News

POVERTY: Child-Led Organisations Launch Global Campaign [news].
17 March 2005

[Global Movement for Children, UK. 17 March 2005 - POVERTY: Child-Led Organisations Launch Global Campaign [news]. Source: CRINMAIL 661]

2005 is an important opportunity for change in favour of children. This year, governments from around the world will be meeting to evaluate their progress on poverty and development. And as part of the World Fit for Children campaign, thousands of children affected by governments' lack of action will confront them with the results of their own evaluation.
Child-led movements around the world have launched an initiative mobilising children to evaluate progress on government's development promises, as part of the Global Movement for Children (GMC)'s World Fit for Children campaign. A questionnaire developed by a network of elected representatives from child-led organisations in Asia, Latin America and Africa has been written with other child-led groups in mind. The questionnaire has been kept open for recommendations and actions, and will enable children at a country level to link their activities and plans with those of other groups. Completed questionnaires will be sent to a regional network of child-led groups who will be collating and distributing results. From Paraguay to Rwanda, groups of children from all over the world are already involved. Interim results will be available in August, and will be publicised by the children themselves and linked up with the 'white-band' day of the Global Call to Action against Poverty. Any formal or informal group of children where children have a level of decision-making authority - from sports groups, radio projects and children's councils, to street children and working children's unions - are invited to take part.
All concerned organisations are invited to publicise the campaign to children's groups in their country and region. Regional contact addresses for more information and the questionnaire will be available soon on the GMC website. This initiative, as part of the World Fit for Children campaign, is a child led and child to child campaign, but many children will ask for support with the process. As the whole campaign progresses, organisations may wish to use the children's recommendations and work with them to develop programmes. An activity pack for children and supporting adult organisations will be available on the GMC website in April.
For more information, contact: Kate Norgrove, Communications Manager, Global Movement for Children, c/o Plan, Chobham House, Christchurch Way, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6JG, UK, Tel: + 44 1483 733 335, Email: info@gmfc.org , Website http://www.gmfc.org . Also visit http://www.whiteband.org

Contact

Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane
London EC1M 4AR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 20 70126865
Fax: (+44) 20 70126952
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org

The Kyoto World Cities Challenge: 2005-2007
15 March 2005

Despite the fact that the transport sector is responsible for at least half, often more, of all CO2 production in most cities, there is no provision under the Kyoto Protocols to provide guidelines, mechanisms or incentives to attack these problems. Transport in cities was the “Empty Chair in Kyoto”. The Kyoto World Cities Challenge Initiative has been created to provide an open platform of expert guidance and peer support for groups and cities anywhere in the world wishing to attack these problems, and in the process move toward being “Kyoto Compliant”.
The main pillars of this independent peer initiative include: 1) An aggressive Outline Program Proposal and Strategy for practical, high impact, short term, explicitly targeted remedial action at the level of the city starting in 2005, supported by ... 2) A distinguished International Advisory Panel: a high level group of recognized experts and leaders in the wide range of fields that need to be brought in to the solution process, and 3) Direct continuing contact and exchanges with a World Wide Inventory of Programs and Sources active in related areas with coverage and competences that are needed to meet the challenges. 4) A state-of-the-art multi-level Information and IP Communications Platform bringing together low cost high quality internet tools that can be used to knit the network and the interested cities together.
For further information and background: http://kyotocities.org

Contact

The New Mobility Agenda
Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara
Paris 75006, France
Telephone: +331 4326 1323
Email: postmaster@newmobility.org
Website: http://newmobility.org

PARTICIPATION: "Make a difference" in a One-Minute Video [competition]
01 March 2005

[UNICEF, New York. 1 March 2005 - PARTICIPATION: "Make a difference" in a One-Minute Video (competition). Source: CRINMAIL 655]
The MAGIC website is a UNICEF initiative which calls on media professionals, educators, governments, organisations, parents, children and young people themselves to recognise the enormous potential of the media to make the world a better place for children. MAGIC is organising a video competition for children and young people below the age of 25. One-minute long videos must show how young people can and are taking action to make the world - and their own communities - a better place. Videos must capture the mission of Voices of Youth - to promote and protect every child's right to know more, say more and do more about the world they live in. The winning video will be the official Voices of Youth public service announcement, receive prizes, and will be made available for broadcast around the world on The International Children's Day of Broadcasting.
Submission deadline: 1 March 2005
For more information, contact: Chris Schuepp, Young People's Media Network Co-ordinator, c/o European Centre for Media Competence, Bergstrasse 8, 10th floor, D-45770 Marl, Germany, Tel: + 49 2365 502480; Fax: + 49 12 125 125 21981, e-mail cschuepp@unicef.org or visit www.unicef.org/magic and www.theoneminutesjr.org/participate websites

Contact

Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane
London EC1M 4AR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 20 70126865
Fax: (+44) 20 70126952
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org

Launch of PLACES for PLAY
A new publication from PLAYLINK
14 February 2005

A new publication from PLAYLINK will be launched on Monday 14 February 2005, 10,30am – 1pm at Financial Service Authority, 25 The North Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HS. This free event will also mark the retirement of Sandra Melville as Director of PLAYLINK.
Too often poor design robs children of vital opportunities to learn and be healthy and wastes public money. There is an urgent need to rethink how play is provided for in public. Parents, play providers, politicians, popular opinion – all have a part to play in bringing about change. PLACES for PLAY illustrates some of the many creative ways in which children’s play outdoors is being catered for. By demonstrating what is possible, it is intended to inspire a more imaginative approach to the creation of play spaces and public space, one founded on understanding the needs and wishes of children. Though PLACES for PLAY marks the formal end of PLAYLINK as a charity, the work to promote radical improvement in public provision for play will be taken forward in the same traditions by a new, not-for-profit organisation under the same name.
For more information contact Bernard Spiegal at info@playlink.org.uk and/or visit the PLAYLINK website..
The Free Play Network is a network of individuals and organisations, working together to promote greater free play opportunities for children. The Network facilitates discussion and exchange of information, and provides guidance on best practice in development of children's play opportunities. For more information visit Free Play Network website..

