Children's Rights


Convention on the Rights of the Child


Community Education Ideas
This listing of ideas provides suggestions for ways to provoke debate, raise awareness, and foster activism in your community about the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Some of the activities can be undertaken individually, while others require a small group; many of these activities involve outreach to institutions and organizations. Look at your own resources and select and adapt these suggestions accordingly. Or, if you prefer, use these ideas as a springboard for creating other possibilities that will work in your community.

Children take part in a painting competition organized by Amnesty International Bangladesh
Children take part in a painting competition as part of events organized by Amnesty International Bangladesh to campaign against the torture of children. © Private

Wall Petitions
Create wall petitions symbolizing the issues raised in the appeal cases. For example, create postcards in the shape of prison bars (juvenile justice), or pieces of guns and other weaponry (child soldiers), or simply faces of children. Invite passers-by to remove a card to sign and then mail to the focus of the appeal case. As the cards are removed, a slogan or image is revealed celebrating the human rights of children.

Poster, Art, Video, and Writing Contests and Exhibitions
Encourage students and youth to explore children's human rights through poster, art, video, and writing contests. You could have the CRC as your theme and ask young people to design a poster illustrating one of the CRC's articles; or arrange an exhibition of student and youth art at a gallery, library, or city hall.

"Best Interests of the Child" Mural
Create a mural in a public space such as the boards outside a construction site or a specially created "wall" in a popular market area. Use poetry, art, and other imagery to explore what "the best interest of the child" means in the CRC. Invite youth and local artists in the community to participate. Organize a media event around a tour of the murals while they are being created or once they are completed.

Declare Your School or Community "Children's Rights Conscious"
Invite a prominent person (school principal, dean of a local university, mayor of the town or city) to make the official declaration. Leave a permanent record of the event by placing a plaque on the wall. Encourage people attending the event to make public statements about what they pledge to do to protect the human rights of children in their community or around the world. Invite the media to your event, and even have the CRC (full text or plain language version) reprinted in the local newspaper.

The Past and Future of Children's Rights
Create a wall display highlighting significant national and international human rights events involving children during the first ten years of the CRC. Create a parallel blank display-the same size as the first-and invite people to describe in images and words what they hope will happen in the next ten years and beyond. This activity could also be run as part of an information fair or conference. An ideal location for this display would be along the sides of a well-traveled hallway.