Children can do amazing things.
The world's newest and youngest liberation movement will make its presence felt at a summit in Washington this week. The Common Forum for Kalmal Hari Freedom, the Nilphamari Child Marriage Free Zone, the Ugandan Child Protection Club, the Upper Manya Krobo Rights of the Child Club and Indonesia's Grobogan Child Empowerment Group may not yet be household names outside their own countries, but schoolgirls demanding an end to child labor, child marriage, and child trafficking - and inspired by the sacrifice of Malala Yousafzai - are borrowing the tactics of the US civil rights movement. Once cowed and silent, these young civil rights leaders have become defiant and assertive, and they are linking up across the world to demand justice for the 32 million girls and 29 million boys still denied places at school.
1 million out-of-school Pakistani children demanding their right to education have come together to sign a petition. Once a humble list of dusty scribbles on parchment, it is now due to be presented to Ban Ki-Moon next week. Malala Yousafzai will make her first public speech since her life-threatening injury, and the "Global March For Child Labor" is laying out its plans to eliminate child slavery in 2015 - the week after that. Social justice is not merely a concept, but a plan in action.
But, every year 10 million girls marry between the ages of 11 and 13. Fifteen million children are condemned to working full time in mines and sweatshops, on farms and as domestic labor. No scientific discovery or technological breakthrough is needed to build the 4 million classrooms and employ the 2 million teachers necessary to achieve universal education - just cash. But global education spending - only $3 billion a year at its peak - has been frozen for three years and is being cut. The Millenium Development Goals are slowly unraveling, and with less than 1000 days to go before it conclusion, it seems less of a reality than ever. More needs to be done, and fast.
Public anger is the greatest weapon of all. When people come together, monumental things can happen. The Civil Rights Movement was merely an angry mob at first. Every revolution in history is sparked by a group of a few people who want change and are willing to do something about it. So today, I say to you: YES, WE CAN.
A few quarters in your pocket could mean the difference between work and school for a child. A trip to Africa or India could change the lives of several children, for the better. Let's do our part. Because if we can unite, anything is possible.
The world's newest and youngest liberation movement will make its presence felt at a summit in Washington this week. The Common Forum for Kalmal Hari Freedom, the Nilphamari Child Marriage Free Zone, the Ugandan Child Protection Club, the Upper Manya Krobo Rights of the Child Club and Indonesia's Grobogan Child Empowerment Group may not yet be household names outside their own countries, but schoolgirls demanding an end to child labor, child marriage, and child trafficking - and inspired by the sacrifice of Malala Yousafzai - are borrowing the tactics of the US civil rights movement. Once cowed and silent, these young civil rights leaders have become defiant and assertive, and they are linking up across the world to demand justice for the 32 million girls and 29 million boys still denied places at school.
But, every year 10 million girls marry between the ages of 11 and 13. Fifteen million children are condemned to working full time in mines and sweatshops, on farms and as domestic labor. No scientific discovery or technological breakthrough is needed to build the 4 million classrooms and employ the 2 million teachers necessary to achieve universal education - just cash. But global education spending - only $3 billion a year at its peak - has been frozen for three years and is being cut. The Millenium Development Goals are slowly unraveling, and with less than 1000 days to go before it conclusion, it seems less of a reality than ever. More needs to be done, and fast.
A few quarters in your pocket could mean the difference between work and school for a child. A trip to Africa or India could change the lives of several children, for the better. Let's do our part. Because if we can unite, anything is possible.
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