It's Only Right! Activities

Four Activities to better understand the Conventions on the Rights of the Child

Activity - CRC Clustering Cards

Purpose: To encourage young people to examine the articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in depth, and to reflect on the different types of rights it deals with.

Materials: Copies of the Convention on the Rights of the Child should be available for reference.

1. Download the 36 Clustering cards in pdf (832 K) so that they card be printed and cut into cards.
2. View the cards in sets of four through the Web browser, then print and cut into cards:
      Set 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Procedure:

Step 1

Cut out the 36 CRC clustering cards and give one to each member of the group. (If the group is larger than 36, some participants may work in pairs. If the group is smaller than 36, eliminate an appropriate number of cards.) Make sure participants read and understand their cards.

Step 2

Instruct them to stand up, move around the room and meet with other participants. As they do so, they should explain the right their card describes. If two participants feel that their cards have something in common or belong together, they form a ‘cluster’.

They continue walking around the room together. They may add any number of additional people to their cluster if they feel that their card describes a right of a similar type.

Step 3

As the activity proceeds, young people may switch to a different cluster as they refine their thinking about the categories of rights covered by the Convention. Some young people may find that they ‘stand alone’ and do not belong to any of the clusters. Encourage discussion and negotiation. Stress that there is no one ‘correct’ answer to this activity!

Step 4

Once the clusters are finalized, and there is no further movement around the room, ask each cluster to decide on a name for itself; for example, ‘Health’, ‘Education’, or ‘Expression’, etc.

Step 5

Have the clusters sit down together. Call on one cluster at a time to tell the group its name, and summarise the articles that belong to this category. As this is being done, the teacher, group leader, or several of the participants can glue the cards onto the large sheet of paper in their appropriate clusters.

Step 6

Discuss the following questions:

• Were some rights more difficult to categorise than others? Which ones and why?
• What seem to be the main types of rights protected by the Convention on the Rights of the Child?
• Do some types of rights seem to be given more emphasis than others? If so, why might this be?
• Are there some types of rights that you feel should be given more emphasis than others? If so, which ones?
• Have any rights been left out of the Convention that you feel should have been included?
• Are there some types of children’s rights that you feel your community/country does particularly well at upholding? Are there types of rights that should be given more attention?

Variation 1: A less active version of the same activity can be done by performing groups of four to six. Give each group a large sheet of paper, scissors, pens, glue, and a complete set of CRC Clustering Card.

Have young people arrange the cards on the paper, clustering similar types of rights together. They may draw lines indicating links between the clusters, or between various articles. Have the groups name each cluster. Then, post the large sheets of paper around the room and allow the participants time to circulate and see the work of other groups.

Finally, discuss the questions listed in Step 6 above.

Variation 2: Explain that the articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child are sometimes categorised according to whether they deal with survival, development, protection or participation, and discuss the difference between these four categories.

Give groups new copies of the CRC Clustering Cards and ask them to sort the articles under the headings of survival, development, protection and participation. If differences of opinion arise as to the classification, encourage participants to discuss and negotiate these, rather than only concern than only concern themselves with getting the ‘correct’ answer.

When the small groups agree on the classification, they may then stick the cards onto paper. If appropriate, discuss how this classification scheme compared with the one devised in the original procedure.

Activity - CRC Role Cards

Shifting Perspectives

Purpose: To familiarize young people with the different perspectives that may exist on a rights issue, in this case, that of child labour; to consider ways in which a rights conflict might be resolved.

Materials: Copies of the Perspectives on Child Labour Role Cards

Choose one of the two methods for accessing the 4 Role Cards:

1. Download the four Role Cards in pdf (204 K) so that they card be printed and cut into cards
2. View the cards in 2 sets through the Web browser:
      Set 1 - Parent #1 and Social worker,
      Set 2 - Child and Parent #2

Procedure:

Step 1

Have young people form small groups of four. Give a different role card, either A, B, C or D, to each member of the group. Instruct them to read these over in silence, without showing them to the other group members.

