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Albania
Albania’s Children’s Alliance, a local version of the
Global Movement for Children, adopted the GMC and Say Yes campaigns
whole-heartedly. Nationwide pledging beganon 11 May. Thousands of
pledge forms were distributed widely via the Children's Alliance,
Youth Parliament and youth journalists. Violinist Teddy Papavrami
and pop singer Aurela Grace were among the celebrity supporters
of Say Yes. A radio campaign on the leading FM station included
short call-in segments on selected topics on the Rallying Call and
Say Yes radio spots in the evening.
Andorra
President of the Government, the Minister of Education, President
of the Andorran National Committee for UNICEF, and a group of 15
young people from across Andorra launched Say Yes for Children on
26 April at the Government buildings. The campaign was organized
with the assistance of the Andorran government and several local
Mayors. Thousands of pledge forms were distributed throughout Andorra,
and all national media ran copies of the form. In a special collaboration
with the Ministry of Education, pledge forms were given to every
school child in the country. On 8 September, the Andorran Parliament
dedicated two of its sessions to the campaign. On 19 February 2002,
the Head of the Andorran government along with the President of
the Andorran National Committee for UNICEF re-launched the Say Yes
campaign.
Armenia
Encouraging all to Say Yes any way they can, a wide drive for
pledges in May swept schools, universities, Internet cafes, libraries
and other public places with Internet access, while the Armenian
Red Cross used its network to help distribute and collect paper
pledges. On 1 June, the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra held a sign-up
event at the end of a concert. A private sector company supporting
the campaign supported Say Yes by giving children free access to
the popular “Water World” attraction in September, where
pledge forms were made available.
Austria
Say Yes for Children (Meine Stimme für Kinder) was successfully
launched on 26 April. National UNICEF Ambassador Thomas Brezina
pledged his support on the same day. Organized mainly by the Austrian
National Coalition, the campaign was primarily promoted online and
mobilised NGOs, educational institutions, youth organizations, media,
ambassadors and others to help encourage all Austrians to Say Yes
on the Internet.
Azerbaijan
 Using
the popularity of wrestling in Azerbaijan to help attract attention
to Say Yes, the launch of the campaign on 15 May took place at the
opening of the International Free Wrestling Tournament. Over 150
participants and some 1,500 spectators - including children and
young people, local media and government representatives - were
invited to Say Yes on paper pledges. Making the country’s first
set of online pledges were first Deputy Prime Minister Abas Abasov,
the President of the National Olympic Committee and World Champion
in Freestyle Wrestling Namiq Abdullayev. Say Yes has been promoted
through events involving everyone from government and non-governmental
bodies, musicians and performers, young people, and the wider public.
By end-July, a network of volunteers, NGO partners, and government
counterparts had collected some 150,000 pledges. A series of events
mobilising further support for Say Yes included TV programmes, talk
shows and pledge spots involving children.
Belarus
Following the launch of Say Yes on27 April, several promotional
activities drove the campaign in Belarus. In May, there were several
sign-up events in schools, at gala and charity concerts, and at
the Belarusian Forum for Children. Media support helped to spread
the message of Say Yes and pledge collection continued throughout
June and July.
Belgium
Covered widely by national media, Say Yes was officially launched
on 26 March. A group of the country’s leading children’s
advocates joined forces to promote the campaign, with assistance
from the Ministry of Education, the Youth Movement and others. Pledge
forms in Dutch and French were widely distributed, and a young people’s
guide to the Global Movement for Children was published. Corporate
entities lent support by promoting Say Yes online, celebrities were
featured in television and newspaper advertisements calling for
support of Say Yes and the GMC, and the Ministry of Education issued
its own appeal to all schools for students to get involved in the
campaign.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Following the launch of Say Yes at a youth press conference on 15
May, several NGOs helped to distribute and collect thousands of
pledge forms. Children and young people worked with adults to collect
pledges on the streets and from various institutions, while NGOs
mobilised group signatures through events and at theatre performances.
The Prime Minister gave Say Yes his full support.
