Angelina Jolie and Amnesty remind the world of its commitment to children’s rights

From Amnesty

Angelina Jolie and Amnesty International have joined forces to create a resource for children and young people to learn about their rights, with the publication of a new book which empowers teenagers to speak out against injustice.

Know Your Rights and Claim Them explains what child rights are, equips young people with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and others, and shows how governments are failing to uphold their commitment to child rights. It was written in collaboration with Professor Geraldine Van Bueren QC, one of the original drafters of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

Angelina Jolie said:

“If governments kept their word, and if all adults respected children’s rights, there would be no need for this book. Children have rights just as adults do and they should have the power and agency to claim them.

“Know Your Rights and Claim Them is the book some adults don’t want children to read, as it will arm them with the knowledge to defend their rights and those of others.

“Governments signed up to protect children’s rights in 1989, yet many of them are still failing to listen to the voices of children. In some countries, girls as young as nine are forced into marriage. Globally, more than 61 million children don’t attend primary schools and, in 2019, one in six children were living in extreme poverty – a number that rose significantly during the pandemic. It’s time to remind the world of its commitment to children’s rights.”

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:

“We must all tackle the human rights issues of today, with an eye on the future, knowing we are accountable to the world of 2030. Not only must we ask ourselves – ‘how are our actions impacting the children of tomorrow?’ – we need to make sure that children are setting the agenda for the years to come. That can only happen if they know their rights and how to claim them.

Know Your Rights and Claim Them will be released in the UK on 2 September 2021, with publication in Australia, Greece, New Zealand and USA to follow in October. The book will be available online and from all good bookshops.