PPDD membership in CLAN (Children’s Legal Advocacy and Development)………

Peoples Partner for Development and Democracy (PPDD) is a member of Children’s Legal Advocacy Network (CLAN). CLAN was a brainchild of CLRDC (Children’s Legal Rights Development Center). The network was conceptualized for the following reasons;

One, as the name of the network suggests, it will officially involve in legislative lobbying and advocacy both internationally and locally.

Two, there is not yet children's network in the Philippines that focus specifically on legislative lobbying of children's issues and concerns.

Three, to enhance each other members' strength and support all the advocacy work of the members more specifically in their networking and fundraising opportunities, sourcing training materials and spokesperson or even trainer on children issues and concerns.

Four, to monitor government's compliance and state obligations with respect to programs and policies on children's concerns.

Lastly, to serve as a watchdog of government's implementations of policies, including the use of the mechanisms of justice to promote children's rights and welfare.

The following are the member organization of CLAN:

1. Albert Schweitzer Association-Philippines [ASAP] - they focus on youth offenders
2. International Justice Mission [IJM] - they focus on child trafficking
3. Legal Aid Center for Human Rights [LACHR]), - a group of lawyers that focus on children in armed conflict.
4. Save the Children-Sweden {based here in the Philippines]
5. KNK - also focuses on children in conflict with the law
6. KKPC - a Peoples' Organization with 20 strong PO members from different grassroots communities
7. KPML - a nationwide PO which focuses on child labor and the internal displacements of communities in the urban poor, they are an umbrella org of different grassroots communities
8. Children's Rights Action Watch - focuses on research and documentation and lobbying
9. Third World Movement Against the Exploitation of Women - focuses on sexually abused girl-children
10. Peoples Partner for Development and Democracy (PPDD) – focuses on children advocacy and legal rights in conflict and post-conflict areas/countries
11. Alliance International - a group of French missionaries that helps children in conflict with the law)
12. Children’s Legal Rights Development Center (CLRDC)

For the 2007 – 2010, the members of the network unanimously agreed for the legislative lobbying on “Corporal Punishment as a form of Violence against Children”. This issue was strongly pushed by Save the Children as they have complete research, data and statistics of children who died and parents and teachers who were imprisoned for beating children to death. They have complete interviews and data of cases of children beating. For this Congress, CLAN will conduct series of campaign to pass a law on Anti-Corporal Punishment of Children. However, other issues of children such that of issue in Burma is also included in other campaign strategies of CLAN.

The Convener of CLAN is CLRDC, the Secretariat is LACHR. The group’s first major activity tomorrow was a forum in the community of Barangay Tatalon, Quezon, City, Manila Philippines. The forum is entitled "Corporal Punishment as a Form of Violence against Children”. CLAN also formed committees such as

1. Legal Research Committee
2. Campaign and Education Committee
3. Fundraising Committee

PPDD is part of the Campaign and Education Committee for international and local advocacy and campaigning on children’s issues.