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Contact

Free Play Network
66 York Road
New Barnet EN5 1LJ, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Website: http://www.freeplaynetwork.org.uk

Playlink
11 Mowll Street
London SW9 6BG, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (44) 0207 8203800
Fax: (44) 0207 5870790
Email: info@playlink.org.uk
Website: http://www.playlink.org.uk/

UNICEF's two Newest Websites Launch: Occupied Palestinian Territory and Serbia-Montenegro
26 January 2005

The situation of children and women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Serbia and Montenegro can now be accessed through two new websites. Visit the new UNICEF OPT website to access details on UNICEF's programmes in OPT; information on children’s municipality councils; press releases; and UNICEF’s work on key issues, including health, education, adolescents and child protection.
UNICEF Serbia and Montenegro spotlights UNICEF’s work in the country, provides resources for journalists, and stories from the lives of children in Serbia and Montenegro illustrated with photos from around the country. For more information visit UNICEF Serbia e Montenegro website

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URL http://www.unicef.org/opt/
URL http://www.unicef.org/scg/

Contact

UNICEF Occupied Palestinian Territory
P.O. Box 25141, House No. 4, Hizma, Beit Hanina
Shu'fat Jerusalem ,
Telephone: (972) 2 5830013
Fax: (972) 2 5830806
Email: Jerusalem@unicef.org
Website: http://www.unicef.org/opt/

UNICEF Serbia and Montenegro
Svetozara Markovica 58
11000 Belgrade 11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Telephone: + 381-11-3602-100
Fax: +381-11-3602-199
Email: belgrade@unicef.org
Website: http://www.unicef.org/scg/about.html

Launch of the Ville Amie des Enfants website
18 January 2005

A website of the initiative "Ville Amie des Enfants" (Child Friendly Cities) was launched on 24 December 2004 in Paris, France. Established by the Association des Maires de France - AMF (French Mayors Association) and UNICEF France in 2002, the initiative "Ville Amie des Enfants" became a network of more than 100 French cities by the end of 2006. Its objective is to disseminate information and promote actions and projects in favour of children and young people at local level under the aegis of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The initiative aims to: Improve children and young people’s daily life; Develop children and young people’s participation in issues that affect them; Strengthen international solidarity; Promote the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Each year the Child Friendly Cities network participates in the national Children's Rights Day (20 November).
For further online information, visit the Ville Amie des Enfants website or contact: Melusine Harlé, Responsible for Ville Amie des Enfants, UNICEF France, 3, rue Duguay-Trouin 75006 Paris, tel: +33 1 44 39 77 25, e-mail: villeamiedesenfants@unicef.fr

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URL http://www.villeamiedesenfants.fr

Contact

Association des Maires de France (AMF)
41, quai d'Orsay
Paris Cedex 07 75343, France
Telephone: 01 44 18 14 14
Fax: 01 44 18 14 15
Email: amf@amf.asso.fr
Website: http://www.amf.asso.fr/

UNICEF France
3, rue Duguay-Trouin
Paris cedex 06 75282, France
Telephone: 01 4439772728
Fax: 01 44397778
Email: documentation@unicef.asso.fr
Website: http://www.unicef.asso.fr/

New issue of Children, Youth and Environments on line
14 January 2005

The new issue of Children, Youth and Environments contains 12 papers (five articles; two research notes; and five field reports) on a range of topics and 14 book reviews. It is now online at http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/14_2/. Topics covered include:
- child friendly cities
- the intertwining of social and physical structures in the evolution of gender-related role patterns
- a children's urban community garden
- participatory action research with children
- influences of built and natural environments on children's after-school activities and motor development
- inclusionary child-care environments
- use of computer technology in enhancing environmental learning and science education
Future issues will focus on aspects of local governance and participation (see Call for Papers on home page).
Guided by a distinguished international panel of editorial advisors, CYE targets a global and multidisciplinary audience. CYE publishes research from the social sciences, the design professions, the humanities, education and other relevant disciplines. Articles cover varied topics and approaches, including quantitative and qualitative empirical research; theoretical, methodological and historical investigations; critical literature reviews; design analyses; post-occupancy evaluations; policy studies; and program assessments. The editors welcome papers from diverse viewpoints and different cultures

Contact

University of Colorado
CB 314
Boulder CO 80309-0314, United States of America
Telephone: (303) 492-1319
Fax: (303) 492-6163
Email: cye@colorado.edu
Website: http://cye.colorado.edu

World Youth Report 2005
20 December 2004

[New York, USA – 20 December 2004 - World Youth Report 2005 available. Source: UN Youth Flash ] - The advance unedited text of the Secretary General's World Youth Report 2005 (A/60/61 - E/2005/7) is available online. It provides an evaluation of the progress achieved in the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) since its adoption in 1995. It reviews the global situation of young people with regard to the fifteen priority areas for youth: education, employment, poverty, health, environment, drugs, delinquency, leisure, girls and young women, participation, ICT,globalization, HIV/AIDS, conflict and intergenerational issues. The report will be discussed by the Commission for Social Development in February 2005, before it is submitted to the General Assembly in October 2005. The feature article in this Youth Flash contains a summary of the main findings and recommendations.
UN Youth Flash is a free service of the UN Programme on Youth, of the Division for Social Policy and Development, within the Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at the United Nations Secretariat in New York.

