Know Your Rights and Claim Them: A Guide for Youth

by Amnesty International, Angelina Jolie, Geraldine Van Bueren

Overview

"This book is a guide for every young person who believes in a better world for all"—Malala Yousafzai

Adults are aware of their universal human rights of freedom and equality, but children often are ignorant of the rights they possess before reaching the age of majority. Enter Know Your Rights and Claim Them, written in partnership with Amnesty International, Angelina Jolie, and Geraldine Van Bueren.

Know Your Rights and Claim Them details the rights promised in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, starting with the history of child rights, and providing a clear description of the types of child rights, the young activists from around the world who fought to defend them, and how readers can stand up for their own rights.

"This is the perfect book for young people who care about the world and want to make a difference"—Greta Thunberg

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728449654
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/05/2021
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	167,533
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 14 Years

About the Author

Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization with its headquarters in the United Kingdom focused on human rights and global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally.

Angelina Jolie is an actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian.

Professor Geraldine Van Bueren held the Chair of International Human Rights Law at Queen Mary University of London and is Visiting Fellow at Kellogg College, Oxford. She is a barrister and member of Doughty Street Chambers and was appointed an honorary Queen's Counsel in recognition of her scholastic contributions to national and international law.

Table of Contents

Foreword Angelina Jolie 1

Introduction 4

Part 1 Know Your Rights

Your rights 8

Who is a child? 11

A short history of child rights 13

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 22

The General Principles 27

International child rights 30

The Optional Protocols 32

Part 2 Understand Your Rights

Your rights in reality 36

Life, dignity, and health 37

Equality and non-discrimination 51

Participation 69

Identity 74

Safe place 80

Protection from harm 86

Bodily integrity 94

Protection from armed violence 107

Criminal justice and liberty 119

Privacy 129

Minority and Indigenous rights 136

Education 146

Play 155

Freedom of thought 161

Voice and peaceful protest 168

Part 3 Claim Your Rights

First steps 178

Check your physical security 179

Steps to take if you are being physically or sexually abused 180

Understand your personal situation 184

Make a change where you live 187

Build a set of useful skills 191

Become an activist 196

An activist toolkit to claim your rights 198

Understand digital security 232

Navigate the law 236

Look after your mental health 246

Part 4 Resources and Other Information

Useful terms 253

Useful organizations 267

Sources 270

Acknowledgments: how this book was made 273

Editorial Reviews

"These stories will surely inspire young people to advocate for their own passions. . . . an excellent book for teens and socially conscious educators and club leaders."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

12/01/2021

Gr 7 Up—This book uses the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, a document outlining children's rights, as a launching point for educating young activists. Readers will learn about the history of children's rights, the articles of the UN's Convention, and how to claim specific rights. The second and largest section of the book explains the articles of the UN's Convention through the actual text, interpretations of each article in various regions of the world, and personal stories of renowned young activists. These stories will surely inspire young people to advocate for their own passions. The third section of the book lays out practical steps that youth can follow to make progress toward their cause. The short subsections and easy-to-follow writing style make this an engaging book that will excite readers to take action. Black-and-white photos put a face to the personal stories and connect readers to reformists around the world. Defined terms, a list of useful organizations, and source notes provide paths for further research. This is an excellent book for teens and socially conscious educators and club leaders. VERDICT Recommended for all collections looking to update their YA sections with advocacy books.—Kate Rao, Alhambra Civic Center Lib., Alhambra, CA

School Library Journal

2021-08-16
Renowned human rights organization Amnesty International partners with actor and activist Jolie and lawyer and children’s rights expert Van Bueren to create this detailed look at child rights globally.

This timely book begins with a startling fact: The United States is the only one of the United Nations’ 197 members that has never ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Readers are then led through the history of child rights while also defining the rights every child has from birth. Special attention is paid to education access, LGBTQ+ rights, and discriminatory policies targeting marginalized groups, with examples such as Charlotte Donaldson, who founded the Scottish Gypsy Traveller Assembly at age 16, and Zulaikha Patel, who at age 13 helped lead a protest against racist policies at her South African high school. Other profiles of teen changemakers, including girls’ education advocate Malala Yousafzai, water activist Autumn Peltier (Anishinaabe), and Thai environmentalist Khairiyah Rahmanyah, are woven throughout. Readers curious about how to create change in their communities will appreciate the activism guidance describing how to research an issue, persuasively talk about your cause, reach out to lawmakers, and organize a protest. The wide-ranging text also includes guidance on how to stay safe while attending a demonstration, internet safety, and what to do when stopped by the police. Black-and-white photos, lists, and bold headings break up the text and enhance readability.

A well-researched, much-needed guide for the next generation of human rights advocates. (glossary, organizations, sources, image credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews

It’s hard to imagine that many young people will be able to sit through this young adult audiobook on human rights, which was inspired by actor/director Angelina Jolie’s work with Amnesty International and young refugees. Sadly, Jolie’s narration is limited to a short, bland introduction. The narration baton is then passed to Daisy Head, who speaks excruciatingly slowly. The bulk of the audiobook is a dry listing of violations of human rights. A third narrator, the vibrant Ariyon Bakare, explodes his way through Chapter 3, making listeners wonder why he wasn’t asked to narrate the whole audiobook. And why weren’t real-life children and their stories featured in a way that would make human rights feel alive and real for young listeners? J.T. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile