THE DAY PROVIDES A PLATFORM FOR THE MILLIONS OF STREET CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD – AND THEIR CHAMPIONS – TO SPEAK OUT SO THAT THEIR RIGHTS CANNOT BE IGNORED.
This year we are preparing for the International Day of the Street Children. As a charity involved in work with street children we are part of a global work taking place on each continent, in every country. Recently the 12th of April has been chosen as the Day of the Street Children to bring awareness to the fact that such atrocity does exist. this a day when we speak for those without a voice.
[/one_third] [two_third last=last] [/two_third]The International Day for Street Children was launched in 2011 by the Consortium for Street Children (CSC), the leading international network dedicated to realising the rights of street children worldwide, and is supported by Aviva, the world’s 6th largest insurance group. The day is celebrated by street children, NGOs, policy makers, celebrities, corporates and individuals across the globe.
Take a look at the infographic showing the numbers behind the day, click here!
2012
The Day was celebrated once again on 12th April 2012, when the theme was ‘challenging perceptions’ – encouraging people to question what they think they know about street children. Find out more about what happened in 2012 and challenge your perceptions by watching the video above or reading about some common myths.
[toggle type=”white” title=”Read more about the celebrations in 2012″ active=””]2012
In 2012 the day was a huge success. Street children, the general public, celebrities, policy makers, charities/NGOs and businesses across the world showed their support for the day in numerous ways.
Events
84 events and celebrations were held in 38 countries around the world. Celebrations included: street children art competitions, street parades, conferences, workshops, talent competitions, film screenings, balloon releases, fundraisers, football tournaments and even a successful World Record Breaking shoe shine! Details of many of the events that took place in 2012 can be found on the Showcase page, with pictures in our Gallery.
Media
The International Day for Street Children was mentioned in the global media over 580 times.
National UK coverage included The Guardian, BBC News, The Daily Express and Sky News television, radio and online.
Articles appeared in 246 regional and local UK newspapers and interviews aired on 186 UK radio stations.
Outside of the UK we know of 77 articles appearing in international media spanning 15 different countries: Canada, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Spain, Swaziland and Tanzania.
See our media coverage page for more in-depth information.
High Profile Support
We received lots of high profile support in 2012. Steven Gerrard, Bianca Jagger, UN representatives and a number of UK MP’s and Peers signed our ‘Letter to the Editor’ of the Guardian newspaper.
Stephen Fry, John Prescott, Danny Cipriani and Alexandra Burke were among the celebrities who tweeted about the day.
We received statements of support from the Rt.Hon Sir John Major and the Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development.
Public support
Over 2,500 people from 89 countries signed our pledge to stand up for the rights of street children worldwide. We delivered the list of signatures at a meeting with the UN High Commission for Human Rights in June.
[/toggle]Key messages
Across the globe there are large numbers of children surviving on the streets – it’s time we all took action to address this issue.
Whether they are a runaway from Derby or a street child in Nairobi, the factors that drive children to the streets are similar (and include family breakdown, poverty, and violence).
One of the greatest challenges faced by a street child is being recognised and treated as someone with rights.
We must recognise that a street child has the same potential as any other child, given the opportunity.
Although street children are vulnerable to the dangers of life on the street, they are also resilient and resourceful.
Street children see themselves as able to make a positive contribution to society despite often negative attitudes towards them.
We are calling for governments and society to join together and stand up for the rights of street children all over the world. Being a street child is not a crime.
Street children adopt many tactics necessary to survive on the streets, such as begging, loitering and rough sleeping.
Heavy handed treatment by authorities – such as violence and round-ups – is all too common and must be stamped out.
Rather than treat them as criminals authorities should understand the reasons for street children’s behaviour and provide support.
