CHILDREN’S HUMAN RIGHTS SUMMIT AT THE UNITED NATIONS WHAT WE SEE AND WHAT WE IMAGINE
Ariel Foundation International and Ariana-Leilani Children’s Foundation
Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
About Ariel Foundation international and Ariana-Leilani Children’s Foundation international Ariel Foundation International has been dedicated to children and youth since 2000 and formally organised in 2002. AFI promotes leadership, entrepreneurship and community service works wide. The foundation works with children and youth. “If I am not for myself, Who will be for me? If I am only for myself, What am I? If not now, Then when?” - Hillel The ALCFI was formed in 2008 to educate and advocate for children's human rights with the United Nations on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as the foundation. Photography by AFI AFI Summit Associates: Cheryl Sanders, Silke Guzmann Hachmyer, Sandra Heminger, Ray Ndaysisi, Florence Reidenbach, Anna Fuhrmann, Karl Emery, and Svenn Kuchen Editors: Emma Robinson and Alexandra Radu Report Published by Ariana-Leilani Children’s Foundation Ariel Foundation International ISBN: 978-0-9964523-3-5 4, Chemin des Papillons CH - 1216 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 534 94 41 Fax: +41 22 580 22 27 Email: arking@arielfoundation.org Websites: www.ArielFoundation.org www.youthsummit-un.org www.ariana-leilanifoundation.org
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
DEDICATION OF THIS REPORT ON UNIVERSAL CHILDRENS DAY 20 NOVEMBER 2015 ARIANA-LEILANI CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION EDUCATING AND ADVOCATION FOR CHILDREN’S HUMAN RIGHTS
“LITTLE AMBASSADOR ARIANA-LEILANI” ARIANA-LEILANI MARGARITA ALEXANDER KING-PFEIFFER, 12 YEARS OLD
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword by Dr. Ariella R. King
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Delegates
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United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child
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What We See
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What We Imagine
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Proposed solutions
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Group Discussions Child Exploitation Inequality Knowing Our Rights Non-discrimination Right to Childhood Violence Voice and Participation
16 17 17 19 20 21 22
Presentations
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Reflections on Summit
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Moving Forward
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
FOREWORD DR. ARIELLA ROSITA KING Summit on children’s human rights at the 29 th Human Rights Council at the UN
Children are full members of our society with both human rights and responsibilities. Children are often seen as not being able to engage in issues that affect our society on a local level, state level or international level.
Children are active and contributing members of our society The first time I realised that children as young as 7 years old were fully engaged in knowing about issues that affect them and the society they live in was more than 38 years ago when I worked as a day camp leader for a group of young girls aged from 7 to 9 years old. We talked about their views of family, environment, peace, work and play. To my surprise, they told stories about their lives that allowed me to understand that, given the chance, children would express both what they know and how they have experienced it. They were an amazing group of children who taught me that they too experience the world in techni-colour and possess in-depth thinking about the world’s issues.
Historic first - The UN Human Rights Council welcomes children delegates Almost seventy years later we have the chance to welcome children between the aged of 7 and 16 to participate at international level in a full day event parallel to the 28th Human Rights Council. The Youth summit on children human rights was an historic occasion where, for the first time in UN history, children under the age of 14 were not only welcomed into the UN, but were able to fully participate in deliberations on children human rights.
Children Delegate Groups
The children were naturally separated into four groups by language: English, French and German (two groups). The day started with an overall view of the UN before going through UN security. The children were surprise to be treated as all other visitors and delegates. All of the children registered and were given UN badges for the day, then made their way to the room that would host their deliberations.
Children Chairs Presentations
The session opened up with presentations in their native language given by the Chairs of each group. The Co-chairs of the English group, Anya Rosche (11), spoke on human rights of children worldwide, while Denise van Burin (13) spoke about "Discrimination". The French chair, Guelkum Batard (16) made a presentation on "Child Exploitation. "The German coChairs were Niklas Prescher (12) and Patrick Ziemer (11); they spoke about "Child Labour".
Delegate deliberations The group deliberations were conducted by the chairs in their respective groups. The two issues that they explored were "the world we see" and "the world we imagine". Each chair conducted the session in their own styles. Each group was assisted by a resource person and all sessions were recorded on iPads. All of the sessions were transcribed in the native languages verbatim and then translated into English.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine. Group of adults
The adult group deliberated on children's rights, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and it's optional protocols. The adult group were able to give their views about children's participation in human rights activities and the summit.
Delegates videos and photos
Delegates in groups went through the Palais des Nations to take photos or to conduct interviews with one another on issues of their choosing in French and English. The German group delegates decided to take photos rather than do video interviews with each other. The results of both the ideas and photos are presented within this report.
Creative human rights representation
A blank white sheet along with markers was laid out in front of the delegates. The delegates were encouraged to contribute their mark to the collective creative work; the result are presented within this report.
‘Imagine’ by John Lennon The children were asked to learn the song, "Imagine". The song was then performed by all participants and recorded as a podcast with background of others and the late John Lennon.