Bulgaria
The President of Bulgaria was the first to Say Yes for Children
at the national launch in Sofia on 26 April, at an event including
young people from several schools. Simultaneous launches took place
in ten cities across Bulgaria. In Razgrad, Goodwill Ambassador Rossi
Kirilova signed up at a concert along with the city mayor and children
on stage. The pledge form was published in local newspapers and
appeals for all Bulgarians to Say Yes were broadcast regularly on
national TV. The UNICEF Club of Friends led the campaign, organizing
pledging events in several towns. Pledge collection combined with
discussions and youth workshops on the issues behind the points
helped to raise the level of debate on the rights of Bulgarian children.
Croatia
Ahead of the official launch on 6 June, local NGOs began distributing
pledges and Say Yes got a remarkable show of support at a Youth
Fair in Zagreb, 25-27 May, where over 1,000 visitors signed pledges.
At an annual Volunteer Fair in Split, 11-13 June, a large gathering
of NGOs and governmental organisations pledged their support for
Say Yes by signing pledges. Some of the most well known Croatian
celebrities supported the campaign, and the local media showed support
by publishing pledge forms and promoting the campaign online as
well as on popular local TV programmes.
Czech Republic
The National Committee for UNICEF partnered with the national Scouts
organization to distribute pledge forms. The pledge form was made
available on the Committee’s website and in the thousands through
their monthly magazine Archa.
Finland
Say Yes was launched in the beginning of June through a newspaper
ad campaign - a joint appeal by a coalition of nine organizations
working for children. All schools in Finland were invited to participate
in Say Yes.
France
Say Yeswas launched on 18 May at a press conference. Pledging booths
were set up in all main Paris Metro intersections, while hundreds
of thousands of pledge forms were distributed through a large network
of Say Yes partners, including La Poste, the Youth and Sports Ministry,
la Ligue de l’enseignement, la RATP and les Scouts de France.
Several newspapers and magazines published the pledge free of charge,
while over 100 organizations promoted Say Yes online.
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
On April 26th UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director, Karin Sham Poo
and the country's Ombudsman for Children, Nevenka Krusarovska, challenged
all Macedonians to Say Yes for Children, pointing to the power of
Say Yes to influence the treatment and protection of children all
over the world. The "Makednski Posti" company has helped to get
the campaign off to a promising start by providing pre-paid postcards
- through the daily newspapers, at schools and local community centers
nationwide - for those without Internet access to make their pledge.
Pledges filled out on these cards can be mailed, free of cost, from
any post office. Young hip-hop artist Vrcak -famous in Macedonia
for his positive lyrics, and recently appointed National Ambassador
of UNICEF for his country - will be but one of the influential voices
urging Macedonians to Say Yes between May and September.
Georgia
Journalists were among the first to sign pledges at the press conference
on 1 June marking the start of Say Yes in Georgia. First Lady Nanuli
Shevardnadze gave Say Yes her full blessing and encouragement at
the well-attended main launch in the Children and Youth Palace.
Throughout a busy day in the city’s center, several pledge
stations and special Say Yes stands attracted attention while young
volunteers distributed and collected forms. Bells of the main Sameba
Cathedral rang in a call for everybody to Say Yes. By the end of
the day, some10,000 pledges had been collected. On 12 June, President
Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze signed his pledge and committed to attending
the Special Session on Children in September.
Several activities carried Say Yes nationwide. Organized around
the theme Fight HIV/AIDS, a meeting in early July organized by the
NGO Women Aid International and the Children and Youth Parliament
of Georgia brought forth the support of the Georgian church as a
partner in solving various child-related issues. Later in the month,
a series of regional school-based tournaments for children ages
12-15 helped to raise awareness for Say Yes.
Germany
Say Yes was launched at a conference in Berlin with legendary chess
player Anatoly Karpov. The German National Committee for UNICEF
urged all Germans to make their pledges for Say Yes on the Internet.
