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Speech by Barron Hanson for Presentation of the Results of the Say Yes for Children Campaign to, Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel and Nane Annan

I am Barron Hanson, I am 12 years old and from Australia and I am pleased to be your host for this historic ceremony.

My first hello is to everyone from the Children's Forum. This ceremony is about making our voices heard and saying Yes to children's rights. So let's do what we did on Sunday and make our voices heard, say with me, Say Yes! Say Yes!! Say Yes!!!

Today, I am going to tell you some of the stories from around the world and ask that the world leaders hear what the world is saying.

A long time ago on April 2001, Say Yes for Children started in the backyard of Nelson Mandela and Graça Machel when they cast their vote on the internet.

We are honoured to welcome Nane Annan, Graça Machel and Nelson Mandela, thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to be here with us today.

We want you to know that Say Yes for Children has turned out better than you could ever have expected. It is about so much more than just numbers, and this is what we hope you tell the leaders of the General Assembly. In fact, we hope you tell our story to everyone you meet.

Tell the General Assembly that if they are looking for some help that there are more than 94 million lives ready to work with them to change the world, and if they don't know how to find them, we can give them directions.

Try looking in Turkey where Mrs. Annan launched a campaign that resulted in 1 in every 4 people pledging for Say Yes.

Tell them to look in Moldova where hundreds of young people from the children's parliament and local children and youth council took to the streets day after day to collect pledges for Say Yes.

Or in Guinea, when torrential rains began to pour. The village chief had to move 3,000 children and adults into an indoor market to give them their chance to pledge.

Or in China, where thousands of primary school students helped collect a massive 20 million pledges. Look in Peru where 800,000 children pledged, and in Vietnam where 750,000 children and teachers took the pledge.

Please Mr. Mandela, tell the General Assembly that if they are wondering if anyone cares about what they do or don't do, that more than 94 million people are watching and waiting for their leadership.

Tell them about the young activists in Kazakhstan who collected 3.5 million pledges on one day, and about the children and young people in Sri Lanka and Mongolia who answered the campaign's call.

These people are expecting that you will take the lead on behalf of children.

Please Mrs. Machel, when you talk to the Security Council tell them about the 94 million people who are ready to change the world with children. When you work with universities, tell them about the lecturer in Bangladesh who led students in collecting 10,000 pledges.

Tell them about the Say Yes supporter in your country of Mozambique, who traveled from village to village drawing on the tradition of song to advocate for the protection of children's rights.

About the volunteers in Afghanistan and Congo Brazzaville who struggled against the odds, collecting thousands of pledges. Talk about the rights awareness teams in Sudan who were specially trained before they carried pledge forms to markets, cattle camps, schools and villages across the country. And the teams of boy scouts in Morocco collecting 6 million pledges to Say Yes.

When you talk with government leaders here at the special session or in your travels around the world, tell them that you know where there are 94 million people with sleeves rolled up and ready to help.

Mrs. Annan, you have been a special friend to children everywhere and a special friend to the Say Yes for Children campaign. We thank you for that. You probably have as many stories as we do.

And here are some more for you to talk about.

In Ghana young volunteers collected 8,000 pledges in three days, and in Nigeria where 2,000 young volunteers collected 600,000 pledges in one week.

When you are talking to the world leaders and they are telling you that they are willing to work for change if others will work with them, tell them that in Jordan one in every five people have said Yes!

Tell the leaders that the lessons of Say Yes are that millions of people are expecting leadership, looking for leadership and ready to support leaders who are committed to children.

Tell them please that this is the first step of a long journey that we are ready to make with them.