Lunch and Tour The delegate’s lunch was outside on the UN ground of the Ariana park. This opportunity to spend time surrounded by nature was enjoyed by all. AFI provided lunch for all delegates and accompanying adults. Tour of the United Nations The delegates participated in a private tour with a focus on children rights at the United Nations.
The Youth Summit on Children Human Rights Schedule 8:00 Registration 8:30 Walk to room together Session I 8:45 Welcome and opening 9:05 4 children's presentations on children's human rights today. 9:25 Group photo Session II 9:30 Our human rights as children – “the world we see now” 10:15 Creative session – “the world we see now” Session III 10:45 Our human rights as children – “the world we imagine” 11:30 Creative session – “the world we imagine” 12:00 Presentations of 3 groups 12:30 Certificates 12:45 Lunch 1:30 Walk around UN Ariana park 2:00 UN private tour - French 3:00 Certificates of Achievement
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
HISTORICAL FIRST AT PALAIS DES NATIONS - GENEVA First Children Delegates at The Youth Summit on Children’s Human Rights – What We See and What we Image Side Event at The 28th Human Rights Council, Palias des Nations, Geneva On March 27th 2015, during the 28th Human Rights Council, children delegates, between 10 and 16 years old, met at the Palais des Nations in Geneva in order to discuss the vital role that children can and should play in human rights. This report contains extracts of the young delegates’ presentations and discussions, in an environment in which they were chairs for both their presentations and their groups. They encouraged one another to speak freely and openly to one another about the world they see and the world they imagine. The words and thoughts by delegates in their original languages of German, French and English and translated.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
DELEGATES Ariana Leilani King-Pfeiffer* Nicolas Prost Alexandra Prost Victor Prost Julie Prost Guillaume Batard Matthieu Batard Anya Roshchke
Age Age
11 16
Age Age Age Age
15 13 10 16
Age Age
14 11
Brent Roschke Denise Van Deuren Daelemans Zahra El-Mokdad Elena Degen Marvin Beuchat Jonas Ryan Nouri Gabriel Mariéthoz Niklas Prescher Patrick Ziemer Timo Von Bodungen Diana Szücs Rike Höller Jerin Milo Ethan K Gibbs Nicola Henne Gerson Dervey Leo Loperfido Kevit Boilat Simon Faivre
Age Age Age Age Age Age
8 13 12 12 10 10
Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age
10 12 12 12 12 10 10 11 15 15 15 16 15
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine. •
Unable to attend, but represented
SUMMIT DELEGATES UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF A CHILD
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine. Children’s rights worldwide have been established for 26 years as of 2015. Your human rights as a child are protected by The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (54 articles); which is law in 194 countries, almost the entire world. Only two counties do not have human rights for children; the United Sates of America and South Sudan.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT… 1. You and every child has all these rights. 2. You have a right to protection against discrimination. 3. You have a right to have all adults always do what is best for you. 4. You have a right for governments to make your rights real. 5. You have the right to be given guidance by your parents and family. 6. You have the right to life. 7. You have the right to have a name and a nationality. 8. You have the right to an identity. 9. You have the right to live with your parents, unless it is bad for you. 10. You have a right to get back to and live with your parents if they are living in separate country. 11. You have a right not be kidnapped. 12. You have the right to an opinion, be listened to and taken seriously. 13. You have a right to say what you think. 14. You have the right to think, be whatever religion you want to be. 15. You have the right to be with friends, to join or set up clubs. 16. You have the right to a private life. 17. You have the right to collect information from the media if it is not harmful to you. 18. You have the right to be brought up by your parents, if possible. 19. You have the right to be protected from being hurt or treated badly. 20. You have the right to special protection and help if you can’t live with your parents. 21. You have the right to have the best care if you are adopted or fostered or living in care. 22. You have the right to special protection and help if you are a refugee. 23. You have the right to special care and education to lead a full life if you are disabled. 24. You have a right to the best health possible and to medical care and to information. 25. You have the right for your living situation checked regularly when not living with your parents. 26. You have the right to help from the government if you are in need. 27. You have the right to a good food, clothes and a place to live. 28. You have the right to education. 29. You have the right to education to develop your personality and abilities. 30. You have the right to enjoy your own culture, religion, and language.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine. 31. You have the right to play and relax. 32. You have the right to protection from work that is bad for you. 33. You have the right to be protected from dangerous drugs. 34. You have the right to be protected from sexual abuse and exploitation. 35. You have right for to not be kidnaped or sold. 36. You have the right to protection from all kinds of exploitation. 37. You have the right not to be punished in a cruel or hurtful way. 38. You have a right to protection in times of war. 39. You have a right to help if you are hurt, neglected, or abused. 40. You have the right to defend yourself with help if accused of breaking the law. 41. You have the right to any rights in laws in your country or internationally that give you better rights than these. 42. You have a right to learn about your rights and adults learn them too. 43-54. You have a right for governments and organizations make your rights be a reality.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
DELEGATE DELIBERATIONS WHAT WE SEE …….. Many inequalities still exist in our world. In fact, many of the world’s children do not have access to education or healthcare, despite this being a fundamental right recognised by the CRC. In most countries, children and their ideas are still overlooked. Adults don’t listen to children. Too many children are being exploited, especially in circumstances of forced labour in some developing countries. Here, children are being exploited; they are being paid very little or not being paid at all. Children’s labour is cheaper than that of the adults, and therefore there are less manufacturing costs. Sometimes, children work in jobs that are not adapted to their age. They are used as they can do some tasks adults can’t do. Moreover, children are easily manipulated and might not be realising they are given dangerous tasks to accomplish. We see a lot of homeless children and orphans. All children should have a family and parents. If you have no family, you have no quality of life, no help and no one who loves you. We have noticed that the rights of children were globally better respected in developed countries than in developing countries, and that less discrimination existed in those countries. Nonetheless, even in these countries, certain rights are still far from being perfectly respected. The case of children being battered by their parents is an example of when these rights are ignored. There are also cases where children still don’t go to school, for example children coming from gypsy communities. There is still far too much discrimination between children themselves: some exclusion in schools, harassment and insults related to the kids’ looks, social origin, etc. It is not acceptable that people get discriminated because of their differences or disabilities. The international community doesn’t seem to take the fight against the exploitation of children with enough consideration.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