Greece
Say Yes in Greece worked closely with the very children and
young people who are at the heart of the campaign. Say Yes was tied
to an educational programme for 5th graders of primary schools and
for kindergartens all across Greece, in which hundreds of thousands
of schools participated. The schools are developed books in which
children talk about their views of the present and their dreams
for the future. Youth associations and youth clubs rallied around
the campaign and several summer festivals were dedicated to Say
Yes.
Hungary
Children’s channel Nickelodeon partnered with Hungary’s
National Committee for UNICEF to promote Say Yes through a competition
designed around children and young people’s impression of the
significance of their rights. In September, the Committee joined
forces with the Hungarian Ombudsman for Education to raise awareness
and gather support for Say Yes throughout Hungarian schools.
Italy
Led by school children, Say Yes made a colorful start at a
massive sign-on event in Rome on 19 April. Head of Police Giovanni
De Gennaro made the first pledge, and used the opportunity to sign
a memorandum of understanding with UNICEF Italy, which laid an important
foundation for their long-term cooperation in realizing the rights
of Italian children.
The driving force behindSay Yes in Italy was PIDIDA (Per I Diritti
dell’Infanzia e Dell’Adolescenza – For the Rights
of Children and Adolescents), an NGO coalition formed in June 2000
that groups together virtually all the Italian organizations (more
than 50) working with and for children at local, national and international
levels. Pinnochio, one of the most popular characters of children’s
literature worldwide, was the testimonial owner of Italy’s
campaign. Citizens, organizations and thousands of schools all throughout
Italy steadily rallied behind the campaign, showing their support
by making over 1 million pledges.
Kazakhstan
Journalists were asked to Say Yes at the press conference on 31
May that unveiled plans for the campaign in Kazakhstan. On 1 June,
in Almaty, three thousand young people participated in a march organized
by the national youth association “Leaders of the 21st Century”,
to welcome Say Yes for Children and to present an open letter calling
on the UN General Assembly to set up a global forum for youth. As
people signed pledges, budding artists interpreted five points of
the pledge on a Graffiti Wall. Later that day, young people talked
about the ten points of the pledge in a roundtable discussion televised
nationwide, the first national pledge spot featuring popular singer
Rosa Rymbaeva was launched, and a Say Yes PSA promoting phone-in
pledges was aired.
During a Youth in the Media festival, 8-10 June,over 150 young journalists
gathered in the new capital, Astana, to be trained as “Say
Yes leaders”. They interviewed authorities, collected pledges,
produced a special Say Yes newsletter and closed the festival by
parading throughout the city with a huge handprint banner promoting
the campaign. With the active support of the Ministry of Education,
the Knowledge Lesson for the first day of the new school year in
September was arranged around Say Yes. Young Say Yes activists from
the leading youth organizations campaigned actively in schools across
the country. More than 3.5 million students, parents and teachers
made their pledges for Say Yes on that day.
Kosovo (U.N. Administered Province of)
 At
the launch on 11 May, which coincided with Kosovo’s largest
traditional music festival SHOW FEST, famous singers and UNICEF
Ambassadors Aida Baraku and Armend Rexhepagiqi helped to welcome
Say Yes to Kosovo. Over three nights of the festival, children handed
out pledge forms and urged support from the enthusiastic audience,
resulting in the collection of 4,000 pledges by the last night.
Between 25-30 May, local and international NGO partners, education
representatives and political party representatives committed themselves
to supporting Say Yes at a series of round tables held in all five
regions of Kosovo. A three-month Road Show set off in July to collect
pledges and promote Say Yes. A 13-minute documentary on Say Yes
aired on all three major Kosovo television stations.
Kyrgyzstan
Osh: Say Yes was officially launched on 31 May at a well-attended
press conference in Osh, the second largest city of Kyrgyzstan.
Children and young people from several schools and organizations
talked passionately about the ten points and the ones they had chosen
as the most important for Kyrgyzstan: Leave No Child Out, Listen
to Children and Fight Poverty: Invest in Children.
