Alliances Benefitting Children
People worldwide believe that the United States, because it is an industrialized
nation. is the best for the world. In many ways it may be, but in its treatment
of children, the United States ranks at the bottom. The United States has
a child poverty rate of 20 percent, which is more that double that of any
other industrialized nation. Today in the land of the free, five million
children go hungry, more than 100,000 sleep in the streets, and 10 percent
of the infants in America have no health care. Amy Densmore explains how
she became involved in working for children's rights: "Being a young
adult, I can easily remember how loved I was growing up and how much I
had as a child. I was lucky, but many children in the United States are
not as fortunate as I. What I considered a necessity growing up is for
many a luxury. Not realizing the horrific conditions many children in the
United States live in. I decided to get involved with a local non-profit
organizations, Alliances Benefitting Children, that was working actively
to help children''
Alliances Benefitting Children, directed by Neva Pratico, works through
Vermont school children's desire lo help those children who are less fortunate
than themselves. It is a profitufit organization dedicated to providing
continuing support for youth to exercise responsible, caring and productive
citizenship.
The primary emphasis is the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The
Convention is an international human rights treaty drafted by the U.N.
in 1989, which, when passed, would give children rights such as the right
to health care services, the right to education. and the right to have
the child's''best interest" be a primary consideration in all proceedings
concerning the child. The Convention was finally signed by President Clinton
in February 1995. This treaty provides a legal framework for the protection
of children as well as their families, a monitoring system to hold governments
accountable for their treatment of children, and a vehicle for mobilizing
advocates and teaching children about peace and human rights. If the children
of today arc not protected, what will become of them and the future of
the United States?
The students have created a network through Vermont schools to inform their
peers about the Convention. They have formed alliances with Vermont and
national organizations to give young people a voice for improving the being
of all children. They have hosted radio talk shows and local TV, and produced
a video in art effort to raise public awareness of this global initiative.
Students have facilitated over 100 child-centered conferences, and testified
before Congress in Washington. D.C.
In 1992, over 200 students convened at the State House in Montpelier for
"Rights of the Child Day--Vermont" and wrote a joint resolution
to support the Convention May 4, 1993 was again proclaimed "Rights
of the Child Day--Vermont" by Governor Howard Dean. More than 100
children from all over the state wrote and unanimously adopted a Children's
Bill of Rights, which promotes the priorities of survival, protection.
development and participation. Two Vermont students represent the U.S.
at the United Nations Children's Conference on Human Rights in Vienna,
Austria. The 1994 Vermont legislators enacted bipartisan Joint Resolution
92, which supports the principles relative to the Convention and commends
the students for their conscientious leadership. In 1995, six other states
recognized May 4th as Rights of the Child Day, as initiated in Vermont.
All Rights of the Child Day forums were student-designed and implemented.
During 1996, a community Peace Pole was dedicated and over 30 ribbons were
added to the original 600 of the International Ribbon campaign, which was
created to illustrate what is needed to build a caring world. Each ribbon
shares a message reflecting the values, beliefs and hopes of the group
or individual that creates it. Most of the ribbons emphasize "Children
First."
It is the youth who arc actively advocating to save children in the United
States. The youth are taking the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead,
Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the future;
indeed it is the only thing that ever has,"and proving them to be
true. The idealism, energy and intelligence of young people acting for
children can change the world as it is. The process of youth empowerment
continues with the strong belief that children can indeed change the future...now.
Amy Densmore, who contributed this article, is a Junior at Quinnipiac
College in Hamden, Connecticut and is involved in a variety of leadership
training activities with fellow students.