More than 600 children and adolescents from Latin America and the Caribbean expressed their right to live in a healthy environment, sharing their opinions and proposals to decision-makers in their countries, the region and the world. They participated in the “Zoom into your rights” contest which had its awards event on November 12 with more than 12 countries connected between Argentina, Canada, Spain, Haiti, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador , Honduras among others, where the winners of the more than 200 participating videos that came from 14 countries in the region were recognized.

Through very creative videos, children and adolescents were able to identify an environmental problem that worries or affects them: water and air pollution, deforestation, fires, garbage dumps, endangered animals, global warming and lack of green spaces, were some of them.

They also expressed their ideas to solve it: planting trees, recycling paper, awareness campaigns, cleaning plastics and garbage from beaches and parks, caring for animals, family gardens, seed pumps, among other ideas.

The winning videos were:

First place: “Ayúdame” by Franky and Evan. Mexico. https://youtu.be/giK5GQE1LoM

Second place: "Environmental pollution" from the Defenders of the Planet group. Cuzco, Peru. https://youtu.be/DHw8SmE2t4Y

Special mention to the community project: "Revaluing the Huallaga" from the group of the organization "I also have something to say", Huánuco, Peru. https://youtu.be/qm2ktP36bDA

Special mention to visibility: "Climate Pollution" of Andromeda. Guatemala. https://youtu.be/Ukx8VluFF-M

The award also brought together authorities from Latin American and the Caribbean States, child rights organizations and organizations working on environmental and climate change issues.

"With this initiative, we wanted to show that the climate crisis is also a crisis of children's rights and needs to be addressed with children and adolescents as agents of change," said Ann Linnarsson, Director of the Civil Society Support Program from Save the Children.

The event also featured special participations from the Colombian pop band Alkilados, the Argentine rapper UNDERMC singing a song inspired on the videos created by the participants on the contest, the Colombian electronic music artist Mik Mish and the singer-songwriter Juan Antonio from Colombia.

“This year children voices were heard louder than ever. We can say that they are the protagonists of the changes that our planet needs and will inspire many other people with their proposals”, expressed Andrea Urbas, Director of Chicos.net.

The jury also participated in the award ceremony. This year it was composed by Esmeralda Arosemena, Commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Luis Pedernera, President of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, Joaquín Leguía. Founder of the ANIA association, Ulla Armyr, Regional Director of Save the Children Sweden, Mariela Reiman, Director of Chicos.net and Chiara Sacchi, member of Jóvenes por el Clima and Slow Food.

In the last two years, this event took place within the framework of representative events of the States and civil society such as the 2nd Forum of SIPPINNA and the XIII Pan-American Congress of children and adolescents. This year, given the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the award ceremony was held virtually.

To watch the winning videos click here: www.concursozoom.org  and all the participating videos on the IG TV channel of @chicos_net and @savethechilndrenlac.

Zoom into your Rights Contest

“Zoom into your Rights” is an initiative promoted since 2018 by Save the Children and Chicos.net, within the framework of the Civil Society Support Program for Latin America and the Caribbean (PASC). To date, the contest has led to the production of 260 videos, with the direct participation of 1,500 girls and boys from across the region.

More information about the contest at www.concursozoom.org

Watch again the award ceremony: https://www.facebook.com/SavetheChildrenLAC/videos/283597569646642/