CHILD RIGHTS & YOU!!!

I am a CHILD…

And so am I…..

And so is anyone below the age of 18 You could be… *A girl or a boy * A small baby or a teen * Rich or poor * A Hindu or a Muslim, etc * Born to a businessman or a famous actor * Black skinned, or white or brown all over * Needing special things - like a wheelchair, or hearing aids * In any situation that’s completely different from everyone else IT DOESN’T MATTER! If you are below 18 you are a child, as important as any other child

Let’s see if you can spot all the children in these pictures….

Did you know that children have rights?

YES, CHILDREN HAVE RIGHTS!! Many groups of children and adults from all over the world discussed what children’s concerns are. Then the United Nations came up with a list of rights For all children all over the world in 1989.

Can you tell which of these are RIGHTs and which are not? In each pair choose the one that is a RIGHT- Food OR Ice Creams To be protected from ever getting a cold OR to be protected from ever getting kidnapped Personal computer OR Education To share my opinions OR to do whatever I want

How did you know? Because as a child, you instinctively know that RIGHTS are… Universal- everyone has the same rights- all need food, education etc Intrinsic- rights belong to you, they are inside of you, no matter what circumstances you are in- whether you live in an apartment or a house or in a hut, you have the same rights. Essential- no one can/should have to do without rights. Our rights help us live full lives. Interrelated to each other- e.g. right to food is related to education. The more educated you are the better your chances of earning enough to always have plenty of food. Linked to responsibilities- adults are responsible for giving children our rights- our parents, neighbors, relatives, society, government, etc

So, what are your rights? SURVIVAL PROTECTION DEVELOPMENT PARTICIPATION

All children have the right to SURVIVAL To live Get good health care Get good food regularly Have a name- your own identity To have a nationality - belong to a country that will care for you

All children have the right to PROTECTION To have a family that will protect you To be safe from every harm- physical or mental To have your own privacy

All children have the right to DEVELOPMENT to education rest and leisure recreation

All children have the right to PARTICIPATION To express yourself freely To choose your own set of beliefs To know about things related to your life To be a member of associations To enjoy your own culture

Here is a story about a girl who does not get all her rights… Here is a story that about a girl who does not get her rights…

Hi! I am Asma from Mumbai, India, and this is my story… I am 8 years old I live with my parents, 2 sisters, 1 brother and my grandma- that’s 7 of us! We live altogether in a small hut next to the railway station My father sweeps the streets and my mother cleans people’s homes. I have never been to school

This is my story… There’s a court near my home- and everyday I see the lady lawyers looking all busy and important They must have gone to school for sure! Even to college I think! Sometimes I dream I’ll be a lawyer too and make sure no one comes to destroy my home.

This is my story… My parents work hard to earn a living, but they still can’t afford to send us all to school even though they really want to send me to school So I stay home to take care of the house and my baby sisters. My younger brother goes to school…but he might have to stop soon. My uncle has got him a job at a tea stall.. My brother doesn’t want to leave school.

This is my story… I have big dreams for myself and my family and i know that many people all over the world want to help us get our rights.

Is Asma’s story similar to yours? Even though Asma’s life is very different, you still have a lot in common with her… YOU are all children YOU were all born equal YOU have rights – as children CAN YOU NOW TELL ME WHAT YOUR RIGHTS ARE?

In India there are many children who do not get their rights Asma is just one example… Half of India’s children do not get sufficient food to eat. Half of India’s children who are old enough to, do not go to school. There are millions of children in India who are forced to go to work instead of school.

So what does CRY America do to help these children…?

Child Rights And You, America Inc. Building a Community of people who care about the Rights of children

& What Does CRY America Do ? YOU Child Rights Children In Need- like Asma Organizations who are trained to help children get what is rightfully theirs You- who share your concern, time, money and skills

The CRY America Approach Getting people together to help children like Asma to get all their rights - today and tomorrow, for as long as it takes.

CRY America achievements…thus far Raised $ 540,000 in 2004, its first year as a 501c3 organization Impacted the lives of 35,322 children in India last year Thanks to the active support of over 4000 donors and 500 volunteers across the US

Who makes our work possible? People around the world including children like you… 15 year old Sohum Misra developed www.mumbaikids.org as a school project. The website provides information about Mumbai-based NGOs that are working for underprivileged children (CRY is one of them). The kids of a school in Santacruz, Mumbai called the CRY Cubs, spread awareness on the 4 rights of a child through a skit and put up a stall displaying information on the rights at their annual school exhibition. Some of them wore self made badges saying “life is short, childhood is shorter, act now!” and stationed themselves at other stalls or mingled with the crowd To mark Anti-Child Labor Day (30th April) the children of Mahadevi Birla Girls High Secondary School, Kolkata, participated in a Collage Competition that highlighted the plight of 110 million child laborers in India.

Who makes our work possible? People around the world including children like you… Pooja Khanna and her fellow students from MiRtH, an independent student organization in the US, made Christmas and New Year cards for children in CRY America supported projects in India. Anushree Majumdar, an 11th standard student, visited CRY, to get a feel of how a social organization works. Once in, she felt she could not leave without doing something for the children. She worked tirelessly for our event BOL JAMOORE, finding sponsors for banners and posters, and bringing in the Delhi Group, Best of Campus, to perform free of cost.

Would you like to make a difference to the lives of children who need our support… Then take the CRY pledge- I am a child. I believe all children should be able to enjoy the rights promised to us by our leaders- the rights to survival, protection, development and participation. I pledge to do whatever I can, in my own way, to fight so that all children can have a great childhood. And because many other children like me will also do the same, WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

“What I can do, I must.” Striving together… - Rippan Kapur 1944 – 1994 Founder, CRY

Thank You www.america.cry.org