1) Kailash Satyarthi, born on January 11, 1954 is a human rights activist who gave up his lucrative career as an Electrical Engineer to initiate campaigns to end child labour.
2) He has led the rescue of more than 78,000 children who had been exploited with child labour and successfully developed an educational and rehabilitation model for them.
3) He has survived various attacks on his life while rescuing children from the local goons and despite of such attacks, his commitment to stand tall for the cause of child slaves has been unwavering.
4) He has been honoured by the Former US President Bill Clinton in Washington for featuring in Kerry Kennedy’s Book ‘Speak Truth to Power’, where his life and work featured among the top 50 human rights defenders in the world including Nobel Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Elie Wessel, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, etc.
5) He has edited magazines like ‘Sangarsh Jari Rahega’, ‘Kranti Dharmi’, and ‘ Asian Workers Solidarity Link’. Besides, authored several articles and booklets on issues of social concern and human rights.
6) He has set up three rehabilitation-cum-educational centres for freed bonded children that resulted in the transformation of victims of child servitude into leaders and liberators.
7) Kailash Satyarthi’s contribution has been recognized through several prestigious international awards. These include:
– Defenders of Democracy Award (2009-USA)
– Alfonso Comin International Award (2008-Spain)
– Medal of the Italian Senate (2007-Italy)
– Heroes Acting to End Modern Day Slavey by US State Department (2007-USA)
– Freedom Award (2006-USA)
– In October 2002, Satyarthi was awarded the Wallenberg Medal from the University of Michigan in recognition of his courageous humanitarian work against the exploitation of child labor.
– Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Award (1999-Germany)
– La Hospitalet Award (1999-Spain)
– De Gouden Wimpel Award (1998-Netherlands)
– Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award (1995-USA)
– The Trumpeter Award (1995-USA)
– The Aachener International Peace Award (1994-Germany)
8) Satyarthi stays in New Delhi, India with his family which includes children, his wife, a son, daughter-in-law, a daughter, colleagues and friends.
59 Comments