Advocating for children with disabilities

The Children Right's Information Network (CRIN) offers useful information on advocating for children with disabilities.


Their site also offers some facts on children with disabilities:



* Up to 150 million children globally have a disability and the numbers are rising
* Children with disabilities are disproportionately likely to live in poverty
* 50% of children who are deaf and 60% of those with an intellectual impairment are sexually abused
* Parents and medical professionals who murder children with disabilities often have reduced sentences and use mercy killing defences – the lives of children with disabilities are not treated as of equal value with others
* In some countries 90% of children with disabilities will not survive beyond the age of 20
* 98% of children with disabilities across the developing world have no access to education
* Discrimination in relation to life saving treatments, to health care, to child care services and education is endemic
* Access to justice is routinely denied because they are not considered credible witnesses

[Source: Draft version of 'Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities: A guide to using the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with the Convention on the Rights of the Child,' produced on behalf of the Save the Children Alliance by Sweden and the UK]

Tiny fighters in Dakar

Paul Bowers, a college student, writes about the children in Dakar that he sees in a hospital as he tours Africa. He calls them tiny fighters. And he notes the complicated situation going on over there and how sending money falls short, how a response of pity doesn't help and how getting corrupt leaders out won't fix everything.

Leaving the hospital, I saw posters and charts affixed to the walls with the same bandage tape from Orisseyhou’s hand, and it reminded me that the people I had met were more than victims. Maybe they were ready to fight back.

That is the Africa I hope to find.

Dakar is a city in Senegal, where in 2007 a historic election took place. Its music, particularly hip hop, is of a political nature, as shown in the documentary film Democracy in Dakar. You can find the documentary on YouTube to watch, and I've put the first part below. For recent election news, go here.

"The film follows rappers, DJs, journalists, professors and people on the street at the time before during and after the controversial 2007 presidential election in Senegal and examines hip-hop's role on the political process. Originally shot as a seven part documentary mini-series released via the internet - the documentary bridges the gap between hip-hop activism, video journalism and documentary film and explores the role of youth and musical activism on the political process."





Related: Sengalese press: oppressed or out of control?

Senegal avoids human rights trial

Sudan opens up to more aid groups

A continent revealed

Article on swine flu outbreak and International Health Regulations 2005

An interesting article about the swine flu outbreak and human rights concerns about the right to health (i.e. "nondiscriminatory access to health care services and antiviral drugs") is available online.

David Fidler writes about the IHR 2005 (the International Health Regulations 2005 adopted by WHO) which mandates in article 32 restrictions for travelers, noting limits on "any intervention that infringes on civil and political rights". In his conclusion, he writes that this crisis presents an opportunity to "strengthen compliance with and implementation of the IHR 2005".

David Fidler is a law professor and director of the Center on American and Global Security at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.