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The children's movements

The children's movements

Where and how do working children network? Why do they organise themselves and what have they achieved so far? We offer an insight into the history and present of children's movements which are now active worldwide.

 

Children's movements

Working children and youth in Africa, Asia and Latin America have joined together in their own organisations to fight for their rights and to gain more influence in their own countries as well as internationally.

In Latin America

In Latin America, working children have been organising themselves in their own movements since the end of the 1970s and are now internationally networked. Their main goal is the recognition of their right to work and live in dignity.

In Africa

One of the largest continental coalitions of children's movements is MAEJT/AMWCY, which was set up in 1994 and now links 27 African countries. The MAEJT/AMWCY formulated 12 rights, the implementation of which is accompanied by continental meetings…

In Asia

In Asia, the working children's organisations with the most members are from India. Both Bal Mazdoor Sangh in Delhi and Bhima Sangha in Karnataka/Bangalore explicitly see themselves as children's unions. However, there are now also initiatives in…

The World Movement

The movements of working children and youth are not only networked at a local, national and continental level. Meanwhile there are also rudiments of a world movement – their common demands are formulated in the "10 points of Kundapur". Three…

Kundapur 1996

In 1996, the movements of working children and youth from Latin America, Africa and Asia met for the first time in Kundapur, India, to exchange ideas and formulate common goals.

Berlin 2004

In 2004, delegates of the movements of working children and youth from Latin America, Africa and Asia met for the Second World Meeting in Berlin. Events were held throughout Germany and a worldwide organisation of working children and youth was…

Siena 2006

After the first two meetings in Kundapur and Berlin, the third world meeting of the movement of working children and youth took place in 2006. In addition to exchanging information on content and structural agreements, the participants also discussed…

La Paz 2017

With the assistance of ProNATs, an International Forum for the rights of working children took place from 16 to 18 October 2017 in the Bolivian metropolis of La Paz, where elected representatives of the movements of working children and youth met…