Youth teaching youth... The purpose of Youth for Human Rights International is to teach youth around the world about human rights, thus helping them to become advocates for tolerance and peace.

Slavery – Past and Present Inter-Scholastic Video Conference

Canadian Gemini nominated young actor, Tyler Hynes, star of “Tagged: The Jonathan Womback Story”, called for youth to help end the modern “slave trade” at the first international video conference on human trafficking in Los Angeles.

When I heard about the11.7 billion-a-year illegal trade in human beings around the world I did not believe it. I did research on the internet and was shocked by what I found. Canada is primarily a destination and transit country for women trafficked for purposes of sexual exploitation. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police estimates that 3,000 persons are trafficked in Canada annually.

The Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) Inter-Scholastic Video Conference: “Slavery – Past and Present” was started by a native elder from the Mi’kmaq first nation who performed a smudge ceremony to purify the proceedings.
Panellists in the conference in Los Angeles included Marie Ngo Guido, from Cameroon, Africa; Claire Kevitt, YHRI Youth President; Lynsey Bartilson, International celebrity spokesperson for YHRI; and Lilly Chau, University of California of Los Angeles student. We were connected by video conferencing to high school students of Bonar Law Memorial High School in New Brunswick, Canada.
We discussed the global issue of human trafficking including the three main areas of sexual exploitation, labour and domestic servitude. Lilly Chau presented the YHRI newsletter on human trafficking that she and some of her UCLA friends helped put together. She also explained that many of the popular fake designer purses, shoes and other products are often made by trafficked victims.
Pam Johnson from Canada’s consulate in Los Angeles, commended our group for our efforts to raise awareness on this important issue. Canada’s role has traditionally been to help preserve world peace. I realized that it is my responsibility to educate children in Canada and all over the world that they do have human rights and that, together, the youth can demand for human rights to be respected, and put an end to such things as human slavery.
Tyler Hynes (age 18)

Students in Taiwan enjoy the right to education and learn about human rights.

TAIWAN: THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION Article 26 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights is “The right to an education.” Why? Even though everyone is supposed to have this right to education, unfortunately it doesn’t mean that it is acknowledged or permitted. Youth for Human Rights International is working very hard to help achieve global agreement and participation of this right. Although this is not the only human right, it is definitely one of the most important ones.

Youth for Human Rights
European Youth Summit & Arts Festival

Dear friends,
The artist brings inspiration, revitalization and hope for a better future. Without nurturing the artists of today, the light of hope for tomorrow dims. Therefore, the importance of the artist must never be underestimated – ever!
Since the Youth for Human Rights International stepped into the lime light it has demanded attention and received it. Like a trail of gold glitter, its magic has spread around the world and with that comes a new area of expression– the arts.

We live in difficult times, and as the leaders of the world continue to cut funds for school cultural and artistic projects, it is time we take action! We can do something by providing a unique opportunity for enthusiastic young artists to participate in and be recognized for their true talents.
With that said, I proudly announce the creation of the Youth for Human Rights, European Youth Summit & Arts Festival! Jointly coordinated by YHRI and the Church of Scientology, this important event will be held on August 26th through August 29th, 2005 at Camelot Castle, Tintagel, Cornwell, England.

Camelot, the birthplace of King Arthur, is the ideal location for art enthusiasts of all ages. What could be more fitting for an arts festival than to be nestled in a storybook environment, creating art? Camelot Castle is surrounded by the natural beauty of the sea, the sand, and a sky full of endless blue--Mother Nature at her most creative!
The categories for the YHRI European Arts Festival are Short Stories, Poetry and Fine Arts.

We invite any European youth between the ages of 12 - 20 years old to participate in representing their country. Each participant will be selected based on their involvement in forwarding human rights through the arts and making a difference in their community. Entries will be accepted from April 1st to June 30th 2005
Winners to be selected from three categories and each winner will receive their awards at Camelot in a special ceremony.

The three-day event will feature:

• Welcoming ceremony
• A youth summit around King Arthur’s Table with the theme of “Human Rights and the Arts”
• Presentations by the festival winners
• Awards Ceremony for the Festival winners
• Time to explore nature at her best
• Workshops delivered by experts, successful in their fields of writing, poetry and the fine arts.

Please note that all Country representatives and festival winners will need to cover their own flights, however food, accommodations, and all other activities at Camelot Castle (also known as King Arthur’s Castle Hotel, www.camelotcastle.com) will be provided.

Best regards,

Mary Shuttleworth
Director
Youth for Human Rights International

YHRI ARTIST CORNER Young artists promote articles from the Universal Declaration using their artistic talents

Sasha Rajah.

YHRI Member Of The Month:

SOUTH AFRICAN YHRI REPRESENTATIVE SASHA RAJAH

My visit to India in December 2002 sparked my interest in human rights. I was astounded when I experienced for myself the hardships, pain and suffering and the injustice inflicted on the lower class citizens, especially the children of that country.
Upon returning home, I could not get some of the sad holiday images and experiences out of my mind. As luck would have it, our school was invited to participate in writing an international essay on human rights. I saw this as an opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to express my views, my opportunity to state my opinion and try to make a difference in the lives of others.

The essay was directed at the importance of educating youth on human rights. Competing against other top pupils in my school, Summerhill Preparatory School, and other national and international schools I put all my effort in my research to finally write an essay which was a winner.
However, I must admit that I was really surprised when my principal informed me that I had written the best essay, an essay that was chosen by Youth for Human Rights International. As a result I was given an invitation to represent our school and South Africa at the United Nations summit in New York in August 2004.

Sasha Rajah represents her country and speaks at YHRI’s first youth summit held in New York last August.

Now my interest was really captured, together with a school team, who later earned the name the Super 8, we visited places in South Africa which we call “Squatter Camps.” These are informal settlements where the black community live, usually without proper facilities, electricity, running water, sewage, etc. These poor living conditions, a simple lack of education, and driven by alcohol abuse, lead to the children who are raised in these homes to simply grow-up without knowing their rights, and not having any.

The first step was to create awareness; the second was a conference which we held at the Eskom conference centre where we had invited 17 schools.
Next I participated in the YHRI conference at the United Nations in New York. I met 22 YHRI members from around the world and spoke with top level dignitaries on the issues of human rights.
It is my long term plan to assist the youth through a process of education about human rights, the rights that they are entitled to and ultimately improve the quality of their lives.
Sasha Rajah (age 13)

Free the Children!

Free the Children is an international organization with children helping other children on a local, national and international level. They do this through representation, leadership and action. The basic goals of the organization are to free children from poverty and exploitation and also free them from the idea that they are powerless.

The organization was founded by Craig Kielburger in 1995. He was getting ready for school and reading the comics section of the newspaper when he saw on the front page of a magazine, a picture of a young boy with his fist held high. The headline read “Boy, 12, murdered for speaking out against child labor”.

When Craig found out that 250 million children were trapped in child labor, half of them working full time, many in dangerous conditions, he knew that he had to do something about it. He didn’t know exactly what he could do, but he knew that he had to try.
Craig pulled together a group of friends, most of them also 12 years old, and they founded Free the Children. Free the Children has been working hard to help prevent and cease child labor and exploitation. Free the Children raises money to build schools for under privileged children. They have helped build over 400 primary schools in 21 countries. This means that they helped provide an education for 35,000 boys and girls.
For this they deserve recognition. Thank you, Free the Children for your work to help the children of the world!