Communicating About the CRC
Talk it up! The Campaign can provide you with general brochures, as well as more specialized toolkits and informational materials about the CRC, the Campaign, and the need for ratification.
Reach out to groups likely to support ratification, such as local children's organizations, educational organizations, religious groups, professional and labor groups, service clubs, and internationally-oriented groups. Click here for a list of national organizations supporting ratification.
10 Points to Remember
- Many people are aware of the troubling status of US children and want to help, but they do not know how to get started.
- Parents, families and guardians are often viewed as the cause of and solution to issues concerning children.
- People have difficulty discerning the relationship between all US children and the future of the nation. They cannot connect issues affecting children to policies and programs.
- Messages incorporating key phrases, such as "invest in children", "investment in prevention", and "children are the leaders of tomorrow", resound with the general public.
- When discussing issues affecting individuals between 12 and 18 years of age, people respond more positively to the terms "youth" and "adolescents" than to "teens" and "teenagers."
- Negative news, urgent messages, and blaming politicians convey a sense of hopelessness. It is imperative to balance facts with solutions.
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child is an aspirational document and a critical tool. It is not a panacea.
- Implementation of the CRC has led governments to change and formulate laws, policies and programs to meet the specific needs of children in their country.
- The CRC is an instrument that benefits all children regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, ability, culture, religion, and socioeconomic status.
- With US endorsement of the CRC, the world would stand united in its universally shared goal to protect and promote children's best interests.