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UN Youth Flash
New York , United States of America
Email: youth@un.org
Website: http://www.un.org/youth

Youth involved in the Millennium Development Goals
20 December 2004

[New York, USA – 20 December 2004 - Youth involved in the Millennium Development Goals. Source: UN Youth Flash ] - An ad-hoc international taskforce of youth experts wrote the report "Youth and the MDGs: Challenges and Opportunities for Implementation", which has been submitted to Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the UN Millennium Project and Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The paper provides examples of existing forms of youth participation, case studies on youth in development, as well as recommendations as to how young people should be included in the implementation of the MDGs at all levels. For more information and submit comments by January 10, 2005 visit http://www.mdgyouthpaper.org . Your input will be used to revise the paper in time for the 5-year review of the MDGs in September 2005.
UN Youth Flash is a free service of the UN Programme on Youth, of the Division for Social Policy and Development, within the Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at the United Nations Secretariat in New York.

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UN Youth Flash
New York , United States of America
Email: youth@un.org
Website: http://www.un.org/youth

Greater London Authority (GLA) Children's Unit Information
17 December 2004

The regional Children and Young People's Unit (CYPU), established in 2004 by the Mayor of London at the Greater London Authority (GLA), has supported cross-government work in London on child poverty and youth disadvantage and exemplified a more holistic approach to planning for children and to promoting their well-being and participation rights. Recent developments include: 1) The second State of London's Children Report sets out the circumstances of London's children's well being in 2004. It allows us to see where their lives are getting better, and what has deteriorated or stayed the same, compared to the rest of the country since the last report in 2001. 2) Update on the public consultation and publication of the Mayor's draft Guide to Preparing Play Strategies for London Boroughs. 3) The GLA has published a Young Londoners' Survey in November, based on face-to-face interviews with one thousand 11-16 year olds during summer 2004 on their views on growing up in London. 4) To mark International Children's Day and the 15th Anniversary of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, the CYPU teamed up with Children's Fund partnerships from across London to host an exhibition of photographic images showing London through the eyes of children and young people. 5) Nearly 200 delegates attended the Second European Child in the City Conference at City Hall (20-22 October 2004) from over 26 countries. This resulted in a Declaration of London from European Network for Child-Friendly Cities, signed by Ken Livingstone and other European Mayors.
These areas, and more, are covered in the first issue of a new newsletter from the unit. For further information visit the Issue of Capital Child Newsletter. Direct links to new reports and publications on a revamped children's area of the Mayor's website are via www.london.gov.uk/mayor/children/

Contact

Greater London Authority
City Hall, The Queen's Walk
London SE1 2AA, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (44) 020 7983 4100
Website: http://www.london.gov.uk

World Bank Empowerment Team and Community of Practice website
06 December 2004

The World Bank's Empowerment Team and Community of Practice newly updated website features current initiatives on measurement and power relations, information on empowerment in Bank operations, and a page of community of practice newsletter articles and learning events. Please visit the site to access the latest information from the empowerment team, including a new publication “Power, Rights, and Poverty: Concepts and Connections”, which brings together background material and discussions from a two day workshop held by the World Bank and DFID on power, rights, and poverty reduction. The Empowerment Team is engaged in a variety of initiatives, both analytically and operationally. The primiary thrust of their current analytical work is threefold, focusing on local governance, power relations, and measuring empowerment. Other recent initiatives have dealt with empowerment in poverty reduction strategies and connecting producers to global markets. Operationally, two projects are presently underway, one in Tamil Nadu, India (Empowerment and Poverty Reduction Project) and one in Ethiopia (Civil Society Capacity Building/Empowerment Program (CSCEP). They both seek to empower poor people by strengthening capacity at the local levels.
For more information visit the World Bank Empowerment Team and Community of Practice website.

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URL http://www.worldbank.org/empowerment

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The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington 20433, United States of America
Telephone: (202) 473 7829
Fax: (202) 522 2125
Email: tcampbell@worldbank.org
Website: http://www.worldbank.org

Human Rights-Based Approach portal on the Child Rights Information Network’s website (CRIN)
23 November 2004

A Human Rights-Based Approach portal has been launched on the world-wide web. The portal is part of the Child Rights Information Network’s website (CRIN). CRIN is the leading global network for the exchange of information about the Convention on the Rights of the Child and child rights among non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, inter-governmental institutions and other child rights practitioners. Thousands of publications, recent news and forthcoming events are available on its website which is regularly updated. The Human Rights-Based Approach portal, supported by GPS, is an exclusive source of practical information on implementing rights-based approaches to children and women. Among others, the portal includes: dedicated training materials, experiences and 'best practice' case studies, rights-based frameworks for specific programme areas, links to other relevant websites.
For more information visit the Human Rights-Based Approach portal.

