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THE WORLD SUMMIT OF CHILDREN (WSOC) PROJECTS
–a Global Movement Initiated by Children for Children
The World Summit of Children (WSOC) Projects provided children 8-18 all over the world with opportunities to develop productive partnerships with policy makers and to strengthen the UN through the participation of children. Young people made the policies and plans and PEACEWAYS assisted in their implementation. PEACEWAYS itself operates with a young Executive Planning Committee that determines its policies and planning. The name World Summit of Children was selected by the young people because the 1990 World Summit for Children offered children no voice.
The 1995 WSOC Project consisted of 27 worldwide PrepComs, an International Summit near San Francisco and a Post-Summit delegation which interacted with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva in November 1995 concerning the child rights issues.
The children at the 1995 WSOC International Summit created 5 international documents:
(1) Vision Statement
(2 Proposal for a United Nations Young General Assembly (YGA)
(3 Proposal for Hear the Children Day (HTC Day)
(4) The Children’s International Keeping the Promise Report
(5) The Children’s Proposal for a Partnership with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
The 1996 WSOC Project consisted of 32 worldwide PrepComs that led to an International Summit in Costa Rica and post-Summit international delegation of children at the World Food Summit and the NGO Forum in Rome in November 1996. The Project continued to implement '95 Summit documents. PrepCom goals were aimed at setting up children's National Councils worldwide, holding model Young General Assembly sessions, planning for Hear the Children Day '96 and creating projects to promote the Food for All Campaign.
The 1997 WSOC Project consisted of 27 worldwide PrepComs, an International Summit in the Republic of China on Taiwan at which children wrote 3 booklets to help other children further the YGA by setting up National Councils, Hear the Children Day events and the Food for All Campaign. For the post summit activity, delegates attended the UN/DPI/NGO meeting at UN headquarters in New York. and one delegate addressed the closing plenary session.
During the 1997 WSOC Project the delegates at the Taipei International Summit decided upon a three year plan:
In 1998 there will be Regional International Summits.
In 1999 there will be national PrepComs and a charter writing Summit in San Francisco.
In early 2000 the first Young General Assembly will meet in Adelaide, Australia
During the 1998 WSOC Project the African Regional International Summit was scheduled to be held in Ghana, but was canceled because of lack of funding. The Asian Regional International Summit was scheduled to meet in Nepal, but was canceled because lack of funding. The Pan American Regional International Summit was scheduled to meet in Belize at first, but was canceled because of lack of funding. Then Costa Rica planned to host the Pan American Summit, but also canceled because of lack of funding . The Eastern European Regional International Summit did meet in Poland in July. Young people from Eastern Europe and Western Europe gathered to determine how best to begin a national council/parliament of children that would affiliate with the Young General Assembly.
The goals for the 1998 WSOC Project:
To continue to promote and bring to life a UN Young General Assembly (YGA) by informing and meeting with national governmental officials and urging them to organize a coalition of UN member states to bring the YGA Proposal to the UN General Assembly;
To continue to celebrate and work for UN recognition of Hear the Children Day (HTC Day);
To continue to organize National Councils of children in as many countries as possible. National organizations are being established and existing groups are making adjustments to become affiliated and achieve Young General Assembly goals;
To have children continue to participate in the FAO/UN Food for All Campaign; and
To prepare for the 1999 Young General Assembly Charter Writing Summit in San Francisco.
The 1999 WSOC Project continued the successful work of the 1995, ‘96, '97 and 1998 World Summit of Children Projects involving well over 100,000 children. Preparatory meetings were held in 40 countries by 47 national organizations involving 85,475 people under 18 and 170,636 people over 18 and 3,295 other organizations. The international San Francisco Conference was held July 18-25, 1999 at which the Young General Assembly Charter was begun. This Conference brought the World Summit of Children Projects to a successful close. The WSOC Projects aimed at establishing the Young General Assembly and that goal was accomplished.
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