International Youth Rights
International Youth Rights (IYR), (Chinese: 国际青年权利会, Korean: 국제청소년권리협회) is the first student-run, non-profit, non-political, international movement/network, founded in 2009 with the hopes of promoting youth rights by Seung Woo Son, who studied in Suzhou Singapore International School. Its motto is "A united force of the youth, by the youth, for the youth and beyond."
In 2010 a list of International members were recruited through UNICEF's Voices of Youth blog to represent their country and collaborate as an International NPO. The organization aims to centre all activities around an annual theme. 2010 saw the theme of Corporal Punishment in the School and Home. In 2011 attention was shifted to Achieving Universal Primary Education. Members conducted research in their own country and a Documentary film was shot in Nigeria by IYR Nigeria President, Ugwuja George Odinakachi.
Currently IYR has a reprasentative team in the following Countries: Pakistan (Mohammad Abdullah Humayun) Nigeria (Ugwuja George Odinakachi) South Africa (Emer Mae Butler)
The main objectives of this organization are to unite international and local youth bodies globally, make voices of youth be heard across the world, influence decision-making of the leaders of the world, secure global attention on youths and children, empower and protect the rights of youth and children and foster youths to become decision-makers of today and tomorrow.[1] The youth founder of this organization believes that voices of youth should be heard in the United Nations and beyond, not limited to Model United Nations, Model Congress and other popular mock discussion forums. In June 2010, the first inaugural conference was held at Soochow University, China. Youths from Suzhou and Shanghai high schools came together to share experiences, ideas and opinions on the issue of "Corporal Punishment at Home and in School."
The International Youth Report compiled at the end was sent to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Korea and the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children.
On 27 May 2011, International Youth Rights won the (ACAMIS) (Association of China and Mongolia International Schools) Service Award.
Notes
- ↑ International Youth Report: Corporal Punishment at Home and in School, Voices of Youth Blog<http://blog.voicesofyouth.org/?p=1289>