Step 2

Have the persons with cards A and B form a pair; those with cards C and D form another pair. Give each member of the pair three to five minutes to present their position on the child labour issue to the other member.

Step 3

Without warning, tell the pairs to reserve roles. A now has three to five minutes to present B’s perspective, and B presents A’s position, still within the pair. (Likewise for C and D.)

Step 4

At the end of this exchange, give the pairs several minutes to try to arrive at a compromise position on the issue of the working child.

Step 5

Have the original small groups come back together. A and B explain their compromise position to C and D; then C and D do the same.

Step 6

The group of four should then attempt to come up with one compromise position.

Step 7

Have a spokesperson for each group of four present their position to the large group. Then discuss the following questions:

• Was your group able to reach a compromise? Was it easy or difficult to do so?
• Did you think Chris was a girl or a boy? Did this affect your position?
• What effect did reversing roles have on your point of view?
• Are compromises which meet the needs of all parties always possible?

Variations: Consider who else might be concerned about this child’s work situation. Create role cards for that person, and repeat the activity.

Write role cards for another situation in which there may be differing perspectives on children’s rights, and repeat the activity.

Follow-up: Find out about the regulations on child labour in your own country. Who is responsible for enforcing them? Are there children or young people in your community who are working in violation of those regulations?

Activity - Rights and Responsibilities Card Game

Purpose: To make clear the fact that for every right in the Convention, young people also have related responsibilities.

Materials: Twelve CRC Clustering Cards (see the first activity to view or download the CRC Cards). The teacher or group leader may choose any twelve which are meaningful to the young people in the group and which represent a range of different types of articles); 36 Responsibility Cards for each group of four, to be photocopied six times for each group; pencils or pens.

Procedure:

Step 1:

Have young people form groups of four. Give each group a set of the 12 CRC Clustering Cards, each with a different article from the Convention. (Each card should be individually cut out.)

Step 2:

The object of this step is to come up with three responsibilities which are related to each one of the 12 rights. The group may choose to do this by having each individual work on three rights cards, or by forming pairs, and having each pair work on six rights cards together.

If necessary, give the group an example of the types of responsibilities that are linked with rights, such as:

"Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that the child has the right to express his or her opinion freely. Along with that right go certain responsibilities, such as the responsibility to make an attempt to learn what others' opinions are, to listen to others, and to respect the opinions of others."

Each responsibility should be written on a separate Responsibility Card. When they have finished, the group of four should have a total of 36 Responsibility Cards.

As this step may take a considerable amount of time, the teacher or youth group leader may wish to waft until another class period or meeting to actually play the card-game described below.

Step 3:

Have the groups put their rights cards into a pile, shuffle them, and deal out three to each group member.

Then have them place all the responsibility cards in a pile, shuffle them and deal out three to each group member. The extra responsibility cards should be placed face down in a pile in the centre of the table.

Step 4:

The object of the game is for each player to get either three responsibility cards to match one of her rights cards, OR to get one responsibility card to match each of her three rights cards.

To do this, the first player asks the player to her left if he has a responsibility card that will match one of her rights cards. For example:

"I have the right to health and health services; do you have a responsibility card that would go with this right?"

If the second player has such a card, he reads it out loud. If both players agree that the cards belong together, the second player gives the card to the first player.

If the second player does not have a matching card, the first player must draw a card from the top of the pile in the centre of the table.

Step 5:

It is then the second player's turn to ask for a responsibility card from the player to his left. The same procedure as in step 4 is repeated.

Step 6:

Play continues around to the left. Any player who gets three responsibility cards to match one of her rights cards, or one rights card for each of her responsibility cards, must stay in the game (to contribute responsibility cards to others) until all four group members have met the objective.

Note: As the game proceeds, young people may disagree as to whether a particular responsibility does or does not relate to a right. There can be more than one 'correct' answer, and the teacher or youth group leader should encourage the kind of discussion which may arise from the process of the game.

