Realising Rights: Stop Violence Against Street Children

"The police treat us badly. They hit us. Not for any particular reason. . . just because they feel like it. They’ve hit me lots of times. They hit with their rifles, or with sticks, on our backs and stomachs. And sometimes they just punch us in the stomach with their hands. They also take our paint thinner and pour it over our heads. They’ve done that to me five times. It’s awful, it hurts really bad. It gets in your eyes and burns; for half an hour you can’t see anything". - Beto R., fifteen, Guatemala.

The Realising Rights: Stop Violence Against Street Children campaign aims to put an end to the high levels of violence perpetrated against street-involved children by agents of the state around the world and raise vital funds to support the Consortium for Street Children in this work.

What we are calling for:
- Training and sensitisation of police in street children’s rights;
- Decriminalisation of so-called status offences;
- End to all round-ups;
- Awareness-raising campaigns on violence against street children.

On the 20th November 2009, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child celebrates its 20th birthday. We want to use that opportunity to raise awareness of this neglected issue. To do so we have created a petition to show the world that this is an issue that people care about. We are aiming to get 1000 signatories to the petition by 20th November 2009, and need your help!

Please sign our petition, and ask your colleagues and friends to sign it as well: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Realising-Rights