WHAT WE IMAGINE
We want children to live their lives happily and as children. For that, children’s rights have to be respected. Children should have freedom of speech, so that if they thought that something was not fair they could speak up about it. The governments should listen to children. They should ask the children what they want to do. The governments should finally do something, and not just talk about it. Every child should have an identity because if they don’t they are basically like no one. We imagine a world where all the children can go to school, have the right to education, don’t have to do work that does not fit to their age and don’t have to go to war. A world where the Children’s Rights are respected everywhere. The right to have a normal social life. Access to healthcare and education to all children. Access to sports. A better education. Access to drinking water to all children. No pollution. No more discrimination in developing and developed countries. Respect the difference of others. Educate children to speak up on discrimination. Because that’s the problem these days, they don’t dare to speak up when they’re being beaten.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine. No more exploitation. That they don’t do work that is too hard for them. No more child soldiers. People should have a right not to get sexually abused. We should all put a stop to that. People should have the right not to get kidnapped. No child trafficking. No slavery. No more battered, abused children. People need to react to beaten children. No more children being beaten by their parents. No war, so that all children have a family and that families will not be driven away. Every child has a right to a family and therefore we should end war, because war destroys families and that is not good. No child should be homeless.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE IMAGINE, WE HAVE PROPOSED POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: We want to talk about how we can improve the future. It seems important to us to educate children to talk and act very early at school, so that they become aware of discrimination issues and of violence. The lack of education can favour the violation of children rights. Children should be more informed about their rights. Adults should also be informed about them. We should educate children to speak up on discrimination. Children must receive an education that teaches them to respect the differences of others from an early age. If we educate people when they’re young, they don’t discriminate when they grow up. There should be laws against discrimination. We want no war. The presidents can decide that there should be no more wars. Companies should not produce arms and weapons. We should try to forbid children to go to war, as long as there is war in the world. We want to change money into trade, to abolish money and rather exchange goods. We should simply burn all the money. If we find a way to equal out the money, maybe slavery will stop. We should abolish child labour. We should try to forbid children to work. Only adults should work to stop the exploitation of children. We have to write to the big companies and say that they should abolish it. Parents should get more paid because when the family has enough money their kids don’t need to go to work. Children who work should demand payments from the adults. We should have a more peaceful way of protesting for children, because sometimes they get killed or really badly punished. Protesting is really just them saying we want freedom. Developed countries should help and collaborate with the poorest countries. Maybe people from developed countries should go there (to undeveloped countries) and explain how it is done in Western Countries.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine. Exchanges should be organised between children so that they discover each other and each other’s cultures and living conditions of one another. Bring poor and privileged children together. So that privileged children can understand and try to understand better the situation of these other children who are less lucky than they are.
“We need to, we talk too much about the problems about the kids and the children. We need to do something. We talk too much about problems and do nothing”.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
DISCUSSIONS CHILD EXPLOITATION All children have the right to be protected from exploitation. Yet, millions of children worldwide suffer every day and with time, should this not be addressed, millions more will be at risk. It doesn’t just happen to others. Exploitation is blind to all socio-economic backgrounds, ages, religions, and cultures and the long-term effects are devastating. The resulting psychological and physical damage can never truly be repaired. Exploitation takes many forms. Children can be trafficked for sexual exploitation; like prostitution, or for labour, such as factory work or child soldiering. It is estimated that 1 in 6 children globally are engaged in child labour and there are estimated to be 250,000 child soldiers in the world. “…the parents should get paid more because when the family has enough money their kids don’t need to go to work”. Sometimes sold by a family member or an acquaintance, sometimes lured by the false promise of education and a "better" life, sometimes simply taken. This is the reality. The reality of these exploited children. They are held in slave-like conditions without enough food, shelter, or clothing; often severely abused and cut off from their friends and family. Every child has the right to education, the right to play, the right to be a child. Exploitation, in any form, constitutes one of the most horrendous breaches of those rights and is simply and unequivocally wrong. We see a future where every child has the right to become an adult free of nightmares. 17
Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
INEQUALITY Poverty reduction has become central theme globally, however, income, access to food, water, health, education, or housing, remains very unequal. Half of the world’s children live in poverty and suffer from multiple deprivations and violations to basic human rights. These inequalities combine to impact children’s long-term prospects for a happy, healthy, prosperous life negatively. “…children have the right to education, that means that they have the right to go to school…if they don’t have this right to education that means that they don’t have a life after because if they don’t go to school they can’t have a job and have a life” Millions of children die each year and most of their deaths are preventable. Hunger, malnutrition and lack of safe drinking water contribute to at least half of child mortality. “I imagine a world where every child has the right to see a doctor”. “I imagine a world where every child has access to clean water”.
