The competition in Latin America and the Caribbean gives voice to children and adolescents
Chicos.net, which launched the “Increase Your Rights” contest, which invites girls, boys and adolescents up to 18 years of age from Latin America and the Caribbean to use digital tools to express themselves creatively and develop videos with proposals to improve the world around them .
With the goal of providing tools and strategies to teachers who want to accompany their students in the process of creating projects that improve the world and their communities, the association guys.net organized the workshop “A creative approach to children’s rights in the classroom”.
This virtual meeting that took place within the competition ZOOM to your rights 2022, made it possible to delve into how to address the rights of boys and girls in the classroom and conduct a survey among teachers to understand their perception of children’s rights. The answers allowed us to see that 64% of respondents think that children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean know little about their rights and that only half of the schools in the region care about teaching children’s rights.
The results are shocking: Almost 72% of the surveyed teachers include in their answers that the right to protection and life without violence is one of the most affected rights of children and adolescents. The right to equality and non-discrimination (39.6%) and the right to a healthy environment (11.5%) also stand out. While the right to internet and health was only mentioned by less than 1%.
In order for children to be able to express those situations that affect them and to have the opportunity to propose an idea, a solution or a school or community project, the 5th edition of the competition is presented “Zoom to your rights”initiative of Save the children Y guys.netwith the participation of partner organizations and networks from the region, constituting Civil Society Support Program for Latin America and the Caribbean (PASC).
“The results of our survey show us once again that children and adolescents need to know more about their rights, to be able to express themselves about what concerns them, to live better and to be heard at all levels of society, from home. , school and governments”, said Andrea Urbas, director of Chicos.net.
under the motto “Your actions can change the world”, the competition invites girls, boys and adolescents up to the age of 18 from Latin America and the Caribbean to make creative videos in which they express themselves about their rights and situations that affect them, presenting their ideas, messages, demands or school or community projects to improve their lives and those of their peers. The video, which must have a maximum duration of 2 minutes, can be in any format: documentary, feature, animation, choreography, photo collage, stop-motion or any other technique you wish.
The submitted works will be selected by a renowned jury and there are amazing prizes for the group members, teachers and an economic fund of US$1000 to implement the winning school or community project.
Teachers and educators are considered the main participants in this process, therefore they are provided with tools to work together with children and adolescents and accompany them in recognizing their rights and presenting proposals to generate actions that seek to give them a voice, to transform what worries or concerns them.
“I invite children and adolescents from Latin America and the Caribbean to participate in the fifth edition of the Zoom your Rights contest and use all their creativity, artistic expressions and technological tools to raise their voices and fight for their rights. Take advantage of this platform so that your messages are heard by families, schools, communities and government bodies to achieve change and solutions to the issues that concern you.”, commented Victoria Ward, Save the Children’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The jury that will evaluate the videos consists of prominent figures related to the rights of children and adolescents: Mary Beloff and Rosaria Correa (experts on children’s rights and elected members of UN Committee on the Rights of the Child for the period 2023-2027) and Milena Grillo (strategy and innovation director of Paniamor Foundation of Costa Ricachild rights expert, representative of PASC). In addition, the jury consists of representatives of the organizers, Dreeney Green (Global Director of Children’s Rights and Social Justice at Save the children) and Andrea Urbas (director of guys.netspecialist in childhood and digital media) and Juan José and Camila (Young winners of the first prize of the competition Zoom 2021-Colombia).
The initiative was promoted by Save the children and the association guys.netwith the participation of organizations and networks, partners of the region that make up Civil Society Support Program for Latin America and the Caribbean (PASC): Action for Children, Ania, Cecodap, Ciprodeni, Equity, Fundasil, Global Infancia, Ormusa, RedMuch, Paz y Esperanza, Paniamor Foundation, Nao Bata Eduque Network, Central American Networks, South Coalitions Network and networks and movements led by children and adolescents Rednnyas, Molacnats Y I have something to say too.
This year’s edition of the competition is supported by tick tock on Swedish government and on CABA Human Rights Secretary. For register enter this link until September 30, 2022
