The Bal Panchayat: Celebrating Children’s Participation

In 1997, a group of children living in resettlement colonies on the outskirts of Delhi formed an organization with the help of the NGOs CASP and Plan India. The children named their organization Bal Panchayat, the children’s council. In the last seven years, the Bal Panchayat has grown from strength to strength, empowering children and bringing a qualitative change in their lives. It has encouraged its members to play a participatory role in matters that affect children and it has worked continuously towards their total development. By offering a variety of experiences and opportunities, the Bal Panchayat has made it possible fore children to discover and develop their desire to strive for a better future. This book brings to light the inspiring story of the Bal Panchayat. It is told by the teenaged children of the Bal Panchayat, their facilitators and parents, and by those officials of CASP, CASP/Plan and Plan India who have been closely involved with the Panchayat since its inception. Today, the Bal Panchayat is a recognized children’s organization. It has inspired children in other parts of the country to form their own Bal Panchayats, and it has proved that children’s participation is integral to their development.