Children do not get a second chance to education or a healthy start in life. Children are the future and we have a right to equal and just start to allow us to prosper and grow.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
KNOWING OUR RIGHTS Education of rights is a fundamental right and as best put by former Secretary General, Kofi Annan: “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family”. “I think that it is horrible that a lot of kids don't know that they have rights. I think that all the countries in the whole world should sign the Convention of Rights of Humans”.
“Moreover, it is scandalous that not every country has signed the child rights convention yet and that breaching child’s rights does only result in weak or no sanctions at all”.
Every right covered in the Convention of the Rights of the Child looks to safeguard the health, wellbeing, and safety of children. The Convention is a minimum standard for children and youth however many are unaware of even their most basic of rights. Knowledge of rights and freedoms is considered a fundamental tool to guarantee respect for the rights of all.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
NON-DISCRIMINATION “I imagine that all the children have the same rights and none have less and none have more”
The International Convention on the Rights of the Child centres upon the principle of non-discrimination. All children are born equal and they should all be treated, protected and cared for in an equal and fair manner. The reality is that many children and groups of children are victims of discrimination and more often than not, of several forms of discrimination at once. “A mon avis, les différences que nous avons si l’on regarde chacun de nous est ce qui fait de nous que nous soyons spéciaux, uniques. Si nous essayons d’éliminer ces différences alors no- tre monde aurait plus de couleurs”. Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of individuals, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. Children from poorer backgrounds, or those who suffer from disabilities, are often the worst affected. Both children and adults experience discrimination but discrimination against children can be more severe as children often have less social power and are dependent on adults for their livelihood. Children should never be placed at a disadvantage due to the prejudices of others; nondiscrimination is illegal and more importantly, it is a fundamental right. We see the solution as education. Both adults and children should be made aware of the uniqueness of each individual and how these differences can only open our eyes and enrich our world. We all have something special to offer, and the opportunity to share our perspectives and make a meaningful contribution, should never be denied.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
RIGHT TO CHILDHOOD Every child is born with fundamental human rights: the right to health care and education; the right to be treated equally, and to be protected from harm. Childhood is a crucial time for growth and development. It is also a time of incredible vulnerability.
The International Convention on Children’s Rights centres around the need to provide all children with a safe childhood, with care, protection and opportunities that are needed to ensure that child- hood is a time free from insecurity, violence or abuse. Children denied opportunities to learn, denied access to healthcare, or denied stability, are being denied their right to a happy and fruitful future where they can be active and meaningful participants. Children are a powerful force but one that needs to be cared for and nurtured. That is the challenge for the international community, to protect children and help them prosper. We only have one chance to get it right.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
VIOLENCE Much of the violence against children, including physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, remains hidden and is often socially approved. Physical abuse is the use of brutal and violent acts aimed at deliberately hurting children physically. The aim of psychological abuse is to humiliate and shame through belittling acts or subjecting children to degrading tasks. “Battered children are a subject that is not given enough importance. We need to educate children to act and talk about their issues at school to help avoid discrimination and violence.”
