Fighting for the rights of the world's children (UNICEF)

It was a time when young people believed in change and we thought anything was possible.  Some of us still believe it! Half way from there to here was 1989.  This was also a year of revolutions, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the official end of the Cold War. For me though, the most important revolution was the adoption on 20th November of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  For the first time the world made a set of promises to all its children and young people backed by the force of international law.  It is a document of staggering power and simplicity and well worth a read.  Its 54 Articles offer a unique set of global values, that every child should be brought up “in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity”.
The education of the child shall be directed to:

• The development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;
• The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
• The development of respect for the child’s parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;
• The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples
• The development of respect for the natural environment”.

In essence, the Convention (the CRC) made a number of vital promises to every child:  the promise of  protection from violence, exploitation, abuse and adult responsibilities, with social security, safety and play; the promise of education for all, according the values of Article 29; the promise of survival beyond infancy and the highest attainable standard of health; the right to be treated equally, regardless of “race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status”; and the right to be heard – not only to be able to express oneself freely, but for the child’s opinions to be given “due weight” in matters that affect them.

Yet, 20 years later, in 2009, violence against children is widespread, childhoods are damaged or denied by war, work and abuse; a billion children live in poverty, including 4 million in the UK; 9 million under 5s die annually, most from preventable causes; 100 million children are out of school.  Discrimination is rife and children’s voices are still not heard as they should be.  In our own society, young people are vilified in the media and in politics for the sake of a quick soundbite.  In short, the promises made 20 years ago continue to be broken.  20 years is too long.  It is time for the promises to be kept.
It is still possible to change the world for the better, there can be no greater cause than fighting for the rights of the world’s children.

2009 is another special year.  Will we really meet the challenge of climate change? Will it be the year when global recession heralds a positive change in corporate, social and political values – or not?  Will the G20 decide that we should manage the global economy for the benefit of the most vulnerable?  And it is the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Will the promises be kept?  Not if we stand by and do nothing!  It is also a time when the power of online social networking to mobilize change has become reality.  The need and the opportunity for social action has never been greater.