Step 7:

Once all groups have finished, discuss together:

What rights have very clear responsibilities related to them?
For which rights was it more difficult to decide on three responsibilities? Why was this so?
Do you feel your family places more emphasis on your rights as a young person, or your responsibilities? What about your school? Your community? The local authorities? Why is this so?
What makes it easy to fulfil your responsibilities as a young person? What makes it difficult?

Variation: After groups make up their responsibility cards, they may exchange their set of cards with another group, so that they have the chance to examine different ideas about responsibilities.

Follow-up: Have young people draw up a list of the 10 most important responsibilities they have as members of their families, school, youth group, or community.

Activity - What Can We Do?

Purpose: To encourage young people to think of a variety of ways in which they might take action on a rights issue.

Materials: Chalkboard and chalk, or chart paper and pens.

Step 1:

After viewing all or a selection of the 36 CRC Clustering Cards (see the first activity for viewing instructions), have the group choose the rights issue they felt was the highest priority

Step 2:

Ask them to brainstorm possible actions that could be taken to address this issue.

The purpose of a brainstorm is to generate as many ideas as possible. To do this, it is helpful to:

• encourage young people to think creatively; even suggestions which seem far-fetched are acceptable;
• write down each suggestion, no matter how unlikely it seems;
• discourage others from making comments, criticisms or evaluations of any of the suggestions;
• allow young people to elaborate on the ideas of others.

Step 3:

Once all suggestions for ways of taking action have been written down on the chalkboard or chart paper, review and evaluate the list with the group. Some suggestions will be discarded immediately as unrealistic.

Step 4

Ask the group if they can anticipate any difficulties in carrying out each suggestion on the list. Discuss the types of difficulties - time required, money or other resources needed, danger, community resistance, etc. Decide with the group if these difficulties would make the project impossible to carry out, or whether there might be ways to overcome them.

Step 5:

Try to reduce the list of possible action projects to one which seems most practical. Sometimes there will be two or three possibilities. The group leader can decide whether to evaluate them in more depth with the group and settle on one course of action, or to allow small groups to work on different projects.

Variation: Young people can carry out the brainstorm in small groups.

Variation #2: Use the prompts below to support discussions:

How Can Young People Promote the Convention on the Rights of the Child...

... On a Local Level?

• Find out about the services for children and young people in your area - does every child have equal access to education? Health care? Recreation facilities?
• Volunteer to work with or fund-raise for a local organization that provides services to children.
• Take part in local action - environmental clean-up days, cultural festivals, building playground equipment, etc.
• Write letters to the editor of the local newspaper to express your ideas on children's rights.
• Lobby local councillors to provide better services for children and families in your area.

...On a National Level?

• Find out if your government has signed/ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Find out who in your government has responsibility for seeing that the Convention is implemented, and whether any changes in the law, in social services, and/or in educational services have been brought about in your country.
• If there is a UNICEF office or National Committee in your country, contact them to find out how you can participate in the promotion of children's rights.
• Write to your local elected representatives if you feel that more could be done to implement the Convention in your country.
• Make the Convention a live political issue. Before elections, ask candidates for political office what they intend to do about implementing it. Get the Convention put into party platforms.

...On a Global Level?

• Find out about places in your part of the world and in other countries where children's rights are infringed.
• Join an international human rights organization; campaign or fund-raise for it.
• Use your role as a consumer to express your opinions: avoid buying products from companies that, for example, use child labour, pollute the environment, discriminate against minorities, etc.
• Lobby your representatives in international organizations - the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization of American States, etc. - to draw attention to the infringement of children's rights. Give them your support in their efforts to act for children's rights.

all activities from It’s Only Right

From: Fountain, Susan. 1993. It's only right: a practical guide to learning about the convention on the rights of the child. Prepared for UNICEF's Education for Development Section. UNICEF, New York. ISBN 92-806-3056-3