website stats

hereCSC_FbBanner_NOLOGO_PP_022 (1)

Street children struggle to be heard. Their needs are often ignored. They are vilified, marginalised and face many injustices. Help us speak out to right these wrongs and give street children a fighting chance.

In the future Laughter Africa plans to support many campaigns. These campaigns may be particularly relevant to the country where we are working or may be related to an issue that affects street children. For instance, it could be a campaign about gender based violence, child combatants or police brutality. This list could go on and on as so many different issues affect street children. We may promote other campaigns about street children in other continents including Asia and Latin America.

When we see injustice we won’t be silenced. No matter the issue. No matter the consequence. We will speak out. Together we can help change street children’s lives for good.

Current campaigns we are supporting:

CSC_FbBanner_NOLOGO_PP_023 (1)International Day of the Street Child

Every year on 12th April, we celebrate the International day for Street Child with our friends from the Consortium for Street Children (CSC) and other street children organisations from around the world. The day provides a platform for the millions of street children around the world – and their champions – to speak out so that their rights cannot be ignored. This year we will be celebrating from 6th April until 12th April.

The International Day for Street Children has been celebrated globally since 2012, to recognise the humanity, dignity and defiance of street children in the face of unimaginable hardships. We want to rally governments and individuals worldwide to work together to ensure their rights are protected no matter who they are and where they live.

Each year there is a different theme. The theme for this year is that all children deserve access to essential services. To get an education, healthcare and be protected from harm, no matter where they call home. We demand that governments and communities take action so that street children can access the services they need to reach their full potential. Stand together with us to make access for street children a reality.

You have heard a lot about what we are doing in the run up to the International Day for Street Children but what can you do?

  • Spread the word about the International Day for Street Children online. You can share all our social media posts in the run up to the day especially the pop video written by the young people themselves. We want it to go viral. Remember to use the hashtags: #AccessForStreetChildrenand #StreetChildrenDay
  • Download our custom made Facebook Frame designed by fabulous Laughter Africa volunteer Hannah. Search for Laughter Africa in  here
  • You can write a letter or send an email to your Government asking them to make sure that street children around the world are protected.

Our friends at the CSC have produced some amazing resources for the day including social media and letter templates. For more information about how you can get involved then please visit here

FB_post_PP_024

CSC’s global campaign to implement the UN General Comment No21 on Children in Street situations

2018 saw the launch of the new CSC’s global campaign to implement the UN General Comment No21 on Children in Street Situations. The General Comment was published by the UN in late 2017 and, for the first time, acknowledges that governments must pay special attention to ensure street children are able to access their rights, and sets out comprehensive guidance in order to do so. You can read the General Comment here.

We believe in the power and potential of the General Comment. It is an excellent guide for governments all over the world because it is based on the Child Rights Convention and takes into consideration the demands and needs of street-connected children. It puts forward recommendations that speaks to their unique circumstances. We know that if governments were to implement it in its entirety, the world WOULD change for street-connected children. Equality would be achieved – street connected children would have protection in law, access to services and personal dignity. Children everywhere would be equally treated.

To make this a reality for street-connected children, we are calling on all governments to invest time and money into implementing the General Comment. And for that we need your help. You can write to your government demanding that they implement General Comment No21 in their country. The CSC believe that Governments around the world should follow the ‘four steps to equality’ to drive forward the necessary changes for street children around the world.We can use these steps to engage with governments in our calls for implementation. The steps are:

CsC_Poster_PP_NOLOGOS11

You can take part in this campaign anytime throughout the year. This campaign will be ongoing and we know that it’s not going to happen overnight. It will take years for Governments around the world to adopt the General Comment. The CSC published an Advocacy and Action Guide which has lots of ideas and provides practical tools that you can use in your strategies to promote implementation of the General Comment at local and national levels.We have a long journey ahead of us but it will be worth it. The time to get going is now. Equality for street children starts here.Let’s make it happen.

Here are some other ways you can campaign for street children:


Contact your MP

mp

MPs have a vital role in standing up for the rights of street children around the world. Politicians in the UK can have a massive influence – not just at home, but also on the international stage like the UN, EU, and G8 – and it’s their job to represent you.  We need to remind our MPs how much their constituents care about street children’s rights and ensure that street children’s rights around the world are protected.

Click here to find your MP. You could visit them in person during their surgeries, write them a letter or email or even arrange a media stunt which your MP could attend. You can also find out more information about your MP here including their activities and voting records in Parliament.

Social media

facebook

Share our online petitions via social media with your friends and family and encourage them to sign too.

However you chose to take action – THANK YOU!

FB_post_PP_026