AFRICA: Africa-wide Movement for Children Established

The Second Consultative Meeting of African Child, Youth and Human Rights Organisations held on 11 May 2008 and organised by the African Child Policy Forum announced the establishment of an Africa-wide Movement for Children.

The Meeting endorsed the proposals made by the 8-member Steering Committee that for the establishment of a coordinated, well organised and all inclusive body that would mainly serve as a tool to lobby for the betterment of the lives and living conditions of children in Africa.

This Movement would serve as a tool at the continental and global levels that would point out the plight of children in African countries and push concerned bodies towards this agenda.

The main objectives of the Movement will be to contribute to the emergence of an African voice for children in the continent, to advocate and lobby for the promotion and protection of the best interests of the African child at the national and pan-African levels, to promoted solidarity and provide mutual support and collaboration amongst child rights organisations and to promote accountability amongst child rights organisations with respects to the children under their care.

The movement will have child - focused organisations, networks, institutions and individual child activists as members.

Some of the envisioned activities are:

- Facilitating and promoting the exchange of information,
- Advocacy for the rights of children in general and of those in especially difficult situation, specifically those caught in conflict and similar situations,
- Alerting and mobilising members against dangers to child-rights advocates and defenders,
- Helping define and articulate common positions at the pan-African and international levels
- Lobbying for the best interests of children in national, Pan-African and international fora
- Seek opportunities to collaborate on joint activates e.g. research, sharing of best practice interventions

The Movement will have a General Assembly that is composed of all registered members, Custodians and a Secretariat.

The meeting elected the following individuals to serve as Custodians for the coming two years:

Ms. Wambui Njuguna President
Dr Mussa Sissoko Vice President,
Ms. Stella Ayo Odongo East Africa
Mr. Yassir Shalabi North Africa
Prof. Rose September Southern Africa
Mr Aime Bada West Africa
(To be identified) Central Africa

The African Child Policy Forum will serve as the Secretariat of the Movement.

The Movement calls on all child – focused organisations and activists working for the betterment of the lives of children in Africa to come together to share information, build on each others successes and create a strong voice. It also calls on all international organisations outside the Continent to back this Movement and help create the necessary focus and attention to the pertinent and life threatening issues that the movement is committed to address.

To be a member of the Africa Wide Movement for Children (AWMC) or for any additional information, contact:

- Ms Wambui Njuguna, President AWMC [email protected] OR
- Ms Makda Taffese, Secretariat AWMC [email protected]