"A Voice for the Children"
By Betty Williams
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
President of the World Centers of Compassion for Children International

Editor's Note: Please sign the following declaration on the website of the "World Centers of Compassion for Children International (http://www.centersofcompassion.org/)."

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS
OF THE WORLD'S CHILDREN

Other articles of the author
"EACH CHILD BELONGS TO US"

We, the Children of the World, assert our inalienable right to be heard and to have a political voice at the United Nations and at the highest levels of governments worldwide.

We, the Children of the World, must live with justice, with peace and freedom, but above all, with the dignity we deserve.

We, the Children of the World, require a Marshall Plan, a Geneva Convention, and a World Children's Court of Human Rights which meets regularly to listen to the testimonies as to what is actually happening to us. We intend to provide our own testimonies.

We, the Children of the World, demand the right to be taken to safe shelters in situations of war.

We, the Children of the World, consider hunger, disease, forced labor, and all forms of abuse and exploitation perpetrated upon us to be war.

We, the Children of the World, have had no political voice. We demand such a voice.

We, the Children of the World, will develop our own leadership, and set an example that will show governments how to live in peace and freedom.

We, the Children of the World, serve notice on our abusers and exploiters, whoever they may be, that from this day hence, we will begin the process of holding you responsible for our suffering.

Copyright, Betty Williams, 1997

Betty Williams was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work against violence in her native Northern Ireland. She is co-founder of the Northern Ireland Peace Movement (later renamed Community of Peace People). Mrs. Williams serves currently as President of World Centers of Compassion for Children International. She is Chair of the Institute for Asian Democracy in Washington, D.C., Honorary Member of the Club of Budapest, and Honorary Committee Member of the Global Vision for Peace.

World Centers of Compassion for Children International: http://www.centersofcompassion.org/

Community of Peace People: http://www.peacepeople.com/