International Save the Children Alliance
Why Are We Active?
We are youth engaged in the work of Save the Children. We became active for our own reasons and are driven by different things, but we all share the same commitment to work for the rights of children. We all believe that we can make a positive change now!
Here are profiles of some youth active at Save the Children, sharing their thoughts on their engagement, and what they consider to be the most important article of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Guillem, Spain
Guillem is 16 years old and comes from Girona, Catalunya, Spain. He first became active in Save the Children four years ago. Now he is trying to create a local youth group in his hometown.
He says that his engagement reflects how he views life. He wants members of society to start stepping away from conformity and ‘thinking outside the box', and wants others to share his belief that anything is possible.
For him the article 13.1 - "The child will have the right to the freedom of speech" - is the most important. He believes this is one of the most valuable rights a child can have.
Mohau, Swaziland
Mohau is 17 years old and comes from Swaziland. He is active through different activities and workshops within SC Swaziland. Recently he attended a workshop that was called "Tools for a loving world" where he was helping facilitating the discussions. Now he is planning to hold a workshop on his own for his schoolmates. He believes that "serious fun" is a very good method use.
Mohau is active because he wants to learn about how we can change the world. SC has a dream to change the world and he believes that within in a few years we will be able to see changes. He means that international cooperation is very important- so that we can think globally and work locally!
The articles 28-29 about the right to education are the most important. He means that for Swaziland to be better tomorrow- the children have to be educated. He believes that education is one important key to solve problems of poverty and violence. He means that both formal and informal educations are equally important.
Julie, Denmark
Julie is 28 years old and comes from Copenhagen, Denmark. She helped create the Save the Children Youth organisation in Denmark. Now she is, among other things, active through her own project The Child's Friend.
She first became involved because she wanted to work for the rights of children together with other young people.
Her engagement is driven most strongly by the desire to end human trafficking. Her most important article is number 12; "The right to be heard. "
Anika, Canada
Anika is 23 years old and comes from Canada. She first became active as part of a Save the Children university group. Now that she has graduated, she is working on getting Save the Children more known in her city, and to start cooperating more with local businesses.
Anika became engaged because she wanted to do something that would benefit her own community as well as children in other countries.
Her biggest passion lies in working for the disadvantaged and working to end child labour. She wants to make sure all children have a chance to live their childhood to the fullest and grow up in a safe place where they can flourish, learn, and live healthy, happy lives.
She believes that the article 6 is the most important; "Every child has the inherent right to life."
Miriam, Honduras
Miriam is 23 years old and comes from Honduras. She has been active in Save the Children for eleven years.
She had always felt the need to help other youth achieve their childhood dreams and desires, and knew Save the Children could help her work towards this. Her engagement has also given her a great opportunity to discover and develop her own capacities.
She also feel that this the best way for her to be a part of a better Honduras. PORQUE NO SOMOS EL MAÑANA SOMOS EL AHORA- Because we are not the future- we are now!
Tove, Sweden
Tove is 21 years old and lives in Stockholm, Sweden . She helped found the Save the Children Youth organisation in Sweden and is now its president. She became active because she felt she wanted to do something whose impact would be felt. At the age of 12, she recruited a group of friends for her cause. Since her sister was already active in Save the Children, it only seemed natural to start up a local chapter of the organisation.
Tove wants to change the way children are regarded in society today. She wants us to see children as human beings and as a valuable resource for the society. Children can do so much to change their own futures if only given the arenas and opportunities to do so.
She can’t choose just one of the articles because she believes so strongly in the whole convention!
Renato, Guatemala
Renato is 15 years old and comes from from Guatemala City, Guatemala. He is active in many youth groups that are supported by Save the Children Guatemala. For example, he is working with a youth-focused radio station, on two separate radio programmes - CHISPAS AL AIRE (Gleams in the Air) and JUVENTUD AL AIRE (Youth in the Air). These programes are predominantly about youth and children's rights.
He became active because he believes in a just world for children and youth in all countries. He also wants to be an actor in making changes, both for today and for tomorrow. He wants to continue his work in all his organizations because he believes that youth are just as important actors as adults. As a bonus, he also meets a lot of great people!
Renato does not just have one particular focus relating to the UN Convention on the rights of the child . Article 39 about rehabilitation speaks to him, because he believes that a child who cannot play is not really allowed to be a child. He also supports article 12-15 about the right to freedom of speech, because if children themselves cannot express their needs and opinions, the world will have trouble fulfilling them.
Leena-Kaisa, Finland
Leena-Kaisa is 24 years old, comes from Helsinki, Finland, and currently works as the national youth coordinator for Save the Children Finland. She is working on developing the Youth section of the organization.
She believes that NGOs such as Save the Children are the best way to involve young people and give them the opportunity to make an impact in areas which are important to them.
She is working for Save the Children because she believes that their work is increasing the interaction between adults and children and youth. In her dream world everyone would be equal. Right now however, adults rarely listen to the thoughts and opinions of young people, and they are often not treated as valuable members of society.
Leena-Kaisa also finds it hard to commit to only one of the articles, since they are all so important for children in different circumstances. However she believes that in Finland, articles 12 and 13 carry the most relevance. She wants people to stop seeing children just as objects, and to listen to children instead of continually making decisions on behalf of them.