Panorama: Mauricio

Historias reales

From Words to Action....Children lead the 'Say Yes' Campaign

© UNICEF / Mauritius

Children and young people march for their rights in Mauritius.

In Mauritius, where nearly 30 per cent of the population is below 18 years of age the tradition remains that children are to be seen but not heard.

The 1998 'Situation Analysis of Children and Women in Mauritius' noted that, "For too long children have been kept out of the public sphere, of important decision making processes, on the grounds that they would not be able to understand such issues. The result has been young people's increased dependence on their parents or teachers and their inability to take decisions and worse still their total disinterest in civic affairs."

The 'Say Yes for Children' campaign in Mauritius invited everyone, especially decision-makers, to 'Say Yes for Children' as a testimony of their commitment to children. It was an ideal opportunity for children to promote child rights and a dynamic group of children aged 13- to 16-year-old from all walks of life led the campaign.

The children met with the President to collect his pledge and went to the National Assembly, where the Prime Minister and all the Parliamentarians made their pledges. Ministries, municipalities, and district and village councils helped ensure that the campaign reached every area of the island through school children, youth groups and social welfare officers. The young people organized door-to-door activities to meet with marginalized children and listen to their needs, as they were concerned that these voices be heard.

The group was determined to be ambassadors on behalf of Mauritius' children. The campaign collected 231,687 pledges, representing 22 per cent of the Mauritian population aged 6 and above.

The Youth Committee of the Centre D'Education et de Développement des Enfants de Maurice (CEDEM), a local non-governmental organization, contributed actively to the campaign with colourful and inspiring activities that helped drive national momentum. The committee produced two short dramas to educate children on their rights in a style and language fit for children.

The first was entitled "Child Rights and Say Yes for Children" and depicted a mother claiming her baby's rights to education, health, love and care. A fairy described a world where children enjoy all their rights, and invited everyone to 'Say Yes for Children' to make this world a reality. "Nelson Mandela," played by a masked actor, entered and added his own voice to that of the fairy. "Everybody is Saying Yes for Children," the second drama, depicted the various steps of the campaign and the excitement around it.

CEDEM also produced two booklets: "Inspiring thoughts for the 'Say Yes Campaign'," a collection of poems on the campaign and its 10 rallying calls; and "Little Yukime at the United Nations," a story about how one girl learns about her rights and has her dream to visit the United Nations fulfilled.

Like Yukime, two children from CEDEM travelled to New York to attend the Special Session on Children in May 2002. When they returned, these children organized meetings with their peers to share the Special Sessions' outcomes and recommendations and decide on their obligations towards continuing to build a better future for the children of Mauritius.