Today is the International Children’s Rights Day, a United Nations holiday that celebrates the creation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.  Unfortunately millions of children lack the most basic rights such as access to education, food, water and lives free from war.  According to UNESCO, 77 million kids worldwide do not attend school. School is one of the best ways to improve all aspects of kids lives, including creating better economic opportunities, improved health outcomes and empowering girls.

In honor of this important holiday, I am highlighting the work of Jewish World Watch, an instrumental organization for the Social Action campaign for our film, Darfur Now.  While the organization is only three years old, it has quickly become a leader in humanitarian relief, advocacy and education for Darfur.  One of their critical programs–backpacks– extends well-beyond providing immediate humanitarian relief to millions of refugees. It helps to build long-term infrastructure and educational opportunities to thousands of Darfurian refugee children.  Their backpack program will provide school supplies to 14,000 children in  the Oure Cassoni refugee camp.  The contents of the backpacks provides more than just learning tools; these children will be given educational opportunties and safe-spaces in their otherwise chaotic, war-ridden lives.  As victims of war and violence, these children lack the most basic rights as children and human beings.  takepart today to support the backpack program which will give these Darfurian kids resources and hope for a better future.

(photo: vonbergen.net)