Makeyourvoicesheard!

Would you and your friends like to get involved in sharing knowledge about the rights of the child? Make your voice heard through the media. Raising awareness puts pressure on those in power, and makes them think more about children when they’re making decisions.

Every year, when millions of children’s votes have been counted in the Global Vote, the children organize their own World’s Children’s Press Conference on the same day, across the globe. They demand respect for children’s rights and reveal which of the nominees has received the most votes and is the recipient of The World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child, and which two will receive the World’s Children’s Honorary Award. Only children can speak and be interviewed by journalists during the press conferences. Interested in getting involved?

This is what you do: Tell the WCP contact in your country that you want to hold a Children’s Press Conference. Are there several schools in your area? Hold a joint press conference with one representative from each school on stage.

Good venue

If possible, choose the most important building in your area for your press conference to show that the rights of the child are important! Holding it at your school is fine too. The 2023 press conferences will be held at the WCP Ceremony Day in October. The exact date will be published on the WCP website.

Invite the media

Allow plenty of time to contact your local media. You might need to nag them a bit. Phone, email and send text messages to newspaper offices and individual journalists.

Unfortunately, not all adults realise how important the rights of the child and the

At worldschildrensprize.org/wcpc you’ll find:

• The exact date of the press conference.

• Press releases, child rights fact sheets and draft scripts.

• Advice on how to invite journalists and questions for politicians.

• Films about WCP, the Global Vote and the Child Rights Heroes.

• Press images.

Child Rights Heroes are. So you’ll need to explain it to them.

Prepare

Write down and practise what you want to say about WCP, and about what life is like for the children in your area and in your country. The day before the press conference you will receive secret information from the WCP focal point in your country about the result of the Global Vote.

Hold the press conference

1. If possible, begin with music and dancing, and explain that other children all over the world are holding press conferences at the same time.

2. State facts about the WCP and show short video clips.

3. Explain what life is like for children and what you know about violations of children’s rights where you live and in your country. Talk about the changes you’d like to see and place demands.

4. Share information about the fantastic efforts of the Child Rights Heroes and reveal the result of the Global Vote.

5. Hand out press releases and child rights fact sheets.

We are patrons of the World’s Children’s Prize

Malala Yousafzai and the late Nelson Mandela both chose to be patrons of the World’s Children’s Prize. They are also the only recipients of both the Nobel Peace Prize and what the media often refer to as the “Children’s Nobel Prize”, the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child. Both are also WCP Decade Child Rights Heroes. Anyone who has done something good for children’s rights or the World’s Children’s Prize can be an Honorary Adult Friend and patron of WCP. Queen Silvia was WCP’s first patron. Malala and the late Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are joined by Xanana Gusmão, Graça Machel, former Swedish prime ministers and ministers for children, who are also WCP patrons.