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
VOICE AND PARTICIPATION
“What I see now, I see that adults don’t listen to children”. What We See
“I think they should have, that children should have, freedom of speech, so that if they thought that something was not so fair, they could take up about it”. What We Imagine
Providing opportunities for children and young people to share their views and to participate is fundamental. Children are competent individuals who have the inherent right and capacity to contribute to decisions that affect their lives. Children represent about a third of the world's population and we have the right to be heard, to be listened to, we are an important and meaningful part of society. When adults are making decisions that affect children, children have the right to say what they think should happen and have their opinions taken into account. Allowing children to actively contribute leads to achievement and attainment: increased confidence, self- respect, competence and an improved sense of responsibility. Allowing children to participate, and actively listening to what they have to say, can therefore only have positive outcomes. Importantly, children are experts on their own lives and, are therefore the best source of advice for matters affecting them. The right to be heard, to participate, is therefore not only necessary and logical, but it is an integral part of the parcel of human rights for everyone.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
PRESENTATIONS
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS TODAY AND HOW I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE IN THE FUTURE. ANYA ROSCHK 12, USA
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS TO NON-DISCRIMINATION. DENISE VAN DUREN 13, BELGIUM
CHILD LABOUR PRESENTATION. PATRICK ZIEMER 11 AND NIKOLAS PRESCHER 12, SWITZERLAND THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN AND EXPOLOITATION LES DROITS DE L’ENFANT & EXPLOITATION BY GUILLAUME BATARD 16, FRANCE
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS PRESENTATION BY ANYA ROSCHKE (12)
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
Slide 1 -Name -Topic=Children rights today and how I believe they could be in the future Slide 2 -Range=slavery to full access to UN bill of rights Slide 3 Tier 1= Children are happy, have clean water to drink, have food, are able to see a doctor if hurt or sick, and able to get a good education. Tier 2= Ok living conditions for children. Tier 2 Watch List= Countries with bad living conditions for children but are working towards ok living conditions. Tier 3=Countries where children have no access to their rights, have horrible living conditions, and are forces to work as slaves. Slide 4 -Many children have no access to education -Work long hours under horrible conditions -Forced to serve as soldiers -Suffer attacks on their schools and teachers in institutions or detention centers - In many cases, they are abused by the very individuals responsible for their care Slide 5 10. Ethiopia 9. Pakistan 8. Burundi 7. Afghanistan 6. Zimbabwe 5. Democratic Republic of Congo 4. Sudan 3. Somalia 2. North Korea 1. Myanmar
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
Slide 6 Children working in a gold mine in Mali. Slide 7 Children forced to fight in Somalia. Slide 8 This is the only water this boy has to drink; it is so dirty it could kill him. Slide 9 All children with full access to their rights should have… -Clean water to drink -Freedom of speech Slide 10 One of the lucky children with access to clean water. Slide 11 2 boys with the ability to express their thoughts and feelings. Slide 12 A boy with an injured head at the doctors. Slide 13 In the future I see equal access… -Clean water -Shelter -Doctors Slide 14 One of the lucky 33% of children in Ethiopia with clean and safe water. In the future all children should be able to drink without worrying about dying. Slide 15 In the future all children should have basic shelter like the one shown here Slide 16 A doctor taking care of a poor Ethiopian boy.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
In the future I see all children able to have this treatment. Slide 17 “We ourselves feel that what we do is just a drop in the ocean but the ocean would be less because of that missing drop” -Mother Teresa Slide 18 • Cause=1 child has to fight in war • Effect=The future has 1 less child or more violence in it. Slide 19 • Cause=1 child forced to do Labour • Effect=A worse future for one child. Slide 20 Thank you!!!!!
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
CHILD LABOUR PRESENTATION BY PATRICK ZIEMER (11) AND NIKOLAS PRESCHER (12), ORIGINAL DELIVERED IN GERMAN
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
"Here in Switzerland a lot of children have a good life, but not all children have it good. A lot of children have to work in factories or mining and don’t know that this is against children’s rights. They sew clothes, have to go to war or get ore under inhuman circumstances. In most cases these children never went to school and aren’t even aware that they have rights, and least of all they know how to read and write. You will not only find child labour in third world countries, but also in Europe. A lot of people have no idea how terrible child labour is. Every now and again they donate a little and think „this is it“. But in most cases these donations never or only partly reach the children because of corruption and administrative fees. In order to help these children, one has to start at the beginning [source] of those problems. That means, one has to ensure that more money will be invested in education and less in the arms industry, and that adults can work for fair wages so that the children don’t have to work anymore and can go to school. Moreover, it is scandalous that not every country has signed the child rights convention yet and that breaching child’s rights only results in weak or no sanctions at all. In Switzerland one can help by using social media or by contacting companies that would be willing to help and to call the attention of many people to those circumstances. November 20th is the day of the child’s rights, but this is not publicly celebrated anywhere. This has to change. On this day, schools all over the world should talk about child’s rights. One could remind the children of their rights and children could watch documentaries in class about children in poorer countries. We children in Switzerland have our basic rights and lead quite a good and comfortable life. We have a home, good hospitals, the right to play and leisure time, we are allowed to go to school and learn, and we are allowed to express our opinion. Many children in this world don’t have those rights. It is our task to give these children their rights back.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
