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Hello there, Friend ! My name is Webster.
I'm your Worldly, Wise, Website Welcome Person.
Settle back for a brief time and let me treat you to an exciting story that really is true !
Let me ask you a question first: How do you feel when someone calls you "childish ?" Not too cool ?
Children don't even like to be called "a child."
One way to NOT experience the uncomfortable way those words make people feel is to totally avoid using the words.
Another way to avoid the uncomfortable feeling is to change the way people think about "childish" and "child."
This is a story about some children who decided they would like to uplift people's attitude about children.
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For centuries children
all over the world have not been allowed to participate in the decision
making or to share the responsibility of implementing those decisions
which deeply effect their daily lives. Then, in 1990, some wise adults
decided to open a door for children to see if the children were ready
to step through and enter the global arena and then A NEW ERA- A TIME WHEN CHILDREN
COULD SHARE MUTUALLY RESPECTFUL PARTNERSHIPS WITH ADULTS IN DECISION-MAKING began.
The children saw the door open and enthusiastically replied, "YES
! We are ready to enter!"
For four years the
children discussed hundreds of ways to establish a mutually beneficial
global partnership with decision making adults at meetings all
over the world. After all these discussions, they said, "Enough
talk! Let's act !" They designed an annual procedure through which
they could bring the global partnership to life. They modeled their
procedure after United Nations Summits. Each year there were educational
preparatory meetings called "PrepComs." Well-informed delegates
from the PrepComs attended an International Summit and planned the year
to come. The International Summit participants also decided on a post
Summit activity to further United Nations goals. They called their plan
"World Summit of Children Projects."
In 1995 they wrote
the Proposal for a Young General Assembly (an international democratic
assembly of children which would serve as a voice for children in international
affairs and strengthen the UN through the participation of children)
and the Proposal for Hear the Children Day of Peace (an international
children's day designed by children from all over the world so they
can support the United Nations in its mission to bring about World Peace).
Between 1995 and
1999 well over 100,000 children worldwide participated in the World
Summit of Children Projects which focused on establishing a foundation
of children’s organizations all over the world. In these organizations
children take part in the decisions made about plans and policy and
send delegates to attend annual Young General Assembly Sessions. The
Young General Assembly was established when the Charter was voted into
force July 24, 2000. During the first two months of Member
Organization registration, 68 organizations totaling over 720,000 young
people became affiliated.
So how will this
adventure end ? This is yet to be determined. However, this Web Site
will give you all the facts and tell you what has been done and what
the next steps are. I've appreciated your attention. Now I suggest you
proceed to the Information Desk to find out where the areas of your
interest are located.
Your new friend,
Webster, the Worldly,
Wise, Website Welcome Person
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