National Launch - Bishkek: First Lady Mairam Akaeva emphasized
her strong support for Say Yes at the launch of the campaign on
1 June at a festive event in Bishkek also commemorating Children’s
Day. Representatives from the state and the Bishkek City government
were in attendance, 1,000 children sat in the audience and over
50 children performed. The entire audience made their pledges on
the invitation of youth volunteers who explained the campaign.
On 5 June, for the first time in the history of independent Kyrgyzstan,
children were received at the White House on an invitation to Save
the Children volunteers to collect pledges for the Say Yes campaign.
44 pledges were collected at the White House. With the help of 19
youth organizations, pledge collecting in Bishkek continued in Parliament,
at bazaars, in markets, at the UN House and other international
organizations. Youth volunteers worked in several cities to mobilise
support for Say Yes. In Batken, a conflict zone in southern Kyrgyzstan,
a UNICEF-supported radio created and aired 10 programmes explaining
and discussing the Say Yes campaign. A national campaign urging
all school children and their teachers to Say Yes for Children began
on the first day of the new school year in September.
Latvia
In collaboration with the company Aisma, producer of “Stabilo”
stationery and drawing tools, Say Yes for Children was linked to
“Let’s Do It Together for All of Us” - an educational
project that travelled to 11 Latvian towns using drawings and discussions
to teach children, parents and teachers about the cornerstones of
children’s rights.
Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of
On 26 April UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director, Karin Sham
Poo and the country’s Ombudsman for Children, Nevenka Krusarovska,
challenged all Macedonians to Say Yes for Children, pointing to
the power of Say Yes to influence the treatment and protection of
children all over the world. The “Makednski Posti” company
helped to get the campaign off to a promising start by providing
pre-paid postcards – through the daily newspapers, at schools
and local community centers nationwide – for those without
Internet access to make their pledge. Pledges filled out on these
cards were mailed, free of cost, from any post office. Young hip-hop
artist Vrcak – famous in Macedonia for his positive lyrics,
and recently appointed National Ambassador of UNICEF for his country
– was but one of the influential voices urging Macedonians
to Say Yes between May and September.
Moldova
Say Yes was officially welcomed in Moldova over a two-day event,
beginning with a high-level launch of the campaign to rally governmental
and NGO support at the national conference, “A Decade on the
Rights of the Child: Achievements and Challenges”, held on
31 May. Junior parliamentarians, young people, NGOs, officials from
central and local governments, businessmen and others participated
in the national launch which followed on 1 June at the Opera House
Square in Chisinau, the country’s capital. Composer and singer
Georgeta Voinovan performed a special song to commemorate the launch.
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UNICEF staff signed for Say
YES
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In the true spirit of the campaign, Say Yes in Moldova took advantage
of both technology and the street-level efforts of volunteers to
secure pledges. The Internet campaign promoted Say Yes via the most
popular Internet clubs, online newsletters of youth organizations
and the Independent Journalism Center, and special banners on home
pages of major Internet providers. Hundreds of volunteers who helped
in the drive for pledges included young people from the Children’s
Parliament, who took to the streets to collect pledges.
Netherlands
Changing the name but keeping the very same objectives, the campaign
“United Power for Children, Take Action, Now!” was launched
in the Netherlands on 26 April. The campaign was promoted nationwide
primarily through a postcard campaign with the ten points for signature
and public debates on several issues affecting children. The popular
Dutch “Children for Children” choir produced a song called
“Tomorrow is a Dream” as part of the campaign. Several
ambassadors from media, sport, national parliament, business, and
culture pledged their support for Say Yes.
Romania
Ion Iliescu, Romania’s President, Save the Children and
World Vision Romania launched Say Yes on 1 June, at the Cotroceni
Palace in Bucharest before hundreds of children and young people,
parents, representatives of various Ministries, NGOs, and the mass
media. The first to sign a pledge, President Iliescu pledged his
support for the campaign and all activities leading up to the Special
Session on Children. Famous Romanian and former gymnast Nadia Comaneci
promoted the campaign on TV and radio. On 29 October, the campaign
was re-launched, once again from the Cotroceni Palace.
