Realising Rights: Stop Violence Against Street Children

The world is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on 20th November.

On the Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; Erick’s story reflects that of millions.

Erick is 8 years old, and he is a shoe shiner. Every day he works between 6 and 8 hours on the streets of Oruro, Bolivia trying to earn enough money to support his mother, father and four younger siblings. The work is tiring, difficult and dangerous. Erick has to dodge traffic in the busy market place, and endure the weather - harsh sun or torrential rain. His hands are cracked and blackened by the shoe shining polish – the hands of an old man, not an 8 year old boy. By the end of the day, he is so tired that the thought of school or study is all but impossible.

Article 32 of the UNCRC declares that children should be protected from work that is dangerous or might harm their health or their education.

Twenty years after the United Nations adopted the Convention, multitudes of children like Erick across the globe are still working or suffering in other ways - from poverty, abuse and disease.

Each year around the world, 4 million babies die before they are a month old, 150 million children are engaged in child labor, more than 500 million are affected by violence and 51 million have fallen so far through the cracks that they have not even had their births registered, according to the United Nations.

The UN convention, adopted Nov. 20, 1989 and ratified by every country except the United States and Somalia, calls on nations to protect children from abuse and sexual exploitation, reduce child mortality and give children access to health care and education.

There have been successes. Fewer young children are dying or underfed, more are attending school and getting vaccinated and dozens of countries have adopted laws recognizing child rights.

But there is still a long way to go before children are able to enjoy all their rights.

Erick is one of the more fortunate ones. He now attends a Toybox project, which is supporting him so that he can study and attend school. He has reduced the hours that he is working and has more hope for the future, and the potential to work his way out of poverty.

Read about some of the other rights in the convention and how Toybox is helping them to be fulfilled and upheld in Guatemala, Bolivia and Peru.

Toybox currently has Ambassador networks in Guatemala City, Cochabamba and Oruro in Bolivia, and Lima in Peru. To sponsor an Ambassador, please click here

To learn more about the Convertion and what it offers Children, read this useful guide from UNICEF (pdf)

These children are holding their identity cards - essential for having your rights fulfilled in Latin American countries.

On the 20th of November, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child will be twenty years old. In many ways it is a remarkable success. It has been ratified by all but two of the world’s nations. It has enhanced legislation, policies, programmes, policies and outcomes for children. It continues to act as a catalyst for concrete actions and the implementation of child rights, and creates a framework within which a vast array of different groups working on children’s issues can come together. Whilst there is still a long way to go before all the children in the world have access to their rights, the anniversary of the Convention gives us an opportunity to celebrate the progress that has been made.

Working in partnership with the Consortium for Street Children, Toybox is passionate about stopping violence against street children in Latin America.

Update on the Petition
Realising Rights: Stop Violence Against Children

We are delighted to announce that in partnership with the Consortium for Street Children, we exceeded the target of 1,000 signatures on our online petition in time for the 20th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We would like to thank everyone who signed the petition and encouraged others to do so. This would have not been possible without your support and we feel this really pays testimony to what we can achieve when we work together.

To mark the 20th Anniversary of the UNCRC and draw the attention of policy makers to the continued violence against street children, the petition was sent to Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development; Andrew Mitchell MP, Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for International Development; Michael Moore, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for International Development; David Milliband MP, Secretary of State for FCO; the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; Marta Santos Pais, UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children; the International Police Association and members of the APPG on Street Children.

The Realising Rights: Stop Violence Against
Street Children campaign aims to reduce the levels of violence against street-involved children around
the world. The petition was designed to show the world that street children matter and have rights too, and that we can rally together for such an important cause!

Thank you to all those people who signed it - your voice has been added to that of thousands around the world who want to see change for street children.

Read more about the petition on the CSC website