Adolescence
Newsline
Child-rights video contest winner focuses on the right to education
NEW YORK, USA, 20 November 2009 – A young girl in India longs to be in school. She watches through the window and the gracious teacher calls her in. But when she sits down, the boys shift over to one side to be away from her.
UNICEF Zambia Child Ambassadors comfort their peers through service project
LUSAKA, Zambia, 25 September 2009 – Earlier this month, several UNICEF Child Ambassadors took time to spend an afternoon with children at the Zambian-Italian Orthopaedic Hospital in Lusaka. During the visit, the ambassadors interacted with their hospitalized peers by reading to them from locally published storybooks.
Young people appeal to world leaders at UN Summit on Climate Change
NEW YORK, USA, 22 September 2009 – A delegation of young people appealed to world leaders for meaningful action today at the UN Secretary-General’s Summit on Climate Change. The group of 13 young participants, ranging from 14 to 18 years of age, asked leaders to come together and make a difference on environmental sustainability.
UNICEF Syria 'training of trainers' workshops help young Palestinians make a difference
NEIRAB, Syria, 27 August 2009 – During six days of intensive sessions in Neirab, 20 Palestinian adolescents attending a recent UNICEF 'training of trainers' workshop learned various techniques for mobilizing young people to become more involved in their communities.
Teen editorial from Jamaica: ‘Children have rights, too. Protect them!’
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica has been subject to human rights criticisms in regards to our level of intolerance for sexual diversity, poor rehabilitation facilities, an overburdened and inefficient judicial system, human security and the continued impunity of police officers and state representatives who commit crimes.
Helping young people overcome drug addiction in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 22 July 2009 – Sharkozy (not his real name) began living the 'high society' life 10 years ago, when he started experimenting with marijuana and Erimin-5 with the local boys in his neighbourhood. He then spent the next three years dabbling in various illegal substances, including heroin and morphine.
‘Junior 8’ youth delegates present views to G8 world leaders in Italy
L'AQUILA, Italy, 9 July 2009 – A select group of 14 young people have met with top leaders at the G8 Summit here yesterday and urged them to act on a set of recommendations aimed at protecting child rights around the world.
Troubled young people get a second chance in Guyana
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, 9 July 2009 – Carletta is just 16, but she has already confronted many challenges and brutalities in life. She ran away from home several times and became involved in dangerous activities. Eventually, her father, a single parent, realized he was no longer able to cope with her behaviour.
Young people open Junior 8 Summit in Rome
ROME, Italy, 7 July 2009 – Bright young minds from around the world have gathered for the Junior 8 Summit, a week-long conference for young people to exchange and debate ideas about how to best improve global conditions for children.
UNICEF contest invites youth videos on children’s rights; deadline 1 August
NEW YORK, USA, 30 June 2009 – People all over the world can talk about children’s rights, but it is children themselves who have firsthand experience on the subject. In honour of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – which will be observed later this year – UNICEF is inviting young people around the world to share their thoughts on the issue in video form.
UNICEF Executive Director concludes landmark Syria visit
DAMASCUS, Syrian Arab Republic, 30 June 2009 – UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman concluded a landmark tour of Syria by commending UNICEF’s Syrian partners for their accomplishments benefiting children and young people.
Youth leaders gear up for Junior 8 Summit, to parallel upcoming G8 meeting in Italy
NEW YORK, USA, 26 June 2009 – If you had the opportunity to tell the world’s leaders what they should do to solve global problems, what would you say? That’s the question youth delegates to the Junior 8 Summit will wrestle with as they prepare to meet with presidents and prime ministers from the G8 industrialized nations in Italy next month.
‘The Youth Times’ newspaper speaks volumes for Palestinian teenagers
NEW YORK, USA, 25 June 2009 – Although much of the news from the Occupied Palestinian Territory is focused on violence and conflict, there is different, yet just as important, reporting happening on the ground in the region – reporting from a distinctly youth perspective.
Panel explores advances and challenges facing indigenous youth in a digital world
NEW YORK, USA, 22 May 2009 – UNICEF sponsored a panel with representatives of various indigenous youth groups at its headquarters in New York yesterday, as a side event of the Eighth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Teenager advocates for child-care reform at regional forum in Kyrgyzstan
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, 14 May 2009 – Maftuna, now 15, was only four years old when her mother died, but she remembers many things from her childhood.
