Say Yes, Spring 2002: Count the Pledges
Press conference for youth and other journalists during the final two days of the Children’s Forum on the 6th of May, 2002.
Photograph by Susan Markisz © UNICEF 2002
With only a few weeks to go before world leaders gather in New York for the United Nations Special Session on Children (UNSSC), Say Yes for Children is amassing millions of votes from Turkish citizens who are demanding that leaders do more for children and young people.
With more than sixteen million pledges to Say Yes for Children, the Global Movement for Children (GMFC) has proven to be an excellent catalyst for inter-sectoral collaboration between government and non-governmental organisations in Turkey.
Say Yes for Children was initiated by a body of leading organisations for children through the GMFC -- a unique initiative of six organisations: the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee; the NetAid.org Foundation; PLAN International; Save the Children; UNICEF and World Vision -- to raise awareness of the issues facing the world’s children.
Say Yes for Children is built around ten imperatives, developed by the GMFC partners, which address the basic rights to which all children are entitled. This unprecedented campaign asks people of all ages and persuasions to support the principles by pledging support online or on mailed forms distributed throughout the world.
The global results of the pledge campaign will be presented to world leaders attending the UNSSC in May. As the first initiative of the GMFC, the campaign aims to galvanise action and leadership for children at all levels of society.
When Say Yes for Children was first launched in Turkey, a target of ten million pledges was set. Turkey has long since surpassed the target and the ten imperatives are prioritised in Turkey as:
- Leave No Child Out;
- Educate Every Child;
- Fight Poverty -- Invest in Children;
- Put Children First;
- Stop Harming and Exploiting Children;
- Care for Every Child;
- Listen to Children;
- Protect Children from War;
- Fight HIV/AIDS;
- Protect the Earth for Children.
The regional campaign was launched on the 23rd of April, 2001, in Turkey -- two days before the launch of the global campaign. The date is significant in Turkey, being the anniversary of the founding of Turkey’s Parliament and also National Sovereignty Day and Children’s Day. Say Yes for Children got off to an incredible start in İstanbul as more than 6,000 children, young people and adults pledged their support. The launch was for the entire CEE/CIS regional network.
Reinforcing the touching message of special guest Mrs Nane Annan, wife of the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, child representatives from forty-one 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 the launch of Say Yes for Children the UNICEF Turkey office has been working closely with public institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), celebrities, children and youth groups to ensure the success of the campaign. The Lions and Rotary clubs have been especially successful in motivating support for the campaign by collecting signatures.
Children and Youths say ‘Yes’
Thanks to an extensive network of individuals and organisations working through a grassroots campaign in villages and neighbourhoods all over the country, Turkey has succeeded in collecting more than 16 million pledges.
Read more about Say Yes for Children in the February, 2002 issue Say Yes and learn more about how Turkey said ‘Yes’. The full text of We Are The Children of The World -- the outcome document of the Children’s Forum is reproduced in the July issue of ‘Say Yes’.
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