margao. She is rescued from the PP's house (cupboard to be precise) and sent to Apna Ghar. But no action is taken against the PP, though he is a government employee.
The state government gives an in-country adoption license to Preet Mandir and the child activists hardly react. Finally, media activism forces state government to suspend license.

This is a clear indicator that somewhere, something has gone wrong. "Training, legislation and sensitisation programmes are important. At the moment there is an overdose of consultations on the same subject. Moreover, reaching out to victims and providing services to them is far more important," explains Arun Pandey, ARZ.
Audrey Pinto, CRG, argues, "It helps to sensitise to a certain extent. There is an awareness created through these conferences and workshops." But Bernie D'Souza, Jan Ugahi, calls this "Workshop Tourism", where expenditures, energies and time spent far outweigh the real benefits to the children or other target groups.
The greatest irony is that majority of these meets are in five-star or three star resorts, where delegates sitting in AC rooms talk about poverty and trafficked victims. Incidentally, the amount spent on one cup of coffee in a five star resort can actually feed a child for two days. However, Sujay Pati from WISE, which has maximum number of meetings at five-star resorts argues, "What you are saying is ethically correct, but it is just not logical as we work with the hotel industry and holding meetings at five star resorts is a matter of convenience."
Sources reveal that there is a sudden focus on trafficking in Goa because 3 million dollars has been sanctioned for Goa by UNIFEM. However, Archana Tamang, Chief, Women's Human Rights and Human Security Unit rubbished it. "We have a small budget and have been trying to make optimum use of it by leveraging broad bases. Perhaps this is the reason why it looks like as though we have spent a lot of money in Goa," said Tamang.
She added, "The figure sources have quoted is almost 5 times greater than our Goa Program budget".
FLURRY OF WORKSHOPS
SINCE JUNE 2006: 12 + two training programme to sensitise police
TOPIC OF DISCUSSION: Trafficking of women and children and child rights
NGO'S ORGANSING IT: WISE, CRG, Sangath, Shaktivahini (Delhi based NGO), Bagla Natak and Childline.
(Article appeared in GT on Friday, September 1, 2006)