Rwandan teenager does her part to commemorates 15th anniversary of genocide
NEW YORK, USA, 17 April 2009 – Vanessa Umubyeyi, now 15, was only a month old when the Rwandan genocide began, but she knows the stories by heart.
At Inter-Parliamentary Union conference, a call to action on adolescent girls’ rights
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 9 April 2009 – Adolescent girls in developing countries are the world’s greatest untapped resource for stability and growth. As economic actors and future mothers, safe, healthy, educated, economically empowered girls have the means to escape poverty and ignite progress.
'A minute for my rights' youth video project in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, 1 April 2009 – Young people have discovered an important medium for promoting children's rights in Argentina. Since 2005, 'A minute for my rights' (Un minuto por mis derechos) has brought creative children together to make one-minute films.
Ghanaian youth radio host speaks out on gender equality
NEW YORK, USA, 20 March 2009 – The 53rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women wrapped up at UN headquarters in New York last week. Among its attendees this year was Edith Asamani, 18, a youth radio host from Ghana.
Fighting drug addiction among Maldives youths
MALE, Maldives, 11 March 2009 – In the tropical tourists’ paradise of Maldives, beyond the waving palms and turquoise pools, lurks the ugly problem of youth drug addiction.
In Amman, UNICEF regional media awards honour coverage of adolescents
AMMAN, Jordan, 2 March 2009 – The first UNICEF Regional Awards for Media on Child Rights were handed out last week at an official ceremony in Amman, under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, UNICEF’s Eminent Advocate for children.
UNICEF rehabilitating learning centres for adolescents in Gaza
JERUSALEM, 23 January 2009 – The recent and extreme levels of conflict in Gaza have affected the lives of some 800,000 children and young people. Many have lost their schools, health facilities, play areas and even neighbourhoods, which have been destroyed in the violence.
Radio project gives a voice to indigenous children in Mexico
TENANGO, Mexico, 21 January 2009 – When a 2006 teachers' strike in the State of Oaxaca caused students to miss school for several months, UNICEF and its education partner, Ciesas, saw an opportunity to help children in the poorest and most vulnerable communities. The resulting project gave these children their own radio programme and, more important, a voice.
Youth radio initiative spreads health messages in Lao People's Democratic Republic
LUANG PRABANG, Lao People's Democratic Republic, 16 January 2009 – The thought of going live on the air might be daunting to most people, but not to Pany Vilaychith, 18. Despite her youth, she is the lead presenter on 'Smile of Hope', a weekly broadcast from a radio station covering Luang Prabang province, a mountainous area of northern Lao PDR.
As UN aid operations are suspended, a Gaza teenager describes life amidst conflict
NEW YORK, USA, 8 January 2009 – As fighting in the Gaza Strip continued into its 13th day today, UN humanitarian assistance in the territory was suspended for an indefinite period because of the danger facing aid workers there.
UNICEF unites young leaders from eight North Caucasus regions for peace
NALCHIK, Russian Federation, 12 December 2008 – Last month, on the International Day for Tolerance, roughly 150 volunteers and children from 8 regions of the North Caucasus gathered in Nalchik for the first-ever Congress of Young Peace Builders.
Speak Africa initiative brings together youth activists to fight for the rights of African youth
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 12 December 2008 – On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Speak Africa youth activists from 13 African countries joined the African Union to call for urgent action to protect the rights of young people.
Children of Iraq make an ‘Appeal’ to government leaders
BAGDHAD, Iraq, 12 December 2008 – The Iraq Children’s Appeal, crafted by and for young people, was launched in Baghdad recently, as part of a special project between UNICEF and the non-governmental organization Al-Amal to help promote a culture of children’s rights in Iraq
Young Iraqi filmmaker wins 'OneMinutesJr.' Award
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, 11 December 2008 – Mohammed Majid al-Ghazali, age 15, is an Iraqi currently living in Jordan. He just won the 2008 'OneMinutesJr.' award. His winning film, Accident, was produced during a UNICEF 'OneMinutesJr.' workshop in Amman, Jordan, where youth were asked to make films that reflected the rights from the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Nepal’s Young Peer Supporters fight against sexual exploitation of children
KATHMANDU, Nepal, 10 December 2008 – Last week, organizations and groups of young people from around the world gathered in Brazil to bring attention to the problem of child trafficking and sexual exploitation at the World Congress Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents. One young activist from Nepal, 16-year-old Parwati, spoke to UNICEF Radio before the Congress about the efforts she is making to help children in her country.
