Childreach and Plan International Say Yes for Children Around the World

Childreach
Tuesday, 1 May 2001

Childreach/Plan International has joined other international development organizations in Say Yes for Children, a global campaign to promote children's rights. The campaign encourages everyone to participate by voting on ten important actions to make all children's lives healthy and happy.

Plan International, along with Netaid, kicked off the campaign in Guatemala on April 25th at Las Escobas School in a rural community one and a half hours outside of Guatemala City. Believing that it is important for every child to be heard, Plan started its campaign in a remote, sometimes forgotten village.

Plan staff and volunteers discussed each of the ten points of the Rallying Call for the Global Movement for Children and then had the students vote on the three most important issues for them. The students, led by members of the school's student government, tallied the votes and presented the results to the group. Their choices were Listen to Children, Educate Every Child, and Put Children First.

The next day, Childreach, U.S. Member of Plan International, participated in the launch of the Say Yes for Children Campaign in New York City at the Donnell Public Library. The launch, organized by the US Fund for UNICEF, included Save the Children US, Christian Children's Fund, the Global Health Council, the US chapter of the Conference on Religions and Peace, and World Vision.

Leaders from these organizations spoke at the launch and were joined by two remarkable youth advocates: Toni Jones, a 14 year old Liberian girl who spent three years with her family in a refugee camp after fleeing Liberia in 1990; and Gregory Smith, an 11 year old youth spokesperson for the World Centers of Compassion for Children who is already attending college.

Each speaker focused on one of the 10 Rallying Calls of the Campaign. Childreach National Executive Director Samuel Worthington focused on point number 6: Listen to Children. In his speech Mr. Worthington spoke about the importance of listening to children and how Childreach, through Plan International, brings children's voices into the decision-making process. As examples, Mr. Worthington highlighted a Radio Program in West Africa and live web chats between children in Kenya and UN delegates attending the Special Session on Children this past January.

Say Yes for Children was also launched in Canada on the same day. Foster Parents Plan Canada participated with UNICEF, Save the Children and World Vision. Together, they developed a joint press kit which was distributed to English and French media outlets across Canada. They arranged an interview on one of Canada's national television morning news programs. The "Say Yes" spokesperson promoted the Global Movement for Children and encouraged Canadians to sign the pledge. The interview also featured footage, supplied by UNICEF, of Nelson Mandela meeting with children and young people.

Interviews with several regional daily newspapers and a local radio station were conducted with the help of a Canadian youth who has been a delegate at the UN Special Sessions.

The participating organizations have also posted information about Say Yes for Children and the Global Movement for Children on the home pages of their websites and they encourage sponsors and supporters to sign the pledge.

Plan will continue to work with UNICEF, Save the Children and World Vision over the next five months to raise the profile of Say Yes for Children and the Global Movement.

For more information, or to contact Childreach, see their website at: www.childreach.org