Indian Nobel peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi has issued a powerful rallying cry to people around the world to join the fight against child labour and trafficking.
The children's rights activist, who is in Abu Dhabi this week for the Indiaspora Forum for Good, has launched a movement encouraging compassion. He believes people would take action if they understand the impact of exploitation if their family or friends were affected.
“What if this were your daughter or son? You would not sit quiet. You would act, we must all work and lead efforts to stop child slavery,” he said as he addressed the forum.
Mr Satyarthi, 71, and his team of volunteers in India have rescued more than 130,000 children from trafficking and illegal work in factories over four decades.
What if this were your daughter or son? You would not sit quiet. You would act, we must all work to stop child slavery
Indian Nobel peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi
In his autobiography Diyasalai (matchstick), published last month, he talks of the power of education to rehabilitate children.
“The diyasalai looks very small but it has enormous power, light because it can ignite one candle and that candle can ignite so many more, it's the source of light,” he told The National in an interview.
“I have launched a worldwide movement for compassion because I’m an optimist. I believe we must find new ideas, strategies to make a difference. Compassion is innate, I cannot teach compassion. We have to just dig it out of people.”
Joy of freedom
He was recognised for the Nobel Peace Prize along with Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai in 2014 for his decades of work defending children’s rights.
Mr Satyarthi and his team have been beaten up by armed guards at factories and workshops during their work to expose units that forced children to work as bonded labour.
“There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the joy of freedom on the faces of children and the look on the faces of mothers and fathers who had lost all hope that they would ever hug their children,” he said. “My colleagues and I have been beaten, attacked but when we return the children to their families and see them cry out of joy, that is all we like to remember.”
In the balashram, or children’s home, he founded in Rajasthan, western India, about 100 rescued teenagers receive vocational training ranging from electrical to computer education. Many go on to work overseas, including in the Gulf region.
Mr Satyarthi told the story of Kenshu Kumar, 28, once a child car cleaner, and head teacher Ram Kripal, who he rescued in the 1980s from stone quarries in northern India.
Mr Kumar was eight years old when he was rescued, went on to graduate in engineering and has returned to teach children in the balashram.
“Kenshu Kumar, now he goes to other villages to motivate girls to study, create awareness against child labour, child marriage, child trafficking,” Mr Satyarthi said. “Ram Kripal is like a father figure and has taught several hundred children. The teenagers get training so they can get a job and become independent.
“Many of them work in the Gulf but they still call us, sometimes in the middle of the night, just to talk.”
‘Must not continue to fail our children’
It all started when Mr Satyarthi, an electrical engineer, left his job to start a magazine to give voice to the oppressed. In 1981 a father in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, contacted him for help to stop his teenage daughter being trafficked.
Although Mr Satyarthi and his team were unable to rescue her, he filed a legal case that helped free 36 children, men and women. Children are often kidnapped and trafficked to work in factories or brothels.
He began the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save Childhood Movement) and lobbied for laws in India to protect children. His campaigning resulted in 2006 legislation that made it illegal to employ children under 14 in restaurants and hazardous industries ranging from cigarette to jewellery factories.
Mr Satyarthi’s activism also extended overseas when he headed a global march against child labour in 1988, and children rescued from bonded labour in Asia, Latin America and Africa were among 1,000 demonstrators in Geneva. The International Labour Organisation approved an accord a year later to protect children from jobs that exposed them to danger and exploitation.
He says the problem remains deep-rooted and companies around the world continue to use children to make carpets and footballs, for example, and to work in mines
“We must not continue to fail our children,” he said. “The government [in India has] launched several agencies and rescue programmes but more work is needed, and also around the world.”
About 160 million children continue to be exploited as child labour and 250 million children do not attend school, according to United Nations figures.
Act to stop child labour
Mr Satyarthi repeated his call for action in the UAE before an audience of hundreds of Indians from technology, startup, education and non-profit organisations.
“In compassion, there is an inherent power to solve problems and suffering of other people,” he said. “We have to use this transformation power. We all have the moral responsibility to bridge this gap which is growing to help those who are suffering.”
He said that while the world was divided by war and conflict, there were people across the police, the judiciary, education, government, media and private companies who could help children.
“What could be a bigger crime that children so exploited and overworked that they have no time to dream?” he said. “The world has never been so wealthy, so well informed. We have all the technological know-how but in spite of this, millions of children are suffering.
“We must build compassionate leaders in all walks of life. I have hope for the world to join this movement and work to shape a world of good where every child can be safe.”
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Read more about the coronavirus
SUCCESSION%20SEASON%204%20EPISODE%201
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Top tips to avoid cyber fraud
Microsoft’s ‘hacker-in-chief’ David Weston, creator of the tech company’s Windows Red Team, advises simple steps to help people avoid falling victim to cyber fraud:
1. Always get the latest operating system on your smartphone or desktop, as it will have the latest innovations. An outdated OS can erode away all investments made in securing your device or system.
2. After installing the latest OS version, keep it patched; this means repairing system vulnerabilities which are discovered after the infrastructure components are released in the market. The vast majority of attacks are based on out of date components – there are missing patches.
3. Multi-factor authentication is required. Move away from passwords as fast as possible, particularly for anything financial. Cybercriminals are targeting money through compromising the users’ identity – his username and password. So, get on the next level of security using fingertips or facial recognition.
4. Move your personal as well as professional data to the cloud, which has advanced threat detection mechanisms and analytics to spot any attempt. Even if you are hit by some ransomware, the chances of restoring the stolen data are higher because everything is backed up.
5. Make the right hardware selection and always refresh it. We are in a time where a number of security improvement processes are reliant on new processors and chip sets that come with embedded security features. Buy a new personal computer with a trusted computing module that has fingerprint or biometric cameras as additional measures of protection.
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
if you go
The flights
Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.
The tour
Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.
The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus Press
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
BANGLADESH SQUAD
Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The%20specs
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