We should become friends with the children and ask them what they really need and help them. One possibility could be that every school in Switzerland sets up a friendship with a school in a less privileged country, a kind of adoption. Then we could visit our adopted /befriended school once a year, for example on 20th November or they can come to us or the UN and talk about their problems and needs. This would allow us to help them precisely and everybody would know about the problems of the children. It is important to raise awareness of the problems of the children. On November 20th, one could also place a box in the classroom and children and teacher, but also the children’s parents could collect money in this box in order to help children in need. I believe that we have a lot of possibilities to help children. Everything starts with attention. We have to give the children their basic rights, because unhappy children of today or criminal adults of tomorrow." Original German "Bei uns in der Schweiz haben viele Kinder es gut, aber nicht allen Kindern geht es gut. Viele Kinder müssen in Fabriken oder Bergwerken arbeiten und sind sich nicht einmal bewusst, dass dies gegen die Kinderrechte ist. Sie nähen Kleider, müssen in den Krieg ziehen oder in Bergwerken Erze abbauen und dies zu unmenschlichen Verhältnissen. Diese Kinder haben meist nie eine Schule besucht und sind sich gar nicht bewusst, dass sie Rechte haben und lesen und schreiben können diese Kinder schon gar nicht. Vor allem nicht nur in den dritten Welt Ländern gibt es Kinderarbeit, sondern auch in Europa. Vielen Menschen ist nicht bewusst, wie schlimm Kinderarbeit ist. Sie spenden ab und zu einbisschen und denken das wär’s gewesen. Aber solche Spenden erreichen diese Kinder durch Korruption oder Bearbeitungskosten meist nur unvollständig oder gar nicht. Um solchen Kindern zu helfen, muss man am Anfang der Probleme ansetzen. Das heisst, man muss dafür sorgen, dass mehr Geld für Bildung und weniger für Rüstungsindustrie ausgegeben wird und dass die Erwachsenen zu gerechtem Lohn arbeiten können, damit die Kinder nicht mehr arbeiten müssen und in die Schule gehen können. Eben- falls ist es skandalös, dass immer noch nicht alle Staaten die Kinderrechtskonvention unterschrieben haben und dass der Verstoss gegen die Kinderrechte zu schwache bis keine Sanktionen hervorruft. 31
Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
Von der Schweiz aus kann man helfen in dem man über soziale Plattformen oder Firmen anschreiben, die hilfsbereit wären und viele Menschen darauf aufmerksam machen. Brent Der 20. November ist der Tag der Kinderrechte, aber er wird nirgends öffentlich gefeiert. Das muss sich ändern. An diesem Tag sollte man in allen Schulen der Welt die Kinderrechte thematisieren. Man könnte die Kinder an ihre Rechte erinnern und in den Klassen könnte man Dokumentarfilme über die Kinder in anderen armen Ländern anschauen. Wir Kinder in der Schweiz haben unsere Basisrechte und führen ein recht gutes und gemütliches Leben. Wir haben ein Zuhause, wir haben gute Spitäler, wir haben das Recht auf Spiel und Freizeit, wir dürfen zur Schule und vieles Lernen und wir dürfen unsere Meinung äussern. Alle diese Rechte haben viele Kinder auf dieser Welt nicht. Unsere Aufgabe ist es, diesen Kindern ihre Rechte zurück zu geben. Wir sollten uns mit diesen Kindern befreunden und sie fragen, was sie wirklich brauchen und ihnen helfen. Eine Möglichkeit wäre, dass jede Schule in der Schweiz eine Schule in einem weniger privilegi- erten Land zum Freund erklärt, so eine Art Adoption. Dann könnten wir unsere Adoptiv/Freundschule einmal im Jahr zum Beispiel am 20. November besuchen oder sie kommen zu uns oder zur UNO und erzählen von ihren Problemen und was sie brauchen. Dann können wir ihnen zielegerichtet helfen und alle wüssten von den Problemen der Kinder. Es ist wichtig die Menschen auf die Probleme der Kinder aufmerksam zu machen. Am 20. November kann man aber auch eine Box in die Klassenzimmer platzieren und die Kinder und die Lehrer aber auch die Eltern der Kinder können in dieser Box Gelder sammeln als Hilfe für die Kinder im Not. Ich denke, dass man viele Möglichkeiten hat, den Kindern zu helfen, alles fängt mit Auf- merksamkeit an. Wir müssen den Kindern ihre Basisrechte geben, denn unglückliche Kinder von heute sind kriminelle Erwachsene von Morgen."
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS TO NON-DISCRIMINATION, DENISE VAN DUREN (13)
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
DENISE VAN DUREN – ENGLISH WRITTEN PRESENTATION DELIVERED IN FRENCH "I am here to talk to you about the children´s right to nondiscrimination. I chose this topic out of the numerous human rights because it is one of the rights that is often mistaken as one of less importance then the others. However, means of discrimination can vary. It can range from innocent teasing to bullying and to injury. In order to fully understand that right, I think it is important to know exactly what discrimination is. Discrimination is when someone treats a person or a particular group differently. This may be because of their skin colour, gender, sexuality, religion, beliefs… I could stand in front of you for an additional hour and continue reciting, but I’m not going to do that because of the time restrictions. Discrimination is also one of the most common forms of bullying and one of the children´s rights that is not obeyed. Ether we like it or not, millions of helpless children are being discriminated everyday by all kinds of people: other children, adults, and elderly. (We would all be lying to ourselves if we denied that we did not at least once in our lives think differently of someone because they were not part of our social group. Even if most of us do not express these kinds of thoughts out loud, children suffer everyday from discrimination.) That right can also be applied to adults but is much more needed with children. This is because children have less social and general power. It makes them an easy target for people with bad intentions. The children that are most affected are: the children that come from poorer communities and have not integrated in the society, children with mental or physical handicaps who are 34
Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
treated differently as they do not have the same capacities as others, and girls are also discriminated a lot in underdeveloped countries around the world and are deprived of an education. In my opinion, the differences we all have from one another are what makes us special‌. Unique. And if we try to eradicate these differences then our world would be deprived of colour. Just because a child has another religion, does it mean that he is inferior? Different, yes‌ But inferior? Are we not all human beings born with same needs, live under the same sky and breathe the same air? I think it is impossible to eradicate the problem because everyone is free to have their own thoughts and also free to express them. But it is possible to reduce the amount suffering and of low self esteem due to unfair actions. People can help solve the problem: we could make other people aware of the fact that children are being discriminated around the world and start to make little children aware of the situation."
