I was involved in children’s rights when I was 18-23. Big issue for me. Still kinda is. I made a mailing list in 1990 (first child@hampshire then Y-RIGHTS@SJUVM) to bring people together on the young Internet and “18 year old me” wasn’t surprised when it gained thousands and thousands of members, including International Organizations.
http://icopiedyou.com/unicef-joined-y-rights/
This one I came across in my files the other day. I would have been 20 years old at this point. Other members of the UN were already members, Amnesty International, as well as various Universities and government Think Tanks… as well as kids and teens themselves.
They talked about every issue under the sun and it spawned many collaborative efforts that still exist to this day on Unparenting and Unschooling issues, national children’s rights organizatons in different countries (right to vote, right to drive, right to drink, right to education),
It’s still an issue I’m passionate about. In general it falls under the category of “Ageism” in general; even then it wasn’t so much “about the children” but it was about age discrimination in general, power structures and the like.
The problem is: Once people are 18, they usually stop caring. Or they care only from an “adult perspective” only and forgot what it was like.
Oh well. It’s probably why I’m so ‘bleh” about politics being a vehicle for change. Unless you live in a small country, it’s not an effective means for change generally, unless the movement you are a part of is overwhelmingly powerful.