On 20 November 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) became the first legally binding international treaty to affirm human rights for all children. The Convention marked an historic change by asserting that all children have fundamental human rights, including rights to an identity, education, health care, protection from abuse, freedom to play and an adequate standard of living.
Children's rights are of central importance in CCFC's work. Realization of the right to clean water, education, food, protection and basic healthcare is a key driver of all projects. Our approach also supports children to actively participate in the design and implementation of programs that affect their communities.
In recognition of this, and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the CRC, CCFC is proud to share with you a short film capturing children's views on child rights and their hopes for the future, presented by our sister organization ChildFund Australia. CCFC is a member of the ChildFund Alliance.
The film, entitled More Than Words, reveals children have their own ideas about rights - what they are, why they are important and how they impact on their lives. It also highlights the challenges some children face in realizing their rights, for example, to education and to safety and security.
"The narrative of the film is really that while the Convention may be a long and laborious document full of legalese, child rights actually do mean something to children," says ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence. "Children are very clearly able to articulate why rights are important and express ideas about how to improve their lives and communities."
The film features children aged 10 to 16 years from ChildFund program areas in Cambodia, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia, as well as children from Australia and New Zealand. Each country contributed their own footage, which was developed into a short film by Australian independent filmmaker Robert Nugent.
View the short film More Than Words by clicking on the play button below.