New PSA asks young people to demand that their leaders ratify Youth Charter
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 10 December 2008 – Thirty-six youth activists from 13 African countries have gathered in Johannesburg to mark today’s 60th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The group – joined by UNICEF Regional Ambassador Yvonne Chaka Chaka and UNICEF Advocate for Youth and South African television and radio personality Kabelo “KB” Ngakane – also calls on African leaders to protect the rights of young people by ratifying the African Youth Charter.
Launch of the 'StopX' online community to fight child sexual exploitation
NEW YORK, USA, 28 November 2008 – To coincide with the opening of World Congress III on the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in Brazil, UNICEF and partners launched StopX.org, an online community of young activists fighting sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.
World Congress III Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children opens in Brazil
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, 26 November 2008 – Some 3,000 participants from more than 125 countries gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for last night’s opening ceremony of the third World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents.
Latin American pop group Kudai visits Panama to highlight the needs of indigenous populations
PANAMA CITY, Panama, 24 November 2008 – Latin Grammy Award-Nominated Chilean pop group Kudai visited the autonomous territory of Kuna Yala recently in order to highlight the needs and concerns of indigenous and excluded populations.
Protecting girls and women from sexual violence in post-war Liberia
MONROVIA, Liberia, 14 November 2008 – Peace came to Liberia in 2003, after 14 years of brutal, devastating civil war. Since then, progress to rebuild the country has been significant: the restoration of infrastructure, public services, the economy and the rule of law is well under way.
Children’s Parliament of Guinea-Bissau presents its ‘Manifesto’ to candidates
BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau, 10 November 2008 – The Children’s Parliament of Guinea-Bissau last week presented its ‘Manifesto’ of young people’s concerns to 19 political parties and two coalitions campaigning for legislative elections that will take place here on 16 November.
Children find their voice at Caribbean Child Research Conference in Jamaica
KINGSTON, Jamaica, 6 November 2008 – The Caribbean Child Research Conference has become a milestone event that brings together academics, child-focused agencies, government officials and children to examine the latest research on issues affecting children.
Fond memories and clear challenges for 2008 J8 Summit delegates
CHITOSE, Japan, 28 July 2008 – For 39 young people who gathered in Chitose on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, earlier this month, the G8 meeting of world leaders was more than just a distant, high-level international event.
Photo exhibition in Mozambique shows impact of AIDS through the eyes of children
MAPUTO, Mozambique, 14 July 2008 – Last year, 21 children aged 11 through 17 took to the streets of Maputo with cameras to document their lives and their communities. Over the course of two weeks, with help from a team of professional photographers, they opened the doors of their homes and learned how to tell their stories through the camera's lens.
J8 delegates’ action plan grabs the attention of G8 leaders
CHITOSE CITY, Hokkaido, Japan. 8 July 2008 – After days of intense sessions, during which they debated and then drafted their ‘Chitose Declaration’ on issues of concern to the world’s children, 9 of the 39 Junior 8 Summit delegates here boarded a bus yesterday to go to the site of the G8 Summit of world leaders.
Junior 8 Summit delegates use online workspace to advance their viewpoints
CHITOSE CITY, Hokkaido, Japan, 6 July 2008 - Every evening after dinner they begin to congregate in the dimly lit lobby of the hotel. Small groups of teenagers sit with their laptops open, their faces tinted blue by the computer screens, typing busily as a collective ‘click-click’ fills the room.
Young delegates’ hopes are high as ‘Junior 8’ Summit opens in Japan
HOKKAIDO, Japan, 3 July 2008 – The Junior 8 Summit opened yesterday with thunderous performance by young local drummers at a traditional ceremony in Hokkaido, Japan. The meeting brings together a group of children and young people who promise to make an even bigger noise on the world stage.
Arab Media Award on Child Rights initiated to honour outstanding achievements
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, 30 June 2008 – A new annual award is being initiated this year to recognize media stories that accurately depict the situation of children and young people in the Arab nations of the Middle East.
Indigenous youth make their voices heard at global caucus
NEW YORK, USA, 2 June 2008 – At the seventh session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, held in New York in April, the youngest generation of indigenous people around the world came together as one body to highlight the problems they face.
UNICEF and British Telecom launch ‘edu-communication’ project in São Paulo
SÃO PAULO Brazil, 11 April 2008 – The excitement was palpable at the recent launch of the new UNICEF and British Telecom youth participation programme focusing on education and communication in low-income communities in Brazil.
UNICEF’s ‘Story Jam’ looks to expand outlets for youth communication
NEW YORK, USA, 10 April 2008 – A talented group of computer programmers, designers, content developers and hardware experts recently gathered at UNICEF headquarters for ‘Story Jam New York’, a three-day event focused on developing new outlets for youth communication.
Denise’s story: Small grant brings wealth of knowledge to Mozambican youth
NEW YORK, USA, 17 March 2008 – The 52nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, which concluded recently in New York, could have been just another annual gathering at the United Nations where ambitious commitments are made but soon forgotten – until the next meeting, when they are made yet again.
UNICEF and youth: Working together for 'A World Fit for Children'
NEW YORK, New York, 15 January 2008 – The year 2007 marked the five-year anniversary celebration of the UN plan of action, ‘A World Fit For Children’ – a commitment by world leaders to protect and promote child rights.
‘Our Stories’ project: Children around the world share and connect online
NEW YORK, USA, 10 December 2007 – A multitude of voices have joined together to launch ‘Our Stories’ – an initiative that will collect, preserve and share stories from young people around the world.
Virtual video-making in Teen Second Life spreads the message on child rights
NEW YORK, USA, 20 November 2007 – To mark the 18th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), a group of teenage videographers has given an online screening of their short videos made in the virtual world of Teen Second Life.
Child-friendly journalism gives young people a voice in Iraq
AMMAN, Jordan, 29 June 2007 – Mohammad’s TV show, ‘Sabah El Kheir Mosul’ (Good Morning Mosul), is different than most Iraqi news programmes. To balance the grim daily reports of bombings and violence, Mohammad, 28, is trying a new focus – the lives of children.
Junior 8 delegates present youth perspectives to G8 world leaders
NEW YORK, USA, 7 June 2007 – For nine young people participating in the Junior 8 Summit in Germany, today was the opportunity of a lifetime.
J8 Summit opens in Germany
WISMAR, Germany, 3 June 2007 – Young people from Group of 8 industrialized countries and the developing world, as well as German federal and state government officials, have gathered here for the official opening of the Junior 8 Summit – the international youth conference with an agenda that parallels the G8 Summit.
Young people gather to debate global issues at Junior 8 Summit in Germany
NEW YORK, USA, 1 June 2007 – Young people from Group of 8 industrialized nations and the developing world are gathering in Germany to participate in this year’s Junior 8 Summit. Mirroring the G8 Summit, which will be commenced on 6 June, the J8 is aimed at empowering young people to take part and voice their opinions in global affairs.
Children in Barbados have their say on development goals
BRIDGETOWN. Barbados, 30 May 2007 – With the timeline for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) drawing closer, Barbadian teenagers recently had the opportunity to question their government leaders about what was being done to ensure that Barbados reaches the goals – especially MDG 1 on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.
Digital Diary: Pranav explores the issue of drug use among his teenage peers
NEW YORK, USA, 20 April 2007 – Pranav, 14, is concerned about the risk of drug use among his peers and wants to better understand the issue.
At Global Kids Conference, high school students debate environmental issues
NEW YORK, USA, 26 March 2007 – Six hundred teenagers gathered in New York on Friday to debate environmental issues at the 2007 Global Kids Annual Conference entitled, ‘Do you know where your environment is?’ While experts from UNICEF and other organizations helped to guide discussions, the event was entirely youth-organized and youth-led.
Facing discrimination, Chile’s Mapuche youth speak out
TEMUCO, Chile, 8 March 2007 – On the outskirts of Temuco, the capital of Cautín Province, UNICEF recently organized a meeting to provide Mapuche indigenous youth an opportunity to meet, discuss and exchange ideas with their peers from communities in different parts of Chile.
Marginalized girls take centre stage at UN panel on unleashing their potential
NEW YORK, USA, 6 March 2007 – A panel of young women dedicated to improving the lives of marginalized girls shared their experiences during a panel discussion at United Nations headquarters this afternoon.
In the virtual world of Second Life, teens tackle real children’s issues
NEW YORK, USA, 24 January 2007 – Voices of Youth, UNICEF’s own online forum, recently helped reach hundreds of children from around the globe with a groundbreaking project in Teen Second Life, the under-18 corner of the increasingly popular virtual world, Second Life.
‘Our Voice’: UNICEF and Lebanon TV launch youth-produced series
NEW YORK, USA, 1 December 2006 – The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) and UNICEF are showcasing the viewpoints of the country’s million-strong youth audience with a new television series called ‘Sawtna’, which means ‘Our Voice’.
‘Junior 8’ Youth Forum opens in Russia
PUSHKIN, Russia, 10 July 2006 – With the goal of influencing world leaders, 64 young people from G8 member countries today opened the ‘Junior 8’ Youth Forum, or J8, in Pushkin, near St. Petersburg, Russia.
Youth Assembly 2005 at the United Nations: Young people making a difference
NEW YORK, 12 August 2005 – The United Nations’ Youth Assembly is a special conference held annually at UN headquarters, where young people from all over the globe get together to discuss how they can make a difference in today’s world.
Indigenous children speak out at Spanish conference
MADRID, 6 July 2005 – Eighty indigenous adolescents from 17 different Latin American countries have gathered together to attend the Ibero-American Meeting on Indigenous Children’s Rights. Anxious teenagers await their chance to be heard. As representatives of their respective indigenous populations, they carry the aspirations and fears of their people as a welcome burden, with a strength fuelled by centuries of discrimination and injustice - and a renewed hope for change. Sitting in the summer sun, they share their experiences, grievances, and expectations. The meeting is sponsored by UNICEF’s regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Spanish Committee for UNICEF, and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation.
UNICEF’s first-ever Voices of Youth ‘Make a Difference’ One-Minute Video Contest
NEW YORK, 28 June 2005 – Three college students from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have won UNICEF’s first-ever Voices of Youth ‘Make a Difference’ One-Minute Video Contest for their one-minute public service announcement entitled ‘Youth of the World, Youth for the World’.
Youth Orchestra celebrates the world’s children
NEW YORK, 8 June 2005 – On Wednesday night, UNICEF and the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations hosted the World Youth Orchestra in the United Nations’ General Assembly Hall. The group of 40 young musicians from 26 countries dedicated their concert to the children of the world.
Empowering adolescents to help their communities recover from crisis
NEW YORK, 26 May 2005 – Drawing on the experiences of teenagers who have helped their communities recover from crisis, UNICEF recently released a new publication: ‘Adolescent Programming in Conflict and Post Conflict Situations’.
Children gather online as The State of the World’s Children 2005 launches
New York, New York, 9 December 2004-Sixteen-year old Mustafa lives in the Gaza Strip, where political conflict affects his daily life. “When I have an exam I just think about the political topics and I forget the exam and I have problems in my exams,” he says.
Young people discuss the prevention of HIV and AIDS through UNICEF Voices of Youth online forum
NEW YORK, 23 November 2004 - Young people from around the world have come to UNICEF’s Voice of Youth online forum to talk about how children and young people can help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.
Voices of Youth online discussion on disabilities – panellists from World Federation of the Deaf
NEW YORK, 20 October 2004 – Around the world there are millions of children and young people living with disabilities. This week on Voices of Youth (UNICEF’s global website for young people), a discussion thread is focusing on issues related to living with a disability. Participating are guest panellists Vivien Batory and Juan Angel De Gouveia, from the World Federation of the Deaf, Youth Section – an international non-governmental organization.
International Youth Day: Celebrating youth
On 12 August 2004, children and adults around the world will take a break from their daily routines to celebrate young people and the integral role they play in helping create a world fit for children.
