The Drum Beat 109 - Say Yes for Children

Called 'Say Yes for Children', this campaign seeks to rally people behind 10 principles that seek to improve and protect the lives of children. They are:

• Leave No Child Out
  
• Put Children First
  
• Care for Every Child
  
• Fight HIV/AIDS
  
• Stop Harming & Exploiting Children
  
• Listen to Children
  
• Educate Every Child
  
• Protect Children from War
  
• Protect the Earth for Children
  
• Fight Poverty: Invest in Children

The movement aims to build a groundswell of support, through actions and signature pledges, that will push leaders to renew and honour their commitments to children at the UN General Assembly’s Special Session on Children in New York, Sept 19-21.

Pledge YOUR support for the 10 principles of the campaign at The Global Movement for Children website - or by e-mail pledge@netaid.org Forward this message to your colleagues and friends.

SOME OF THE ACTION

1. Peru - organised a mini-election for children. This mini-replica of a Presidential election mirrors the adult process, recognising children as citizens with the right to vote. Elections take place in 18 of the 24 provinces in the country. Over 800,000 children nationwide participate.

Contact: Carlos Espa cespa@unicef.org

2. Jamaica - 30 'Youth Advocates' at Children's Expo in May guided all visitors through the campaign and the pledging process, both online and on paper. In July 'Say Yes' tied-in with 'Teen Fest 2001', a festival attended by thousands of young people.

Contact: Monica Dias mdias@unicef.org

3. Honduras - The national football team wore 'Say Yes' T-shirts during their international matches. Youth from student governments are collecting pledges and the campaign is being pushed in electoral campaigns. A nationwide vigil/sign-up on Aug 31 calls for all Hondurans to assume greater responsibility for the protection of children's rights.

Contact: Hector Espinal hespinal@unicef.org

4. Vietnam - 200 street children and children from poor families in Gia Lam signed 'Say Yes' pledges. Pledge forms were distributed to thousands of street children, disabled children, child labourers, and other out of school children. Forms will be distributed to every school in time for National School Enrollment day on Sept 5.
Contact: Jason Rush jrush@unicef.org

5. Sri Lanka - 3 advertising 'giants' designed and formulated a communication campaign. The Sarvodaya Shramandana Movement and over 5,000 religious leaders have made public endorsements. School children in over 50 urban schools are initiating their own projects to actualise the points of the pledge, including the provision of basic services, toilets, safe water and furniture to poor and needy schools and children in rural areas.

Contact: Mohamed Segu-Mohamed Nizar mnizar@unicef.org

6. Pakistan - At a Child Rights Festival in Lahore 3,000 children, parents and teachers pledged. 40 children’s magasines have published the pledge forms. Volunteers have taken forms to children in jails, orphan homes and those engaged in labour. On Aug 10, over 5,000 girls and boys walked in Karachi, at the end of which thousands of children pledged.

Contact: Raana Syed rsyed@unicef.org.pk

7. Yemen - launched on May 30 at a National Forum for Children - the first of its kind. They are working to engage key sectors of society, particularly children and young people, in discussions and action. Partners include several Ministries, the National Coalition on the Rights of the Child, the National Women’s Union and the Higher Council for Motherhood & Childhood.

Contact: Zeina Allouche zallouche@unicef.org

8. Zimbabwe - Children marched from Townhouse to Harare Gardens to make their issues known and have their voices heard. Presided over by First Lady Grace Mugabe, the launch included speeches, entertainment and performances by children, marching bands and drum majorettes depicting the points of the pledge - translated into 5 local languages.

Contact: Betty Mukiibi bmukiibi@unicef.org

9. Swaziland - Organisers are collaborating with local churches. Voting took place in churches throughout the country. The campaign focused on Fight HIV/AIDS and Stop Harming & Exploiting Children.

Contact: Velephi Riba vriba@unicef.org

10. South Africa - a 'child-friendly version' of the pledge, 'Hear My Voice', which reflects issues relevant to South Africa, is being carried nationwide. Telkom facilitated Internet pledging by children nationwide. Those in rural areas have been able to pledge through community outreach initiatives. A radio promotion provided children with cell phones to call in their pledges.

