Red Hand Day Campaign Culminating Event
5 p.m., February 12, 2009
Danny Kaye Center, UNICEF House, 44th and 1st Avenue
Overview: The Red Hand Day Campaign against the use of child soldiers has engaged student, youth, community and other groups around the world to make "red hands" -the symbol of the global campaign against the use of child soldiers-in order to highlight the issue of child soldiers and need for stronger international action to end this abuse of children. The aim of the campaign is to gather one million ‘red hands' to present to UN officials in New York on February 12, 2009. This date has special significance as the anniversary of the day that the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict entered into force in 2002.
Activities to collect red hands have taken place in Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Cong, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Uganda, with the list growing every day. As part of the campaign, young people have held special events at their schools to educate their peers about the use of child soldiers, organized petition drives, special exhibitions, public awareness programs, presented red hands to their members of Parliament or Congress, and organized other activities. (Photos of many of these activities are available at http://www.redhandday.org/.)
The campaign will culminate on February 12, 2009, when youth representatives from all regions of the world will present a portion of these "red hands" to the UN Secretary-General to emphasize the need for international action to end the use of child soldiers.
Additional background to the Campaign: The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers adopted the "red hand" symbol in 1998 as part of its worldwide campaign against the use of child soldiers. After the entry into force of the Optional Protocol on February 12, 2002, Coalition partners have used this day as "Red Hand" day, with many organizing local events utilizing the red hand to raise awareness about the child soldier issue.
In 2007, Coalition partners in Germany proposed a global campaign to collect one million red hands for presentation at the UN on February 12, 2009. The campaign encourages participants, particularly schoolchildren, to make hand prints with red ink on A4 paper, together with a personal message about their desire to end the use of child soldiers.
Key messages: The primary goal of the campaign is to strengthen international commitment and efforts to end the use of children in armed conflict. Specific objectives of the campaign include:
- Universal ratification of the Optional Protocol with a "straight-18" position;
- Full implementation of the Optional Protocol;
- Action to hold perpetrators accountable;
- Demobilization of all child soldiers;
- Access for all child soldiers to rehabilitation and reintegration programs.
Supporting organizations: Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, Human Rights Watch, International Federation Terre des Hommes, Amnesty International, Kindernothilfe, World Vision, Aktionweibes Friedensband. The Office of the Special Representative to the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict is collaborating with these NGOs to organize the February 12 culminating event.
Proposed program for February 12:
Welcome - Ms. Ann Veneman, executive director, UNICEF (invited)
- welcome, importance of involving youth and civil society in efforts to end the use of child soldiers, commitment of UNICEF to issue) - 3 minutes
Showing of brief video of the campaign (4-5 minutes)
Introduction of campaign and the youth delegation - Jo Becker, steering committee, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers - 2 minutes
- brief background to the campaign, introduction of youth
Statements by youth delegates (5 delegates, 2 minutes each)
- Representative from Colombia/Latin America (former child soldier)
- Representative from Germany/W. Europe
- Representative from Philippines/Asia
- Representative from USA/N. America
- Representative from DRC/Africa (former child soldier)
- statements to focus on youths' motivation to end the use of child soldiers, brief description of some of their campaign activities, and appeal to UN leadership to strengthen efforts to end use of child soldiers)
Presentation of symbolic number of red hands to UN Secretary-General
Statement by Secretary-General (3-5 minutes)
- affirm commitment of UN system to end the use of child soldiers; affirmation of youth involvement in these efforts; thank young people for their efforts to raise awareness of the issue
Statement by chair of Security Council working group on children and armed conflict (2 minutes)
- similar to SG, brief comments about commitment of the Security Council to address the issue
Closing statement - Ms. Radhika Coomeraswamy, SRSG on children and armed conflict (3 minutes)
Refreshments will be served - soft drinks, wine, cheese, fruit
Audience: Approximately 75-100 persons. To include: Security Council members, representatives from UN missions, UN staff (selected representatives from UNICEF, OSRSG/CAC, etc.), student representatives from NY/Connecticut, NGO representatives (e.g. Watchlist steering committee), invited media, special guests.