'Say YES for Children' campaign
Launched on April 16 2001, campaign asked millions of people throughout the world to pledge their support for the Rallying Call for the Global Movement for Children (GMC).
The campaign sought to rally people behind 10 principles (imperatives) that seek to improve and protect the lives of children. They are:
1. Leave No Child Out
2. Put Children First
3. Care for Every Child
4. Fight HIV/AIDS
5. Stop Harming & Exploiting Children
6. Listen to Children
7. Educate Every Child
8. Protect Children from War
9. Protect the Earth for Children
10. Fight Poverty: Invest in Children
More than 94 million people from 194 countries signed up for ‘Say Yes for Children’ campaign. Through the vote, they altogether agreed that education (imperative 2) must be the top priority if children are to be assured a brighter future.
The messages of the 'Say Yes for Children' campaign, gathered from local communities and from cyberspace, were presented during the UN Special Session on Children in May 2002. A group of children put forward the campaign results to Nelson Mandela and Graça Machel. The 10 imperatives that were voted on in the campaign became the basis for 'A World Fit for Children' - the outcome document of the UN Special Session.
The campaign inspired an unprecedented grassroots movement which connected children, their parents and their grandparents with families in cities and villages in countries and continents across the world, who joined together to commit themselves to building a world fit for children.
In an effort to raise awareness and spur action around the 10 points of the Rallying Call pledge, Say Yes for Children involved a combination of printed materials, online information, and community organising of events. In some regions, pre-paid postcards - through the daily newspapers, at schools and local community centres nationwide - were available for those without internet access to make their pledge. The campaign also made use of musical and artistic events to spread the word. GMC advertised on tee-shirts, which were sold at these events. Advertising was also placed strategically on radio and television programmes in different regions.
