ACADEMIA
Save the Children Sweden, Regional Office for South and Central Asia initiated a dialogue with key academic institutions of South Asia in 2004. A study was conducted to understand and assess the importance of child rights in higher education. The study revealed that inspite of close to one and a half decades of adopting the UNCRC, academic institutions are yet to integrate this vital issue in their curriculum. On the other hand, consultations with NGOs revealed that the demand for trained professionals conversant with the language and techniques of the rights based approach is growing.
As a result of which, the need to advocate for the establishment of child rights as a subject of academic discourse in South Asia was greatly felt. As a next step, capacity building and convergence of different academic institutions was initiated to create a platform of cross fertilisation of ideas. Since the beginning, the academicians were approached with an accountability perspective, which was highlighted in all interactions with them.
The advocacy with the academicians was targeted at various levels. The University Grants Commission (UGC), which is the highest governing body of education in South Asian countries, was approached to address the policy issues in higher education. At the same time, universities/departments were given input on child rights to develop their understanding and perspective. This was done through regular meetings, dialogue sessions, seminars and workshops. The interactions also helped the academicians to develop a South Asian perspective on child rights. This was addressed in two ways. Firstly, a 
dialogue was initiated between the academia of different countries in South Asia. In addition, academia of different social science departments, such as anthropology, social work, law and psychology, were brought together. This created a multi faceted dialogue, to reinforce the importance of child rights perspective in higher education. To give thrust to the advocacy initiatives, Save the Children Sweden joined hands with other Alliance members in the region.
As a result of these efforts, The Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi has launched the first Post Graduate Diploma in Child Rights in the region in 2005.
Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
Jamia Millia Islamia is a central University located in Delhi. The Department of Social work is one of the oldest social work departments in the country which caters to the human resource needs of the development sector of the country. At present it is transacting the Post Graduate Diploma in Child Rights.
Click Here to view Syllabus for Diploma in Child Rights, Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
Read more about Jamia Millia Islamia www.jmi.nic.in
Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) and National Law School University are also launching a Diploma Programme on Child Rights in June 2007. Xavier’s College in Nepal has also integrated Child Rights at the Bachelors and Masters level. The response is also encouraging from Bangladesh where the Department of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar University has taken the initiative of conducting research on the subject at M.Phil and Ph.D level. A paper on child rights has been integrated at the Masters level. UGC of Bangladesh has agreed to create a model curriculum for universities in Bangladesh. This would mean that now the Government of Bangladesh would set aside funds to promote this course. It would also help in integrating the course in universities of Bangladesh. Save the Children is now taking this forward, in other countries in the region.
Kathmandu School of Law
Kathmandu school of Law is educating students in the different legal fields and having a high level of academic discussions and presentations.
Kathmandu school of law is operating a Child Rights Study and Documentation Centre. The objective of the Centre is to build a competent rights regime in Nepal by having a capable institution to generate human and intellectual resources pertaining to child rights, development and psychology.
Human Rights
Asian Centre For Human Rights , New Delhi
ACHR is a non-profitable Delhi based regional organisation. Asian Centre for Human Rights is dedicated to promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Asian region by providing accurate and timely information and complaints to the National Human Rights Institutions, the United Nations bodies and mechanisms as appropriate. It is also involved in conducting investigation, research, campaigning and lobbying on country situations or individual cases. It is the only regional Human Rights organizations which covers child rights issues in its work and publications. ACHR has experience of working with National human Rights institutions, International and bi-lateral/multilateral donor agencies, leading media ctivelized and other civil society actors across the region. Supporting the SAARC Human Rights Report to integrate and Sstrengthen Child Rights within Human Rights discourse
Children's Participation
Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) Nepal
Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal (TPO Nepal) is a non-profit non-governmental organization. It is affiliated with HealthNet-TPO Netherlands, an international organization that supports local initiatives designed to rehabilitate and strengthen health care structures in countries affected by war.
TPO Nepal has been working in the field of mental health and psychosocial support in Nepal and has been working with Save the Children US (SCUS) funded project “Community and school based psychosocial care program for children in areas of armed conflict and victim of torture” for the past two years. Similarly, TPO Nepal is working with the UNICEF and other international organization in the field of research, training and intervention.
Promoting participation of girls and boys in planning, monitoring and evaluation- “child led indicators”.