Schoolchildren across the country are to portray some of the worst cases of child exploitation in history in a massive project to raise awareness of children’s rights and celebrate childhood.

Hundreds of schools are expected to take part in a nationwide drama tour called World To Rights, which marks 50 years of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

On each day of the tour, 200 children between the ages of 9 and 13 will take over their local cathedral to learn about their rights as well as their responsibility to fight for justice for others, through a series of theatre workshops.

“Fifty years after the declaration many young people in the world still haven’t got a clue what their rights are,” says Anita Matthews of the Church Mission Society, who are running the event. “World to Rights plans to help change that.”

Through the fun of physical theatre, children will discover what it was like for British children who lived on the streets, worked in the circus or in factories in Victorian times.

“At the end of the day the children will perform a play for parents and the local community about the way children suffered in the past and why people began to campaign for change.”

World to Rights will also highlight the modern struggles of street children in the Philippines, where Anita and her team recently visited the Jigsaw project, supported by the Church Mission Society.

“It was massively inspiring – these are children who have no one to stand up and speak for them.

“Jigsaw are trying to build self esteem in children in a society that makes them feel worthless and to work for their rights by helping them through education. They even help them to get birth certificates, which many don’t have and without which they can’t have a legal identity.”

“In 2009 we want to celebrate children and help to build international friendships,” says Anita.

To this end, her team is organising visits in 2009 for teachers to link up with schools in other parts of the world as well as linking up with fellow charities Save the Children and Tearfund to help both children and adults get involved in campaigning for children’s rights where they do not exist.


On the web: www.worldtorights.info