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URL http://www.crin.org/hrbap

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Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane
London EC1M 4AR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 20 70126865
Fax: (+44) 20 70126952
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org

Derry Mayor Signs London Declaration on Universal Children's Day
20 November 2004

[Derry, Northern Ireland - Saturday 20th November at 12 noon. Press release] To mark Universal Children’s day, first citizen Mayor Gerry O hEara in the presence of more than thirty children from throughout the city signed the London Declaration of the European Child Friendly Cities Initiative. In doing so, he is the second European Mayoral signatory, following the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone. The declaration pledges commitment to striving to make the city more child friendly, raising the status of children and young people and developing opportunities for children’s play.
Following the declaration, the Mayor then invited the children into the council chamber where he hosted ‘Children’s Questions and Answers’ and was quizzed on various aspects of life in the city by the young questioners. The topics for discussion were diverse, from street violence and sectarianism to play parks and his own boyhood memories. Children taking part included participants from Foyleview School, St Patricks PS, Riverview Youth Club and residents from Cromore Gardens. Speaking at the event, Gemma aged 11 commented ‘I learnt to speak up for what I believe’ while Niall aged 12 said ‘I learnt that I have a say in things.’
After a balloon launch in Guildhall Square to mark Universal Children’s Day, the children then set off to walk the Walls, a sponsored event with proceeds going to BBC Children in Need, followed by lunch in the Verbal Arts Centre to round off the day’s activities. The Universal Children’s Day events were co-ordinated by Derry Children’s Commission who were set up to promote and protect children’s rights. Equality Outreach worker with the Commission, Eilis Gill commented ‘Universal Children’s Day is an important time to focus on and celebrate children. In our events today we have heard the voice of children, including children who face very real challenges in life. In listening to them and pledging his support, the Mayor has given a positive statement of intent to work towards making this city child friendly.’
For more information contact Clionagh Boyle, Director, Derry Children’s Commission, 26-28 Bishop Street, Derry Londonderry Doire, Northern Ireland, BT48 6PP. telephone (00 44) 2871366339 or e-mail at derrychildrenscommission@yahoo.com

Contact

Derry Childrens Commission (Clionagh Boyle)
26-28 Bishop Street
Derry Londonderry Doire BT48 6PP, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: 028 71366339
Email: derrychildrenscommission@yahoo.com

London Mayor celebrates International Children's Day with new reports and children's photographic exhibition
20 November 2004

London Mayor Ken Livingstone publishes two new reports and supports a day-long event, including the launch of a children's photography exhibition, to mark International Children's Day and the 15th Anniversary of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, which falls on Saturday 20 November. The Mayor said: 'I published my Children and Young People's Strategy earlier this year and want London to be at the vanguard of the Government's measures to improve the lives of children and young people. I want the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to become a reality for each and every one of London's 1.6 million children and ensure that all children and young people are able to participate fully in life in the capital To this end, it is vital that children have a voice and are listened to.' The Mayor published the second State of London's Children report, which provides a comprehensive picture of the lives of children in the capital up to the age of 18. It shows how things have changed compared to the rest of the country since the last report in 2001.
A new survey of young Londoners aged 11-16 years, conducted in June by ICM on behalf of the Greater London, reveals the issues of concern to children and young people, their views about living in the capital and their attitudes to key mayoral policies. Both the survey and the executive summary of the State of London Children’s Report 2004 are available at http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/children .
The Mayor is also giving his support to 'ViewPoints', an exhibition of photographs taken on 1 October 2004, by over 140 children and young people from sixteen London boroughs. Joanne McCartney, Assembly Member for Enfield and Haringey, will launch the exhibition at City Hall by during a day of activities involving children and young people to celebrate International Children's Day.
The Mayor also signed the Declaration of London, which was agreed by the European Child-Friendly Cities Network at the recent Child in the City Conference in London, and urges EU member states to work towards ensuring that cities become more child-friendly. The final version of the Declaration of London is available at http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/children/docs/ENCFC_declaration.pdf .

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PDF Media release 12, KB

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Greater London Authority
City Hall, The Queen's Walk
London SE1 2AA, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (44) 020 7983 4100
Website: http://www.london.gov.uk

Development Gateway: Cross-Topic Special Children's Well-Being (web portal)
16 November 2004

[Development Gateway – November 2004 Source: CRINMAIL 628: Special Edition on the 15th Anniversary of the CRC - - WORLDWIDE: Cross-Topic Special Children's Well-Being (web portal). Organiser: Development Gateway. Date: Live from 16 November 2004]
The Development Gateway is a knowledge sharing portal which has 30 online communities focused on different development topics. It has more than 120,000 members and more than 200 partners all over the world. Coinciding with Universal Children's Day on November 20, and with World AIDS Day on December 5, where children will be highlighted as bearing social and medical impacts of the global pandemic, the Development Gateway is planning to launch a Cross-Topic Special on "Children's Well-Being." The special consists of a short introduction about the topic, an interview of an expert in the field, and a section of 'partners', which will include the Child Rights Information Network. The rest is generated by the Topics, which feature an issue from different angles. The site will feature events organised around Universal Children's Day, the 15th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and World AIDS Day. Children under the age of 14 are among the most vulnerable people in the world. In poor countries, they are five times as likely to die before their fifth birthdays due to perinatal causes and preventable diseases, especially acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, measles, malaria and HIV/AIDS. Because of lack of food and clean water in these countries, they are more likely to die of malnutrition and dehydration. Past the age of 10, children in the developing world are exploited as child labourers and domestic servants, trafficked for sexual exploitation and pornography, and forced into service as child soldiers. MDG Goal 4 aims at reducing mortality for children under 5, primarily through immunisations. Improving maternal health, the goal of MDG 5, will improve perinatal health. But, the well-being of children also includes social protections from exploitation and opportunities to improve their life chances. The Cross-Topic Special on "Children's Well-Being" is launched on 16 November.
For more information, contact: Denise Senmartin, Content Co-ordinator, Development Gateway, Phone: + 1 202 572 9249; Fax: + 1 202 572 9290, Email: dsenmartin@dgfoundation.org , Website: http://topics.developmentgateway.org/special/children

