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INTRODUCTION: In countries around the world there is a
growing movement
calling for the acknowledgement of the rights of young people.
This movement is grounded in the belief that the rights of citizenship belong to
youth as well as adults, and must be enforced as such.
POINTS TO PONDER: "And surely there is in all children... a
stubbornness, a stoutness of mind arising from natural pride, which
must, in the first place, be broken and beaten down; that so the
foundation of their education, being laid in humility and tractableness,
other virtues may, in their time, be built thereon." - John
Robinson, pastor of the 1650's Pilgrim colony in the New World, as
quoted in
A People's History of the United States by H. Zinn.
"The essence of the demand for freedom is the need of
conditions which will
enable an individual to make his own special contribution to a group
interest, and to partake of its activities in such ways that social
guidance
shall be a matter of his own mental attitude, and not a mere
authoritative
dictation of his acts." - John Dewey in Democracy and Education
RESOURCES:
These are organizations and publications that work towards the
advancement of youth rights in many areas.
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Featured Organization |
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A German
Youth Rights Group |
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From their website: "We are a group of
young people (13 to 20 years old) who stand up for equal rights for
children. Our main subjects are the right to vote, school and family.
But we are also engaging in other subjects that deal with age
discrimination, such as child labour and kids and youth protection.
Through public relations work we try to call attention to these
subjects and finally to achieve changes in society. We do several
campaigns, issue texts, and are invited to events and we are always
turning up in different places with displays of information."
This dedicated group of youth
rights fighters works with networks around the world to forward youth
rights. Their website includes information in German, Spanish,
English, Polish and Esperanto. They have a lot of publications in
German. For more information visit
http://kraetzae.de/
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Organizations
National
Youth Rights Association
Educates people about youth rights, works with
public officials to involve youth in decision-making.
Americans For a Society Free from Age Restriction
Dedicated to
changing the voting age, fighting curfews and other laws limiting freedom of
young people.
YouthSpeak
A
clearinghouse on youth rights, pushes for equal youth rights in society.
Canadian Youth
Rights Association
Formed to reform policies limiting freedoms of
young people in Canada.
Survey of North American Youth Rights
The premier Internet
information source about current youth rights, advancing youth rights, youth
suffrage, youth liberation, youth rights issues, and more. Features the
Youth Rights Self-Research Center, a large collection of search engines for
discovering laws affecting the rights of young people in your community!
Mike Males homepage
Through his concise, practical, and
academic methods, Males is keeping it real for the image of young people
throughout the US. His hard-hitting, fact-filled books and articles are
breaking down Adultistic, anti-youth media stereotypes, and inspiring hundreds
of young people everyday to fight the systematic and societal prejudice that
prevents them from participating throughout society. His outstanding
books are the foundation of many youth rights organizations; his articles
regularly rock the unfounded notions of individuals and groups working for
'youth development'. Check out his website, read his work, and share the
knowledge that Mike puts forth- he does it so well.
Also check out his regular articles in
Youth Today.
Youth
Liberation Association of Canada
"Youth rights through youth advocacy." The YLAC represents its
members by lobbying government officials and issuing press releases,
as well as by educating the public about the civil rights of youth in
Canada.
 Mobilzing America's Youth
An all-partisan network dedicated to educating, empowering, and
energizing young people to increase our civic engagement and political
participation.
for more information visit The Freechild Project's
Resources for Youth Activism
Publications
Freechild Reading List on Youth Rights
Includes books from around the world on dozens of different topics.
Youth Rights Library by NYRA
A collection of research-based and opinion papers by authors around
the world on various topics included in youth rights.
Interview on Youth
Rights
with German Youth Rights Group Kraetzae.
Nick Aschbrenner, July 2001.(article)
Kids and Guns: How Politicians, Experts and Press Fabricate Fear of Youth
By
Mike Males.
“Kids and guns” is not the problem, but a diversion by a complacent,
established America that propagates demographic myths about age and race,
culture-war trivialities, and sensational scapegoating to avoid facing its
own violence. FREE PDF DOWNLOAD
South Dakota Agrees
to Respect Rights of Detained Youth
from Human Rights Watch website.
Too
Young To Vote, But Not To Be Executed
Pacific News, 2001.
One and Four
A new blog by youth rights fighter Alex Koroknay-Palicz. Offers insight,
details, and resources for youth rights advocates.
The SNAYR is brought to you by
The Freechild Project in partnership with
National Youth Rights Association
NYRA has been working for more than
five
years to bring young people across the United States a society where
they experience
political, social, and economic, and cultural equality, and where the rights of youth
are equal to those of adults.
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