November 20th: Milestones in Advancing Children’s Rights

For FMSI and the Secretariat of Solidarity, few dates are as meaningful as November 20, World Children’s Rights Day. This date marks the anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of two pivotal documents: the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. While almost every nation has signed this Convention, 35 years is a moment in the span of history, and much remains to be done to shift mindsets and ensure all children are universally recognized as rights holders.

Each year, FMSI and the Secretariat of Solidarity take this opportunity to celebrate November 20 by organizing events that align with their work with children and communities, collaborating with other organizations and stakeholders to amplify their impact.

Since its foundation, from 2007 to 2015, FMSI has marked this day by publishing thematic booklets featuring reflections and personal stories from children, project workers, and community members. These booklets have covered crucial topics like the Right to Participation, Non-discrimination, Disability, and the Rights of Migrant Children, and include resources to foster discussion in schools and community settings. In 2009, FMSI produced the photo exhibition “New World,” featuring reflections from children and youth worldwide about their dreams for the future.

In the years that followed, FMSI continued these awareness-raising efforts with initiatives like virtual postcards in 2014 and 2015, sent in a countdown to November 20 to share powerful testimonies, statistics, and images promoting children’s rights. A special booklet in 2016 highlighted Marist projects supporting migrant and refugee children, and in 2017, FMSI’s 10th anniversary was marked by the “Children on the Move” event. This conference, held on November 20, brought together key organizations like FOCSIV, the Italian Red Cross, Terre des Hommes, JRS, and Save the Children to discuss migration and displacement. The event concluded with a paper presented to the UN, accompanied by a photo exhibition depicting children in migration scenarios worldwide.

In 2018, FMSI hosted the event “Children among Peripheries and New Forms of Poverty,” a collaborative effort to address the evolving poverty affecting children in marginalized areas. Following the pandemic, FMSI expanded its reach by streaming events, such as the 2023 event “Right to Be Children” and the recent “Voices of Tomorrow,” aiming to raise awareness of the issues children face globally and to advocate for their rights, safety, and wellbeing.

The Marist Brothers’ commitment to defending children’s rights is central to our Marist mission. The Institute has consistently addressed violations of rights for children “living on the margins of the world” (in line with the fourth call of our 22nd Chapter). This commitment has spanned numerous humanitarian crises—from the war in Syria to the crises in Congo, Liberia, Cameroon, apartheid-era South Africa, and present-day Haiti. Our work requires both grassroots advocacy and high-level policy initiatives, including the Universal Periodic Reviews (UPRs), essential for driving sustainable change. FMSI and the Secretariat of Solidarity contribute to UPR reports with insights from brothers, laypeople, children, and youth, building a legacy of advocacy that is now documented in our UPR map, available at UPR Map.

While progress has been made, there is still a long way to go to ensure every child’s rights are fully respected and upheld. We invite you to join us on this journey, contributing your ideas and reflections to help create a world where all children live in dignity and safety.