Contact

Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane
London EC1M 4AR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 20 70126865
Fax: (+44) 20 70126952
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org

MEDITERRANEAN: First MedChild Award for Best Practices [call for applications]
21 October 2004

[Rome, October 2004 - Source: CRINMAIL 620 - MEDITERRANEAN: First MedChild Award for Best Practices [call for applications] The Fondazione Istituto Mediterraneo per l'Infanzia - MedChild Institute was founded in Genoa in December 2003 as a non-profit organisation in order to promote children's rights within the framework of Euro-Mediterranean co-operation. The first MedChild's initiative was the Children and the Mediterranean Conference (7-9 January 2004). The Institute is grounded on the premise that the child must be guaranteed both physical health and growth as a human being.MedChild operates within a large area understood as forming a whole: an "extended Mediterranean" comprising the European Union, the region currently referred to as MENA (Middle East and North Africa), and all the other countries located around the Mediterranean basin and the west coast of the Black Sea. Its focus is being progressively extended from health to family, education, rights and the upgrading of the urban environment.One of the goals of the Institute is to facilitate constructive exchange of experiences and knowledge: the Best Practices Award is therefore conceived as an instrument to benefit and encourage this process of exchange and awareness enhancement. The underlying principle of the award is that enhanced awareness of the practices already operating and those in the launching stage will help all the actors in the Mediterranean to work together and make practical, tangible progress for children in the region. The award is intended to promote child-focused Best Practices in the following four categories: health - education and culture - early child development - urban settings. The award is open to non-governmental organisations, private sector and public/private foundations, government organisations or agencies, bilateral or multilateral agencies, cities, local authorities or their associations, research and academic institutions, the media, operating within MedChild's geographical range of action. The total amount of the Award is 100,000 Euro. This amount will be divided equally into four awards according to the four categories mentioned above. A detailed description of each selected Best Practice will be published in the "Charting the Mediterranean Child" report. MedChild will also take a special interest in the selected Best Practices, making them known throughout the Mediterranean or even helping their promoters to foster their development, up-scaling and replication. Application deadline: 18 December 2004.
For more information, contact: Kristina Touzenis, Technical Secretariat, MedChild Award for Best Practice 2004, Lynkeus Srl, Via Livenza, 6, 00198, Rome, Italy, Tel: +39 06 844080201; Fax: + 39 06 85344833, Email: euromed@lynkeus.com or visit MedChild Institute website

Contact

Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane
London EC1M 4AR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 20 70126865
Fax: (+44) 20 70126952
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org

Children face tight competition for space
13 October 2004

[Jakarta, 13 October 2004 - Source: Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post in City News - October 13, 2004] - One afternoon, a bunch of children were kicking around a ball in an empty field when suddenly a woman - clad in training pants and clutching a cassette of dance music - arrived. The young football players fled. "Women keep on using this place for aerobics," they told architect John Fredy Bobby Saragih, who was conducting research in the area. "And they're not getting any thinner." Sidelined as they were, these children are luckier than most as places to play in the city are scarce. Another park that Saragih visited had a "children's playground" sign, but had gradually been taken over by becak drivers as a place of rest and relaxation.
"City kids of poor families tend to play on the roads and river banks," said Saragih at a seminar on child-friendly cities, organized by the Indonesian Children's Welfare Foundation (YKAI), Pelangi Foundation, and Bina Nusantara University, on Tuesday.
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) data shows that at present, 43 percent of Indonesians under the age of 18 live in cities. This figure is predicted to rise to 60 percent by 2025. UNICEF says a "child-friendly" city allows children to express their opinions and thus help to influence the administration's decisions. They should receive proper health, education and sanitation services, and be safe to walk in the streets. They also have the rights to open green areas, to meet and play with friends, and live in an unpolluted environment.
"We don't have to actualize all these things at once," said Hamid Patilima of YKAI. The concept of child-friendly cities was first acknowledged at the City Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996. It has been introduced in Indonesia by YKAI since May 2004. Calcutta in India adopted the concept by focusing on street and working children and introduced "child-friendly police".

Participation Action Plan
11 October 2004

[London, 11 October 2004 - Source: CRINMAIL 608 - UNITED KINGDOM]. The Department for International Development (DFID) launchs its Children and Young People's Participation Action Plan, in partnership with Save the Children, on 11 October. The launch is at 13.00, followed by a workshop from 14.00. The workshop focuses on children and young people's participation in international work and DFID hopes it will be a two-way learning process between DFID and civil society organisations. Suggested themes for the workshop include: - From tokenism to meaningful children's participation - practical methods and practice standards in development work; - Children's role in "making and shaping" service delivery and development programmes; - Children's participation in PRSP consultations and national poverty reduction processes; - Children's involvement in public expenditure management.
For more information contact: DFID, 1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE or DFID, Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA. Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7023 0000; Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7023 0019. Public Enquiry Point: 0845 300 4100 (from outside the UK: +44 1355 84 3132) Email: enquiry@dfid.gov.uk or visit DFID website.

