Young People Fighting for Children's Rights

Children's Rights

Introduction

The topic of children's rights is widely misunderstood by the

public and commonly exploited by adults, resulting in a overly-simplified, paternalistic perspective by many adults. Violations of the rights of children vary around the world, with common issues including homelessness, sexual exploitation, and economic mistreatment. Other items include child soldiers, forced servitude, and more. The extension of children's rights abuses extends towards young people and obliterates any chances of equal participation for young people in society.

Points to Ponder

"Perhaps we cannot prevent this world from being a world in which children are tortured. But we can reduce the number of tortured children." - Albert Camus (1948)

"When we love children we acknowledge by our every action that they are not property, that they have rights - that we respect and uphold their rights. Without justice there can be no love." - bell hooks

Resources

The following resources are youth-led and/or youth-focused organizations and websites that can help young people and adult allies understand the rights of children around the world.

Websites and Organizations

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
International law advocating children's rights. Read the full text in the following languages:
Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Free The Children

Their mission is to establish programs and activities that will reduce the poverty and exploitation of children throughout the world, and to provide leadership skills and citizenship opportunities to youth.

MADRE

MADRE works with youth in areas such as Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Palestine, Nicaragua, and Rwanda. MADRE promotes the rights of children and youth and partners with young people to ensure that they are able to exercise the full range of their rights. MADRE's programs provide youths with job training, educational workshops on nutrition and sexual and reproductive health, arts programs and leadership. MADRE also offers emergency trauma counseling to youth in areas of conflict, and assists children who are at risk of becoming child soldiers.

Human Rights Internet - Youth Rights
International children's rights info and activism from Human Rights Internet.

Children's Defense Fund
A pioneering organization the advocates for the rights of children across the United States through legal action, education, and many other venues.

Children's Rights Law Resources
Massive collection from Cornell University law department.

Defence for Children International

An independent non-governmental organization set up during the International Year of the Child (1979) to ensure on-going, practical, systematic and concerted international action specially directed towards promoting and protecting the rights of the child.

International Humanitarian Campaign Against the Exploitation of Children

Simply stated, the exploitation of children is about money. It is about economic survivability. The children are used as commodities for trade, as are weapons, drugs, tobacco, toxic waste, or nuclear arms.

Children's Bill of Rights

The Children's Bill of Rights project involved over 650 children from three continents, and resulted in the first Bill (or Declaration) of Rights drafted, in part, by children.

Child Slaves May Be Making Your Chocolate

Information about the use of child slaves in cocoa farming in the Cote d'Ivoire.

EURONET

The European Children's Network is a coalition of networks and organizations campaigning for the interests and rights of children (defined in the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as all persons under 18 years of age).

ABA Center on Children and the Law

Improving children's lives through advances in law, justice, knowledge, practice, and public policy.

Child Rights Information Network

CRIN is a Global Network of Organistions Sharing their Experiences of Information on Children's Rights. CRIN's "virtual desks" tackle a number of issues important for child rights.

Defence for Children International

Resources on Youth Rights Today

An introduction, points to ponder, and resources, including organizations, websites and publications on the rights of youth today.

The Freechild Project

Survey of North American Youth Rights, or SNAYR,

is brought to you in partnership with the National Youth Rights Association

For more information visit the Youth Rights Network

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