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Child Participation
Most people agree that children have rights to live a full life.
In fact, all member nations of the UN have signed off on this principle, through the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
By committing to the Convention, governments and agencies across the globe promised to ensure that all children are protected and able to grow up in safe and nurturing environments.
But what about the children themselves? Instead of playing an active role in making the Convention a reality, many of them don't even know they have rights.
Exploitation of children still continues across the Asia-Pacific region.
They work instead of attending school, are victims of violence and sexual abuse, and are denied the right to play or to celebrate their own culture.
World Vision believes all children should know their rights, so that they can protect themselves, speak out on issues that concern them, and take responsibility for their own development.
Across the continent, children are learning how to do this. Some find out when they attend school for the first time in sponsorship areas, or take a non-formal class in child rights and protection at a drop-in centre for street children.
Others join World Vision children's clubs and youth groups, where they learn not just their rights but leadership and training skills, so that they feel comfortable sharing their new knowledge with others.
All this helps children to take part in their communities, find their voices, and use them to shape their world.
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