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URL http://www.dfid.gov.uk

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Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane
London EC1M 4AR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 20 70126865
Fax: (+44) 20 70126952
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org

Slum Futures - 23 minute Life documentary reports on the slum dwellers of Mumbai
12 September 2004 12 December 2004

For the last programme in 2004 Life series, Slum Futures, TVE has produced a powerful report on the slum dwellers of Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, and their campaign for housing rights and better services – in line with Millennium Development Goal No.7 which pledges to improve the lives of 100 million slum dwellers by the year 2020. Millions of families migrating to Mumbai are forced to seek shelter wherever they can - on waste ground, railway tracks and roads, or even just pavements – anywhere they can find a few square metres to put a shelter. While most live in the margins of the city, they actually make up the majority of the population – 60 per cent of Mumbai’s denizens are slum dwellers. Slum Futures went out on BBC World from Thursday 9 December 2004, as part of TVE's award-winning, weekly Life series. Over the last 12 months, TVE has produced 24 Life programmes which have been broadcast on BBC World. The series focuses on the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs – the first television series to explore the origins and prospects of the eight internationally agreed targets set in 2000, with the aim of halving global poverty by 2015. Individual stories in the series have been filmed in Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, as well as Eastern and Western Europe, exploring global trends which are shaping our world today.
Television Trust for the Environment (TVE) is an independent, non-profit organisation, which promotes global awareness of the environment, development, human rights and health issues through the platforms of broadcast television and other audio-visual media. TVE was set up in 1984 with the support of WWF, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Central Television (now part of ITV).
For more information on Slum Futures, as well as the Life series, visit the Life website .

Contact

Television Trust for the Environment (TVE)
21 Elizabeth Street
London SW1W 9RP, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7 901 8855
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7 901 8856
Email: tve@tve.org.uk
Website: http://www.tve.org/network.html

PARTICIPATION: Including Children in Developing Child Labour Policies [publication]
12 August 2004

[DHAKA, 8 December 2004 – Source: CRINMAIL 635 - PARTICIPATION: Including Children in Developing Child Labour Policies [publication] - Save the Children members in South and Central Asia, launched a pioneering publication "Opening Minds, Opening Up Opportunities: Children's Participation In Action For Working Children" in Dhaka, Bangladesh, last week. Over 50 participants attended the launch from various development agencies and children's organisations. The launch featured young panellists from Bangladesh, India and Nepal, who highlighted the importance of including children perspectives and recommendation in developing policies, programmes and projects to reduce harmful child labour by governments, NGOs, UN agencies, media, communities, corporate sector and children themselves. Guided by the felt needs, in 2003, Save the Children Alliance Task Group on Children and Work commissioned case study research in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Senegal and Central America. Four small scale and two large-scale programmes were targeted for the study. The case studies captured the impacts and lessons learnt, which were very positive, from working children's participation. The report was written by Maggie Black with research contributions from Emily Delap and Leslie Groves. It concludes that participation of girls and boys will bring new perspectives on their situations. The report also highlighted that the programme efficiency and effectiveness improves when children are involved in the design of the programme. This has already occurred in those environments where child workers have been given the chance to express their point of views. Girls and boys voices and actions may shed new light on areas of debate which remain unresolved among policy makers today.
In her opening remarks Lena Karlsson, Acting Regional Representative of Save the Children Sweden-Denmark highlighted Save the Children's position on child work - SC believes in the meaningful participation of girls and boys in decisions that affect their lives. In order to design interventions to address harmful child work, SC seeks to involve children in assessing, developing, implementing and monitoring actions to address harmful child work. Save the Children members also support children to form their own organisations and initiatives to prevent and address harmful child work, through practical support, networking, communication, advocacy and capacity building. Save the Children also works with key duty bearers (including national governments) to fulfil, protect and promote realisation of child rights through participatory and inclusive approaches. The best interest of the child is central to developing interventions for/with children.
For more information, contact: Ravi Karkara, Regional Programme Manager, SC Regional Alliance Information Databank, International Save the Children Alliance, South and Central Asia Region, GPO Box 5850, Kathmandu, Nepal. Email: ravikarkara@savethechildren.org.np , Website: http://www.savethechildren.org.np

Contact

Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane
London EC1M 4AR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 20 70126865
Fax: (+44) 20 70126952
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org

Understanding and Evaluating Children's Participation in Development
30 June 2004

[London, June 2004 - Source: CRINMAIL 595] - PARTICIPATION: Understanding and Evaluating Children's Participation in Development. Plan UK recently launched "Children Changing Their World - Understanding and Evaluating Children's Participation in Development”. The report is the result of research into the impact of children's participation on development programmes and how such participation can be facilitated. This research is part of Plan's commitment to promoting the active participation of children in their own and their communities' development. It highlights that genuine and effective participation must be relevant and realistic. The report also assesses how large international organisations with complex systems and hierarchical management structures can respond sensitively and flexibly to the challenges that will emerge when children are given a voice. It brings together the findings of a literature review of current thinking about children's participation and its evaluation with a field study undertaken in three different countries (Ecuador, India and Kenya). It is also enriched by discussion at a one-day conference in London in November 2003, which was hosted by Plan UK to review findings from the research. The report raises questions about the way participation is understood by development agencies, arguing that the conceptualisation of children's participation by each organisation will reflect their underlying philosophies. Limits will always exist to the extent to which agencies may be prepared to support undertakings by children and this will be shaped at least as much by values as by practical conditions. A similar argument can also be made for approaches to monitoring and evaluation. It also focuses on the changes - both positive and negative - that children's participation may bring about, and discusses various issues relating to evaluation. Possible tools and methods are described and consideration is given to the manner in which evaluation activities are conducted. Particular emphasis is also given to ethical issues in relation to evaluation practice. The report considers the challenges for agencies in seeking to develop children's participation further, and the introduction of a participatory approach to evaluation itself. The results of the literature review, field visits and the London conference all pointed clearly to the danger of focussing on evaluation in isolation from the rest of the process of children's participation.
For more information, contact: Plan UK, 5-6 Underhill Street, London NW1 7HS, Tel: 020 7482 9777, Fax: 020 7482 9778

