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Having overcome a childhood marked by violence, abuse and neglect, Benjamin Perks has always drawn strength from an innate sense of optimism. Now Head of Campaigns and Advocacy at UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, he helps protect young people in similar situations all over the world.
âI think it was very clear that we were in a bad spot, though, being dealt a bad hand, but I was somehow optimistic that things would be better.â
Having recently authored a book about his experiences, Trauma Proof, Benjamin Perks reflects in this episode of Awake at Night on a lifetime campaigning for all children to be safe, seen, and soothed, and on how an encounter with a special teacher put his life back on track.
's reveals that 77% of children under five globally have their births registered, marking progress in legal identity but highlighting that 150 million children remain unregistered. Challenges persist, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where many face barriers to registration. UNICEF calls for improved systems, digitalization, and legal reforms to ensure every child is recognized and protected. states affirms every child's right to have their identity established âimmediatelyâ after birth through birth registration.
A typical day for Priya, 17, and Rani, 18, in Kolkata, India, begins early with the sounds of bustling streets. They clear their sleeping spots, which are protected by plastic sheets. Both girls study in Class 11 at different schools and spend their afternoons with friends, watching over their younger siblings while playing in the street. Despite the challenges faced by street-connected children, Priya and Rani attend private schools, funded by their families and a supporting NGO. They share their education with peers who lack access to schooling. The Child in Need Institute (CINI) has empowered them to be leaders, naming them "Street Champions." They advocate for children's rights in their community and beyond.
Dear adults, as we celebrated World Childrens Day, children around the world are calling for peace, for safe and healthy environments, for love and care. We cannot let them down.
(20 November) is a global day of action for children, by children, marking the adoption of the . Child rights are human rights. But in too many places today childrenâs rights are being misunderstood, disregarded or denied and attacked. By listening to children we can fulfil their right to self-expression, understand their ideas for a better world and include their priorities in our actions today. Releasing on this yearâs world Childrenâs Day, will focus on future of childhood in a changing world.
The commit the global community to end all forms of violence against children. The futures of one billion boys and girls hang in the balance.
There is opportunity, and necessity, to accelerate; to deliver a transformative shift on child protection. The first-ever represents an historic moment; to re-imagine a world where all children are safe in their homes, schools, communities and online and make commitments commensurate with the global child protection challenge.
Every first Thursday of November marks the International day against violence and bullying at school which highlights global efforts to combat school violence and cyberbullying.
What do you do every day to take care of your mental health?
In the words of Orlando Bloom, , "Sometimes it just takes a walk".
Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. A new variant of the virus is spreading, putting children at risk.
âShootings, thatâs why I left. Rapes. All that. I could not stay [back home]â â Solona, 14
Armed groups in Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite region are terrorizing entire communities. As streets, schools and playgrounds have been turned into battlefields, many have had . Thousands are now stranded in makeshift displacement sites. Struggling to access electricity, food, water, and adequate sanitation. Entire families are sleeping outside on the ground, at the mercy of torrential rains and disease-carrying insects. Children unable to go to school.
Violence in Haiti has reached shocking levels. continues to call for an end to the violence.
Learn about some of the most important newborn health warning signs. For more expert tips visit .
The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip is making health care especially difficult for pregnant women and children. The high cost of living makes essentials like baby clothes unaffordable. At 20$ for one piece of baby clothes, these are usually not affordable for the most vulnerable families, who were often displaced 4 or 5 times, carrying only what they had on their backs. , with partners, is making a significant difference in these communities by distributing 1,000 baby clothing kits and essential supplies, providing a lifeline of crucial assistance.
Amid the arid landscapes of Zinder, a migration-prone area in central-eastern Niger, 11-year-old Zara's journey back home sheds light on the battle against child trafficking. Zara was sent to Algeria by her mother to find work but was intercepted during the journey. According to the International Organization for Migration (), more than half of the child victims the involvement of friends and family in their recruitment into trafficking, especially where extreme poverty is common. The Centre for Victims of Trafficking, managed by the National Agency for the Fight against Trafficking in Persons and Illicit Migration with support from IOM, has become a sanctuary for survivors like Zara.
On average, one Palestinian child was killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, every two days since October 2023, a nearly three-and-a-half-fold increase from the previous nine months.