By Suzanne Trimel, Media Relations Director
What better way to introduce young children to human rights – and the values of fairness, equity, empathy and non-violence — than through upbeat music from all over the world?
That’s the thinking behind Kids World Party!, the latest CD from Putumayo Kids, released in partnership with Amnesty International to celebrate our 50th anniversary. 7% of each CD sale will be donated to support Amnesty’s life-saving work.
The CD includes songs and stories from around the globe – including diverse styles, from reggae and calypso to Afro-Cuban funk and Indian pop — along with a kid-friendly version of humanity’s most precious document, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Artists featured include Will Stroet, an award-winning French-Canadian musician; Lucky Ali, the Indian pop and Bollywood sensation; and Sharon Katz and the Peace Train, named by Nelson Mandela as a Cultural Ambassador of South Africa.
The CD is a fun and educational cultural sampler that cultivates kids’ interest in learning about the world and human rights. The focus on human rights is especially important for parents in the United States who care about advancing protections worldwide and want to see their children learn early that rights matter.
While human rights education is a mainstay of curricula for young children in Europe and elsewhere, the subject is rarely introduced in curriculum for young kids in the US. In fact, only Minnesota has a fully developed statewide human rights curriculum. A few others, Idaho, California and Louisiana, provide some material in their K-8 curriculums.
Human rights education cannot begin too early. According to Nancy Flowers, Amnesty USA’s first coordinator for human rights education:
“By the time a child begins school, many cultural norms and values are already integrated, for better or worse. It is much harder to effect meaningful, lasting change of attitude in adolescents.”
We can think of no better partner to mark this important milestone in Amnesty’s history than Putumayo Kids (of Putumayo World Music) which is dedicated to teaching children through music and has been honored by organizations from Parents’ Choice to the American Library Association for its commitment to education.
For global music videos and sample tracks from the CD, visit the the Kids World Party website.