Contact

Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane
London EC1M 4AR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 20 70126865
Fax: (+44) 20 70126952
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org

European Youth Portal
31 May 2004

[Brussels, May 2004 - Source: CRINMAIL 608 - - EUROPEAN YOUTH PORTAL]. In May 2004, the European Commission launched the European Youth Portal. Developed with and for youth seeking to access information relevant to them, this online tool includes links, resources, and interactive processes that encourage reflection and discussion about such questions as: How can I do voluntary work in Estonia? How can I find a summer job in Italy? How can I exchange views on the enlarged Europe with young people from other countries? How can I create a project in my local community? The European Youth Portal, which is available in 22 languages, is part of a wider EU policy on youth. The Member States have identified 4 thematic priorities for cooperation in this area (participation, information, voluntary activities, and a greater knowledge and understanding of youth). Objectives have been endorsed by the Council for the 2 first priorities - participation and information - and are starting to be implemented at national level. To that end, youth participation was central in the initial stages of this effort.
For more information, contact: European Commission, Directorate-General for Education and Culture Youth unit, VM 2 5/7, B-1049 Brussels. Email: EAC-PORTAL-YOUTH@cec.eu.int or visit European Youth Portal website.

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URL http://www.europa.eu.int/youth/

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Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane
London EC1M 4AR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 20 70126865
Fax: (+44) 20 70126952
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org

Children's Participation in Action for Working Children [report]
20 May 2004

[20 May 2004 - Source: CRINMAIL 576] In the Indian state of Maharashtra, the village education committee is holding a meeting. A proposal is put to the chairman. Would it be possible for a representative of the bal panchayat - the children's council - to participate in future? Not only does the chairman have no objection, he welcomes the idea. "The bal panchayat have done many good things. They have held a sanitation drive. They have monitored school attendance. We will find their contribution refreshing." If "child participation" is so readily acceptable to village officials in hidebound rural India, why is it neglected - even opposed - by many child programme professionals? As far as adults are concerned, it has long been accepted that without engaging their interest and participation, development projects fail - they are, in the jargon, "unsustainable". And it is over 30 years since the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire pointed out that participatory learning opens up the mind and makes it possible for the downtrodden to transform their lives. Are these truths valid only for the over-18s? No-one could be more downtrodden than children sent out to work in harmful or exploitative circumstances. In India, the numbers of working children are phenomenal - 77 million according to one estimate. Many are born into the families of landless agricultural labourers. They work because they grow up in the pattern of their parents' lives and that is how it is. Herding, planting, work in the fields, domestic chores in richer people's houses. And if they end up in a shantytown, as families squeezed off the land increasingly do, then scavenging, begging and shoe-shining take their place. Surely, then, participation is just what working children need. The chance to take part in a children's council, join a culture of learning, have the confidence to speak up about your dreams - even to have some dreams. Participation can help you discover things about yourself, be somebody, earn respect from your parents and peers. And maybe train for a proper occupation - not just weeding or collecting rubbish out in the boiling sun.
[Source: OneWorld / Author: Maggie Black. For the full article, go to: OneWorld website.
For more information about the report, visit Save the Children UK website.

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URL http://www.savethechildren.org.uk

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Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane
London EC1M 4AR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 20 70126865
Fax: (+44) 20 70126952
Email: info@crin.org
Website: http://www.crin.org

Occupied Palestinian Territories: Calls For the Protection of Children in Rafah [news]
19 May 2004

[JERUSALEM, 19 May 2004 - Source: UNICEF] UNICEF said today it is deeply concerned about the impact on children of the ongoing military operation in the Gaza Strip, particularly a missile strike Wednesday that claimed the lives of at least 10 Palestinians, many of them children. "Palestinian children have a right to be protected against all acts of violence in the midst of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict," said David S. Bassiouni, UNICEF Special Representative in Jerusalem. "They have a right to a safe shelter, safe access to their schools and to health services," he said. With the recent military actions in Rafah – and Wednesday’s missile strike – at least 10 children have already lost their lives, including Asma and Ahmed, a 16 and 13-year-old girl and boy, respectively, shot in their home in Rafah on Tuesday morning. Many additional children have been injured and all are facing psychosocial distress. The ongoing house demolitions in Rafah have left more 1,100 Palestinian people homeless in a 10 day period alone, out of which almost 600 are children. Between September 2000 and May 2004, more than 11,000 Palestinians have lost their homes. Since the start of the conflict, Israeli and Palestinian children have paid a very heavy price, UNICEF said. Over 660 children under age 18 have been killed, of which 560 were Palestinian and 104 were Israeli – including four Israeli sisters killed by militants in an attack in the Gaza Strip on May 2. “UNICEF calls on the State of Israel to abide by its obligations to the Convention on the Rights of the Child by protecting children from direct exposure to violence, and providing those who have lost their homes with alternative housing,” Bassiouni said. "The injudicious use of force where children are present can only bring about the deaths of innocent youngsters. We urge the Israeli authorities to reconsider the impact these incursions are having on Palestinian children."
For the full story, visit: UNICEF website.