Russian Federation
Moscow: Almost 9,000 children took part in the gala presentation
of Say Yes at the Palace of Children and Youth in Moscow on 1 June.
Government representatives, Ella Pamfilova - leader of the Movement
“For Civil Dignity”, popular musicians, actors and children
themselves spoke and performed. Children’s messages to the
Special Session on Children were floated on balloons and pledge
forms distributed to everyone.
NGO participation in the campaign included a round table discussion
on the role of Russian society in implementing the Rallying Call
by Women Aspiring in Policy and a presentation to young journalists
at the Uglich summer camp by Yunpress on preparations for the Special
Session and the goals of the Say Yes campaign. Several Moscow city
and regional summer camps mobilised some 20,000 children to join
the campaign.
Slovakia
Slovak celebrities were among those making the first pledges of
support for Say Yes at the launch on 1 June, coinciding with celebrations
of International Children’s Day. Say Yes was promoted nationwide
through the media and by the efforts of volunteers distributing
and collecting pledge forms, which were made available in Roma and
Hungary languages to be accessible to all. A mobilization seminar
on children’s rights, designed for school teachers, was linked
to the campaign. A nationwide drawing children’s drawing competition,
inspired by Say Yes, ended with an exhibition in Trencin’s
castle. Pledge forms were made available at Joy of Europe, a photo
exhibition exhibited abroad by several Slovak embassies.
Slovenia
Say Yes was launched on 12 April at an event involving the Mayor
of Ljubljana. Similar launches took place in three more towns between
April and July. Well-known and respected celebrities helped to promote
the campaign. Special sign-on events included a rock concert featuring
the best Slovenian rock bands and Yugoslav rock stars, and a traditional
march around Ljubljana in April where the public was called on to
support Say Yes.
Spain
Encouraging everyone to Say Yes for Children, pledge forms were
published by two national newspapers, Nickelodeon Spain helped to
promote the campaign, Say Yes TV spots aired regularly, and hundreds
of thousands of pledge forms were circulated throughout the country.
Sweden
The Swedish Prime Minister was the first to sign a pledge at the
launch of Say Yes on 26 April. A collaborative effort to promote
the campaign began that day with the country’s largest evening
newspaper, which ran a special series on the Global Movement for
Children, Say Yes and the Special Session on Children. 24 Swedish
NGOs made their call for support by promoting the campaign in print
and on their websites. The Swedish Prime Minister and singer Robyn
were among the notables and celebrities who said Yes. Participants
in the Generation in Jeopardy Conference, held in Stockholm in June,
and those at the Gothenburg International Book and Library Fair,
held in September, were all encouraged to Say Yes for Children.
Switzerland
Geneva Office: In the “humanitarian capital” of the
world, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson made
the first pledge at the launch of Say Yes on 26 April. She wasjoined
by some 300 guests and other senior representatives of UN agencies.
The event was hosted and led by young people from Geneva’s
International School and local Youth Parliaments, who made an urgent
appeal for all present to ensure the ten points would be “realised
around the world”.
Tajikstan
Four days before the launch of Say Yes in the Kurgan Teppa city
center of the Khatlon province on 26 April, over 4,000 pledges were
collected at simultaneous events attended by thousands of children
and adults. On 8 May, 3,000 children were involved in the launch
of the campaign in Khujand, North Tajikstan. On 10 May, Say Yes
was launched in the Khojent center of the Northern Sogd province.
Children and young people worked in districts all over Tajikstan
to raise awareness and collect pledges. One of the various campaign
activities was the regular airing of special TV programs devoted
to Say Yes and the GMC, such as “Me and My World” and
“Peers”.
Turkey
It was a grand beginning for Say Yes in Istanbul, Turkey on 23 April,
as more than 6,000 children, young people and adults attended celebrations
of the annual Children’s Day and the simultaneous ushering
in of Say Yes for the entire region of Central and Eastern Europe,
the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic States. Reinforcing
the touching message of special guest Mrs. Nane Annan, wife of United
Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, child representatives from
41 countries issued a declaration challenging countries to go beyond
words and make the protection of children their number one priority.
