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STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS
Drama written at the 1996 World Summit of Children Project International Summit
BACKGROUND
At the 1996 World Summit of Children in Costa Rica the participants expressed their concern that few children in the world seem to be aware of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. A Convention on the Rights of the Child Committee (CRC Committee) was formed to explore how the Convention could be made more appealing to children for study. Two questions were asked by the CRC Committee:
1. Why has such little effort been made to integrate the Convention into school curricula or to present it in other ways in order to inform children of their rights as contained in the Convention?
2. How can children make the articles of the Convention more interesting and easily understood by children and adults?
A group of children decided to dramatize some of the articles in the Convention and, as they created the play, to observe themselves and record the process. They hoped this could serve as a model upon which children around the world could produce their own plays which would help them and their audiences have a greater understanding of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its benefits.
This appended account is to be used to encourage children to develop their own ideas, rather than just reproduce the play as described here. It was also felt important to stress that this activity be used as an opportunity to develop a mutually respectful working partnership between children and adults.
A number of children, assisted by a few adults, discussed the articles in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (simplified version) and created a framework and three scenes which dramatized seven of the articles. The time from inception of the idea to performance was only eight hours.
Forward to STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS
The delegates to the International Summit and participants in the World Summit of Children Projects are charged by the Convention on the Rights of the Child Committee to develop a similar drama in their communities and initiate its implementation by personally finding a group to produce the play. Each member of the producing group will be trained to organize a different group to develop and put on another play and so on. In this way the children of each country can be pro-active in spreading knowledge about the Convention. This activity can be used as a part of a school curriculum. The following are suggestions for developing the play:
1. Show books, films and pictures of children involved in adverse conditions. Some of these materials can be
obtained through United Nations and UNICEF offices.
2. Have the participants draw pictures, write or tell stories about problems of which they are aware that children are facing locally, regionally and nationally.
3. Use the children’s art, writing and stories to identify the applicable articles of the Convention. This will
probably ultimately lead to a discussion of the entire document.
4. Through discussions of the situations and the articles that apply to these situations, scenes for a drama will
begin to develop. A group of players for each scene can be chosen and those children, through
improvisation and creative role playing, will develop the dialogue. Children who move and sing well
should be encouraged to be leaders.
STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS
Developed at the 1996 International Summit in Costa Rica.
Concept by Viola Caretti
Prologue and Framework by Viola Caretti, Cristina Figari and Abdul Salia
Scene One by Boris Almeida, Paul Garcia, Kasumi Hayashi, Laurian Lupan and Laura Quesada
Scene Two by Kay Amoah, Monserrat Antillon, Richard Chien, Nancy Lee, Laura Ramirez and Liana Sanamian
Scene Three by Francesca dell’Acqua, Koji Katsumoto, Carolina Ramirez and Ionut Sima
PROLOGUE
Characters: First Angel and Second Angel- one male, one female (Angels appear in every scene.)
(Two angels enter with joined hands. They speak with enthusiasm.)
First Angel: We are the defenders of the Rights of the Child !
Second Angel: We fight with all our power !
First Angel: Listen to our voices !
Second Angel: Join us !
(Angels separate and move to positions downstage right and left.)
SCENE ONE
Characters: A Small Child, four children, a Father and a Spirit of the Child
(The Small Child enters stage right playing soccer with two friends. Two girls enter arm in arm with them watching. The Father enters stage left and roughly grabs the Small Child by the arm.)
Father: Do you know what time it is ? (Father throws the Small Child to the floor.)
One of the other children: Don’t hit him...He’s just a child !!
Father: (Menacing the speaking child) What did you say ?
(The other children run upstage right and hover there terrified. The Small Child gets up.)
Father: (Grabbing the Small Child again) Where were you ?
Small Child: I was at school.
Father: (Shaking the Small Child) Why ? Why were you at school ? You should be at work!!
Small Child: But the teacher says I’m clever..that I can be a good student.
Father: I don’t care what the teacher says! You work for me! You should be at work! (He pushes the child down.)
(The Small Child falls to the ground and cowers, covering his head with both hands.
The Father raises his hand as if to strike. They both freeze.)
(The Angels come to the Father, one on either side, and gently take him away to stage front and center)
Spirit of the Child: (Enters from stage left, walks to the Small Child and goes to one knee beside him.)
Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child protects children against violence. Article 28 gives children the right to education. Article 31 gives children the right to have fun. (Moves upstage right.)
(Angels return to their downstage positions.)
SCENE TWO
Characters: A Child, Father/Minister of Education (ME), Minister of Finance (MF), Minister of Internal Affairs (MI), Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Prime Minister (PM) and Spirit of the Child
(The Father/ME leads the Child into the conference room with all the other officials).
Father/ ME: (To child ) You stay here. Have fun. Be quiet and do not disturb us, okay?
(Child happily takes a piece of paper and starts doodling.
The officials gather in a semi-circle and start discussing.)
PM: This is our problem, so what does the Minister of Education think of this issue?
ME: I believe we should spend less money on buying Spanish books and instead we should import math books.
MI: There should be different solutions for different problems. We should give all of them serious consideration.
(The adults lower their voices while talking with exaggerated gestures. The child stops drawing and appears to be listening intently. She slowly comes to the center of the stage and speaks to the audience.)
Child: I think I have a solution to their problem. Should I tell them? They’re just adults. They don’t know, but me- I’m a child. ( She turns to look at the adults) Yeh. I think I’ll tell them.
(The Child draws near the adults and tries to attract their attention.)
Listen to me! I have a great idea! Hey, look here! (Taps Father/ME’s arm.)
Father/ME: I’m working. Go play.
(The adults pay no attention. The Child finally becomes frustrated and starts shaking the Father/ME’s leg.)
Child: Hey! Listen to me.
Adults together: (Glaring at the Child.) WHAT?
Child: I have a great idea. (The Child keeps repeating this statement. The adults turn away annoyed.)
MIA: Get lost! Go and play!
MF: Here, take some candy and go away.
Father/ME: Go away! You are just a kid. You know nothing. (Points indicating that the Child must leave.)
(All adults freeze. The Child exasperated, rips up the drawing paper and lies on the floor.
The adults stay frozen while the Angels come in. The Angels take the Father/ME and lead him
to stage right center. The group of officials move into a line upstage)
Spirit of the Child: (Kneels as before) Articles 12 and 13 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child give children the right to freedom of expression and the right to be listened to.
(The Spirit moves upstage center. Angels move to their downstage position.)
SCENE THREE
Characters: Mother, Father, Son, Daughter, Song Leaders and Spirit of the Child
(Mother and Father enter and sit center stage right. They pantomime eating.)
Mother: This is good. I got it at the market today.
Father: Yes. I like it very much.
(Children enter. Adults continue eating. Children look over their shoulders longingly.)
(Impatiently) What is it?
Girl: I’m hungry.
Mother: Your father and I need the food. We do the work.
Boy: But we need food, too.
Father: Then you can go and steal some.
Girl: Oh please, just a little bit,
Parents: No!
(The Children fall. Angels come and take the Mother and Father, one to stage left, one to stage right.
Spirit kneels between the children and places her hands on their backs.)
Spirit of the Child: Article 6 and Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child give children the right to have a good quality of life.
(Spirit moves upstage center as Angels move to center stage behind the children.)
First Angel: Get up. Stand up for your rights. (The children try to stand, but collapse.)
Second Angel: In this way over one million children are abused every day. That is why the Convention on the Rights of the Child was created... in order to protect children from such abuses.
(Song Leaders enter together stage right singing or chanting these words or a similar song/chant.)
Song Leaders: Get up. Stand up. Stand up for your rights.
Get up. Stand up. Don’t give up the fight.
(Song leaders stand where the Angels stood and make appropriate hand movements.
Angels move to a downstage position.)
First Angel: (Addressing the audience.) Sing with us. Give them the energy to get up.
Second Angel: Stand up and clap your hands with us.
(Audience stands and joins in. All the actors form a semi-circle on stage and sing or chant.)
Get up. Stand up. Stand up for your rights.
Get up. Stand up. Don’t give up the fight.
(The children bowed down get up and join the semi-circle. The Song Leaders go downstage center, then to stage right and left respectively beside the Angels. Song Leaders instruct audience to lower the volume.)
Scene One Child: (Moves downstage left.) I have the right to be educated.
Scene Two Child: (Moves downstage right.) I have the right to express my opinion.
Scene Three Children: (Move downstage center) We have the right to a good quality of life.
(Everyone sings/chants at full volume for five stanzas. All actors end with arms in the air on the last “ fight”.)
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