Contact: Yvonne Duncan yduncan@unicef.org

11. Madagascar - leaders allowed for the full participation of children at the International Festival of Music & Culture. Each day began with a performance by a group of youth dressed in T-shirts bearing the 10 points of the pledge. 40 primary school children, a French artiste and local musicians collaboratively produced 2 songs reflecting these 10 points. In July, a National Children’s Forum ended with a concrete proposal to institute a Youth Parliament in Madagascar.

Contact: Joyce Brandful jbrandful@unicef.org

For information about the 'Say Yes' Campaign in your area, contact Allison Brown - abrown@unicef.org

12. Ghana - When a Children’s Parliament debated on the current situation of children in Ghana in April, the President responded to their concerns by promising a commitment to education reforms with the implementation of a national policy for free, compulsory basic education and an expanded teacher training programme, as well as to urgent actions to halt child labour and fight child abuse. US$20,000 was raised at the launch event for a Children’s Fund in Ghana.

Contact: Madelon Cabooter mcabooter@unicef.org

13. Benin - At the April launch, 5 students of the local Committee of Democrat Children performed on subjects ranging from the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the trafficking of children. Guests also watched singer Angelique Kidjo via video, who advocated for increased commitment and action for children.

Contact: Michele Badarou mbadarou@unicef.org

14. Sudan - leading actor and child advocate, Ali Mahdi, led a 180-km ‘March for Children’ on July 27-28. In southern Sudan, paper pledge forms are being distributed and collected through schools, medical outreach and immunisation programmes under the umbrella of the emergency airlift programme Operation Lifeline Sudan.

Contact: Nance Webber nwebber@unicef.org

15. West Africa (Niamey, Niger) - 300 traditional chiefs from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal signed the pledge. These chiefs are the arbiters of moral and religious authority in their countries and often hold considerable de facto civil authority. They spoke out for child and women’s rights, including for girls’ education and against early marriage.

Contact: Ramatou Amadou Madougou (Niger CO) ramadougou@unicef.org

16. Russia - NGO participation has included a presentation to young journalists at a summer camp on preparations for the Special Session and the goals of the 'Say Yes' campaign. Several Moscow city and region summer camps have mobilised some 20,000 children to join the campaign. Plans are underway to include 'Say Yes' in back-to-school projects this Sept.

Contact: Anna Chernyakhovskaya achernyakhovskaya@unicef.org

17. China - A top fashion photographer has filmed popular singers in a 'Say Yes' poster series. The same entertainers added their handprints to a 'Say Yes' banner before performing at UNICEF’s International Children’s Day benefit concert.

Contact: Charles Rycroft crycroft@unicef.org

18. Kazakhstan - 150 young journalists gathered to be trained as 'Say Yes' leaders during a Youth & Media festival. After interviews and pledging, the journalists produced a special 'Say Yes' festival newsletter and paraded throughout the city with a large handprint banner. Also mass pledging events in Kostanai and Taldykorgan.

Contact: Patricia Light plight@unicef.org

19. Africa - Girls’ Education Movement (GEM) - Uganda, 15-17 Aug 2001 - Girls have taken the lead in the debate on barriers that exclude them from the education system in Africa.

Contact: Grace Banya (Uganda CO) gbanya@unicef.org

20. Asia - Child Rights Award - launched in July. This is a regional award for TV programming on child rights that recognises the role broadcasters play in the Global Movement for Children.

Contact: Robert Tyabji rtyabji@unicef.org

21. Internet - Youth who will not be at the Special Session can still take part, through UNICEF’s Voices of Youth site. Comments will be shared with participants at the Children’s Forum.

Contact: Sally Burnheim sburnheim@unicef.org

Thanks to Sally Burnheim sburneim@unicef.org and Allison Brown abrown@unicef.org in UNICEF New York for their support.

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