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
LES DROITS DE L’ENFANT & EXPLOITATION by Guillaume Batard
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
Guillaume Batard Bilan du rapporteur du groupe francophone Nous abordé différents thèmes et cherché à répondre à plusieurs questions lors de ce sommet. I) Comment voyez-vous le monde aujourd’hui, par rapport aux droits de l’Enfant? “Le groupe a relevé qu’il existait encore beaucoup trop d’inégalités dans le monde. Dans les faits, tous les enfants du monde entier n’ont pas accès à l’éducation, ni aux soins de santé alors qu’il s’agit d’un droit fondamental reconnu par la convention des droits de l’enfant. En outre, plusieurs personnes du groupe francophone ont souligné que trop d’enfants étaient ex- ploités, notamment dans le cadre du travail forcé dans certains pays en développement, en Asie par exemple. Les enfants sont exploités et peu ou pas payés. Ainsi, la main d’œuvre fournie par les enfants est moins chère que celle des adultes et permet ainsi de diminuer les coûts de fabrication. Parfois, les travaux confiés aux enfants ne sont pas adaptés à leur âge. Faire travailler les enfants permet de leur confier des travaux pour lesquels ils ont un « avantage » par rapport aux adultes : accéder à des endroits étroits (dans les mines). De plus, les enfants sont facilement manipulables et ne se rendent pas compte lorsqu’on leur confie des travaux dangereux. La communauté internationale ne nous a pas semblé prendre suffisamment en considération la lute contre l’exploitation des enfants. Nous nous sommes ensuite focalisés sur les pays développés et avons constaté que les droits des enfants étaient globalement mieux respectés et qu’il existait moins de discrimination. Cependant, même dans ces pays, certains droits sont encore loin d’être parfaitement respectés. C’est le cas, par exemple, des enfants battus, qui est un problème souvent méconnu. De même, des enfants sont encore non scolarisés, notamment parmi les populations nomades (« gens du voyage »). Il existe encore trop de discrimination entre les enfants eux-mêmes : exclusion à l’école, harcèlement, insultes, en lien avec l’aspect physique, l’origine sociale… Il n’est pas normal que des gens soient discriminés à cause de leurs différences ou de leur handicap. Il nous semble important d’éduquer les enfants à parler et d’agir très tôt à l’école pour les sensibiliser aux problèmes de discrimination et de violences. Le manque d’éducation peut favoriser la violation des droits de l’enfant.
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine. Nous avons eu des difficultés à comprendre l’intérêt d’utiliser des enfants comme soldat. En effet, ils sont physiquement moins forts que les adultes. Dans presque tous les pays, les enfants et leurs idées sont encore insuffisamment considérés et ils ne sont pas assez écoutés.” II)
Comment imaginez-vous un monde ideal?
“Nous voulons que les enfants vivent leur vie d’enfant et qu’ils soient heureux. Pour cela, les droits des enfants doivent être respectés : - Plus aucun enfant soldat - Pas d’enfants battus - Que tous aient accès aux soins - Moins d’exploitation - Moins de discriminations dans les pays en développement - Accès des enfants au sport, à l’eau potable Pour y parvenir, nous avons imaginé des propositions de solutions ou des propositions : - les enfants doivent recevoir une éducation au respect des différences des autres dès leur plus jeune âge - des lois contre la discrimination doivent être votes - seules les personnes majeures doivent travailler, ce qui permettra d’arrêter immédiatement l’exploitation des enfants - les pays développés aident et collaborent avec les pays les moins riches - des échanges soient organisés entre les enfants afin que les uns découvrent la culture et les conditions de vie des autres D’une manière générale, nous voudrions que les enfants vivent dans un monde sans guerre et sans pollution.”
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
REFLECTIONS ON SUMMIT
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
Guillaume Batard, 16 France The international summit on child rights was exceptional. It was the first time I attended a summit exclusively run by children. There were many children of different nationalities which allowed the expression of many ideas and opinions on the children's rights and their conditions in the world. I was able to meet and interact with other children from different countries and languages, it was very rewarding. I hope to repeat this experience at the upcoming summit. Le sommet international des droits de l’enfant a été exceptionnel. C’était la première fois que j’assistais à un sommet dirigé exclusivement par des enfants. Il y avait beaucoup d’enfant de différentes nationalités ce qui a permis l’expression de nombreuses idées et opinion sur les droits de l’enfant et sur leurs conditions dans le monde. J’ai ainsi pu rencontrer et échanger avec d’autres enfants de pays et de langues différentes, cela a été très enrichissant. J’espère pouvoir renouveler cette expérience lors du prochain sommet.