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URL http://www.unicef.org/media/media_21030.html

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UNICEF NYHQ
3 United Nations Plaza
New York 10017, United States of America
Telephone: (1 212) 3267000
Fax: (1 212) 8877465
Website: http://www.unicef.org

Adopts Conclusions on Reports from Brazil, Botswana, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Antigua and Barbuda
UNITED NATIONS, Press Release
10 January 2004

The Committee on the Rights of the Child concluded on 1st October 2004 its thirty-seventh session and issued its conclusions and recommendations on the situation of children in Brazil, Botswana, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Antigua and Barbuda whose reports on efforts to comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child were considered this session. The conclusions and recommendations were contained in the Committee's final report for the three-week session, which was adopted by the 18-member Committee. After reviewing the report of Brazil, the Committee welcomed the establishment of the National Council on the Rights of Children and Adolescents and of a system of Councils of Rights at federal, state and municipal level and Guardianship Councils with the aim to promote and protect the rights of children and adolescents. Concerning the report of Botswana, the Committee welcomed the adoption of a National Programme of Action for the Children of Botswana for the period 1993-2003 and took note with appreciation of the establishment of the National AIDS Council chaired by the President and of the recently revised National Policy on HIV/AIDS. With regards to the report of Kyrgyzstan, the Committee welcomed the adoption of a National Programme and Plan of Action on the realization of children's rights and the establishment of a section for children's rights issues within the Office of the Ombudsman. Responding to the report of Equatorial Guinea, the Committee noted with appreciation the establishment of a National Plan of Action for Children and a National Children's Rights Committee. Concerning the report of Angola, the Committee welcomed the Peace Accord of Luena of 2002 which ended 27 years of civil war and the efforts made by the State party to promote the reintegration of returning refugees as well as the measures taken to regularize the status of refugee children born in Angola. And with regards to the report of Antigua and Barbuda, the Committee welcomed the information that the State party had raised the age of majority from 16 to 18 and the establishment of the National Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2000 to facilitate the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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Human Rights Education Associates (HREA)
PO Box 382396
Cambridge 02238-2396, United States of America
Email: info@hrea.org
Website: http://www.hrea.org/

New world organisation 'United Cities and Local Governments' to be launched in January 2004
01 January 2004 31 January 2004

A new world organisation, 'United Cities and Local Governments', was launched in January 2004. The name symbolizes the unification of the two largest international local government associations: the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA) and the United Towns Organisation (UTO/FMCU). United Cities and Local Governments' mission is to be the united voice and world advocate of democratic local self-government. A dynamic, experienced professional was sought to become the new Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments, and to lead and manage its Barcelona headquarters. United Cities and Local Governments is the interlocutor between local government and the United Nations, and it ensures the political representation of local government to the international community. It progresses local government policies in the key areas of decentralised cooperation, sustainable development, urbanisation, social inclusion and poverty eradication. Importantly, it supports international cooperation between local governments and their associations, building on IULA and UTO's groundbreaking work in city-to-city cooperation, local government capacity building, local democracy and women in local decision-making. It becomes the worldwide source of key information regarding local government, and a focal point for the international community. The Founding Congress of United Cities and Local Governments was held in Paris, in May 2004, with the theme 'Cities, Local Governments: the Future for Development'. It was an important forum for both local governments and the international community with over 2000 participants. The event signals a new era for cities and local governments and the strengthening of the local voice at international level.
For more information consult the IULA website.

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United Cities and Local Governments
Carrer Avinyó, 15
Barcelona 08002, Spain
Telephone: +34 93 34 28 750
Fax: +34 93 34 28 760
Email: info@cities-localgovernments.org
Website: http://www.cities-localgovernments.org

Appointment as Ireland's First Ombudsman for Children
18 December 2003

[DUBLIN] - The Children's Rights Alliance today welcomed the appointment of Emily Logan as Ireland's first Ombudsman for Children. "The appointment of Ireland's first Ombudsman for Children represents an important step forward in the effort to promote and protect the rights and well-being of children in Ireland. Children and young people will now have a strong, independent champion to promote their rights and best interests in connection with public policies and practices that affect children," said Ray Dooley, Chief Executive of the Alliance. "We look forward to working with the Ombudsman and her staff in the coming year. All of us in both the statutory and non-statutory sectors who work with and for children need to give the Ombudsman our full support as she takes up the difficult challenges ahead." The Ombudsman for Children will have a dual role: to protect children's rights by conducting investigations into complaints regarding specific violations of the rights of children; and to promote the rights of children in all aspects of public policy, practices, procedures and law. Today also marked the official launch of the Irish Association of Young People in Care (IAYPIC), a member organisation of the Alliance. The mission of IAYPIC, which was launched today by President Mary McAleese, is to advocate for and promote the rights and needs of young people with care experience through their participation at all levels throughout the care system. The campaign to establish an Office of Ombudsman for Children dates back to 1995. The Children's Rights Alliance, which has advocated since its inception for an Ombudsman for Children, welcomed the first governmental commitment in December 1996. In January 1998, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child urged Ireland to take action on this issue as part of its Concluding Observations on Ireland's performance in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 1999, and again in November 2000 with the launch of the National Children's Strategy, the Government made its commitment to create through legislation an independent Office of Ombudsman for Children. The Bill to establish the Office of Ombudsman for Children was enacted by the Oireachtas in April, 2002. The Children's Rights Alliance is a coalition of 75 Irish NGOs concerned with the rights and needs of children. The Alliance works to secure the full implementation of the principles and provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. [Source: Children's Right Alliance].
For further information visit the Children’s Right Alliance website.

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Children's Rights Alliance
13 Harcourt Street
Dublin 2 , Ireland
Telephone: (01) 405 4823
Fax: (01) 405 4826
Email: info@cra.iol.ie
Website: http://www.childrensrights.ie/index.php

Children's Rights Alliance
13 Harcourt Street
Dublin 2 , Ireland
Telephone: (01) 405 4823
Fax: (01) 405 4826
Email: info@cra.iol.ie
Website: http://www.childrensrights.ie/index.php