International Day for Street Children will make the world sit up and notice
ALMOST 25 years since the Candelária Massacre in Brazil, where eight children and teenagers were shot dead by police while sleeping rough on the steps of a church, campaigners believe that the lives of street children worldwide might be about to change for the better.
This year’s International Day for Street Children (April 12) celebrates a groundbreaking UN agreement to produce a “General Comment” on Children in Street Situations. This is a huge step forward as it means the UN recognises that governments can do a better job of protecting children whose opportunities are so reduced that the street is their “best” option.
A General Comment gives guidance to governments on making policies to give support for children. This is a victory for all members of the Consortium for Street Children (CSC) and street children, whose campaigning and lobbying at the highest level have created the momentum necessary to bring about change on the streets.
Sarah Thomas De Benitez, the Consortium for Street Children chief executive, said: “For far too long street-connected children have been ignored and marginalised by governments – seen as a political inconvenience, a social embarrassment to be swept under the carpet. This kind of invisibility is a child’s worst enemy. Any invisible child is vulnerable to horrific abuse.
“A whole group of children who are invisible to policymakers cannot get access to the opportunities, support services and investment they need to find better options in society.
“This is the experience of streetconnected children in many countries of the world. And in places suffering severe upheavals, more children will find their way to the street – whether that’s in Sierra Leone, Syria or Ukraine – as governments focus on immediate problems and fail to invest in children’s development.
“We cannot, in all conscience, turn a blind eye to the challenges children face on the streets. The UN has recognised that consistent failures to fulfil street children’s rights cannot be ignored.
“As the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child starts work to produce a General Comment, we have a two-year window to make sure the committee listens to the experiences of street-connected children and takes full account of the expertise of those who support children in street situations on a daily basis.
“Together, over the next two years, we have a unique opportunity to set out the case for governments to invest in streetconnected children. International Day for Street Children 2015 is the perfect start to make the world sit up and take notice.’’
The International Day is a unique opportunity to make the voices of streetconnected children heard and highlight their challenges. CSC is sharing key material on social media through its #TweetForTheStreet campaign, including:
A Street Children World Map with the latest statistics and facts about street children and the challenges they face, including statistics for Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana.
Myth Busters to help challenge some common misconceptions.
An Easy Guide on the UN General Comment on Children in Street Situations.
All three documents can be accessed at http://www.streetchildrenday.org/getinvolved/
Various events will take place worldwide, including sleepovers, sport tournaments and marches. More details can be found at http://www.streetchildrenday. org/events/
The International Day for Street Children was launched in 2011 with CSC’s global corporate partner, Aviva. Aviva are committed to shining a spotlight on the issues faced by street children worldwide.
More information can be found at http://www.streetchildrenday.org/