UNICEF/Speak Africa calling for the rights of young people

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 12 December 2008 On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Speak Africa youth activists from 13 African countries joined the African Union in the call for urgent action to protect the rights of young people.

The youth activists are meeting in Johannesburg, under the umbrella of the Speak Africa communication initiative, to review achievements made on the youth agenda during 2008, which the African Union had declared as the Year of African Youth.

The African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, Advocate Bience Gawanas, addressed the activists.

It is critical that as young people you constantly engage with the African Union. I know that we have got the Youth Charter, we have got the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, we have many policy instruments . . . . The challenge is how do we translate those letters on paper into the reality of our lives everyday, she said.

To read the full story, visit: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/southafrica_46836.html

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Nonprofits & Activism

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• UNICEF
• Speak
• Africa
• African
• Union
• youth
• rights