Anya Roschke, 12 USA
“The Child Rights Youth Summit was an AMAZING and special experience! One special thing about this meeting is that it is run by children for children. During this meeting, all of the delegates got to express themselves freely. Children from many different countries attended this meeting; as a result, there were many different perspectives about the topics we discussed. This meeting was different than I expected; specifically, we all got to speak to one another and do activities together. I really enjoyed that this meeting was in a city that I had never been to before. I also enjoyed being in the UN. When I walked into the UN I felt humbled because the building was so beautiful. However, I was shocked to go through the very high security to get into the UN. Dr. Ariel King also gave me the chance to be the English-speaking chair of the meeting. This is something that I will always be grateful for. If you do not know, Dr. Ariel King organized this whole meeting and works with the United Nations on many children’s issues (http://arielfoundation.org/index.html). I really enjoyed having this job because I prepared and gave a presentation about “Children Rights Today and How I Believe They Could Be in the Future.” When creating this presentation, I did some research about what life is like for different children around the world. I learned of worst conditions than I expected; specifically, we all got to speak to one another and do activities together. I learned about the worst conditions for children to live in. I read one story of a boy needing to kill his sister because she could not keep up with the other 40
Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine. child soldiers. Another reason I liked this job is I was able to ask questions in my work group to help me learn more about specific topics. I had a great time at the youth summit and wish I could have this opportunity again. I would hope to learn EVEN MORE about my rights and what is happening to other children around the world.”
Denise Van Deuren, 13 Belgium Co-Chair, English Group
My impressions of the summit: "I loved the experience I put it to the top (one) this year. The theme was really about (children) because all participants were children. I found all the presentations made by (children) very rich in information and presentation techniques and were interesting. The proposed schedule allowed us to have plenty of time for all the activities planned by the organizers. By cons, sometimes (we could not hear) the required task. During this unique event we started with presentations on children's rights. Then we chaired with panel discussions on our views about the theme that has given us etc. Afterwards the group was divided into three: film makers, photographers and artists. This fun activity half a day because I liked the meeting of children of different nationalities me broadened my horizons. In general I learned a lot of notions and is about the rights of children that were unknown to me before. I had already participated in an event (at the UN) of the sort recently and it was perhaps a bit more abstract for me as the subject. On this occasion I was surrounded of children my age who had the same interests as me. I hope I can participate again. " Mes impressions sur le sommet: “J´ai adoré l´expérience que j´ai recue au sommet cette année. Le theme était très a propos car le tous les participants étaient des enfants. J´ai trouvé que toutes les présentations réalisées par le chairs étaient très riches en informations et et les techniques de presentation etaient interressantes. Le planning proposé nous a permis dávoir plein de temps pour toutes les activités prévues par les organi- sateurs. Par contre, quelques fois il y avait des mal entendu sur la tâche réquise. Lors de cet événement unique nous avons commencé par des présentations sur un des droits des enfants. Puis nous avons enchainé avec des discussions en groupe sur notre vis à propos du theme qui nous a eté donné. Par après le groupe fut divisé en trois: les responsables de filmer, les photographes et les artistes. Cette activité ludique d’une demi journée m´a beaucoup plu car la rencontre des gents de diférentes nationalities m´a élargi mes horizons. En général j´ai appris énormément de notions et de fait a propos des droits des enfants qui m´étaient inconnues auparavant. J´avais déjà participé a un
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine. évenement de la sorte récemment et ce dernier était peut-être un peut plus abstrait pour moi étant donné le sujet traité. A cette occasion j´étais entourée d´enfants de mon âge qui avaient les mêmes intérêts que moi. J´espère que je pourrais participer une nouvelle fois.”
Brent Roschke, 8 USA What were some things you liked most about the UN Youth Summit and your visit to the UN? “Being in small work group and discussing what we think about children’s rights. Having a tour of the building. It was interesting to see the place where all different countries meet.” What are the UN Children’s Bill of Rights? “These are about the rights all children must have. One thing I think about is the right to live in a safe place with people who really love you.” Are these important? Why? “These rights are very important because without them children’s futures are affected and maybe scary. They could end up on a street with no one caring for them.” What are three things you learned from attending this summit? “ - Not all children have the same rights - What the rights are - How important it is that we have them”
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Children’s Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
MOVING FORWARD This report will go to the Human Rights Council President, The Committee on the Rights of the Child and to other agencies to inform them of the important issues taken up by the children delegates. The next children's summit on Children Promoting Peace (June 2015) and Children Promoting Human Rights (October 2015) And Children’s Participation in Human Rights ( March 2016).
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Children's Rights: What We See. What We Imagine.
ARIEL FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, then when? - Hillel
ISB N 978-0-9964523-3-5
1 51000> 9
80996 452335
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