Last Minute Gift Idea: Book for Teenagers
The Colombian Civil War has lasted for decades. The armed groups -- guerrilla and paramilitary and military -- have been responsible for many abuses that have often violated the human rights of ordinary Colombians. According to the United Nations, around 5,000 people lose their lives every year as a direct result of the armed conflict, and since 1985 over 3 million people have been forced to leave their homes. In 2009, this meant that Colombia had the largest number of internally displaced persons in the world -- an unfortunate and sad statistic.
In 1996, the Movimiento de los Niños por la Paz -- Children's Peace Movement -- began. It started in small towns and cities as children met in round tables where they learned about and discussed their rights. This lead to a Nation Wide vote, by Colombian children, which determined the top 12 main rights that children should have. They included the right to life, the right to peace, and the right to a family that loves them.
One year later, Colombian adults voted to ratify the Rights defined by the children, and the movement continued to grow in Colombia.
In 1998, the movement was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Author Sara Cameron has written a book, OUT OF WAR: True Stories from the Front Lines of the Children's Movement for Peace in Colombia, that focuses on the movement and its child leaders.
The target audience is children and adults 12 years and older. It is available in SPANISH, FRENCH, and ENGLISH. You can buy the English version from Amazon:
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