Mrs. Annan signed the first pledge for the region.
Since then Say Yes has received tremendous support throughout Turkey.
With the efforts and support of government agencies and Ministries,
NGOs, national media, students, youth groups and various others
who committed to making Say Yes a success in Turkey, pledges have
been collected in universities, shopping malls, parks, crechès,
volleyball competitions and in the streets. The Child Police of
Turkey collected thousands of pledges. In November, UNICEF volunteers
collected pledges during the HIV/AIDS Congress and established new
networks to continue gathering support after the Congress. The Ministry
of Health has been collecting pledges from all its family planning
centers and other healthcare centers throughout the country. Both
the national football and basketball teams lent support by unfurling
Say Yes banners at some of their matches.
In an outstanding example of mobilisation, the Ministry of Education
issued an appeal to all Turkish schools, urging teachers and students
to either collect paper pledges or to pledge directly on the Ministry’s
website: http://www.meb.gov.tr/
7,5000,000 pledges were collected in six months, bringing Turkey’s
grand total of pledges in support for Say Yes up to 16 million by
March 2002
Turkmenistan
Over 2,000 people learned of Say Yes as the Youth Union of Turkmenistan
launched the campaign on 1 June at an outdoor concert in Ashgabad.
200 children and young people from all over the country performed
traditional Turkmen songs and dances. Following the launch, the
Youth Union collected pledges at an event they managed on 21 June
in Dashoguz Oblast, and went on to introduce Say Yes to the summer
camps they organized nationwide. The German Cultural Service has
also helped to collect pledges.
Ukraine
Say Yes has been well supported throughout Ukraine. Several leaders
and celebrities endorsed and promoted the campaign, including the
country’s President, the first Ukrainian astronaut, football
star Oleksandr Shovkovskiy and pop singer Andrey Kravchuk. The Ukrainian
army came out in support of the Rallying Call. Pledges can be made
at www.sayes.org.ua/
Uzbekistan
 Over
8,000 people joined one of Uzbekistan’s most popular pop groups
“DADO” + Friends in saying Yes for children at sell-out
charity concerts in Tashkent, held 12-13 April. The concert, marking
the launch of Say Yes, was one of a series of events organized by
the National Alliance for Children, a body created in November 2000
by the cabinet of ministers, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister,
and with members from government, NGOs and the private sector.
Thousands of pledges were collected during a series of sign-up events
in May. Fun competitions and debates on Say Yes were part of a lively
day on 1 June, when two parks in Tashkent-city provided free services
to children all day long. Concerts celebrating International Children’s
Day were among other June events that generated great support for
Say Yes. The Ferghana Youth Resource Center contributed to Say Yes
by organizing social events for children in low-income families,
while several public events for Say Yes were organized in Karakalpakstan.
A re-launch of Say Yes on 20 November coincided with the 12th anniversary
of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and involved a weeklong
celebration with various events including theater performances,
exhibitions of children’s drawings and a concert by the children’s
group “Tomosha.”
Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of
Launched in Yugoslavia through press conferences in Serbia and
Montenegro in late April, young people have playedan integral role
in promoting Say Yes and creating awareness of the issues behind
the campaign. Inspired by the Global Movement for Children, more
than 100 youth activists from 10 NGOs from across Montegreno came
together to lead three days of discussion on issues affecting children
and young people at a Youth Conference in Sutomore, 25-27 May. The
Conference concluded with an open letter to the public and government
with recommendations on improving education, providing for children
with special needs, cultivating tolerance in society, substance
abuse prevention and HIV awareness. In late July the NGO Youth of
the Yugoslav Association Against AIDS coordinated Say Yes pledge
collection activities in which more than 1,100 young people participated.
Efforts by the NGO Fortuna, youth clubs of Red Cross Montenegro
and the Sutomore Red Cross summer camp saw pledges coming from several
summer camps and workshops.
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