YAPI History: 1996-2003

Developed a new report on the “Arguments Surrounding the Execution of Youthful Offenders”.
Co-founded the Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and Provided advocacy training programs for the CWLA on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
Co-sponsored and coordinated the “Breaking the Silence” Summit through the U.S. Campaign against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children with 30 former CSEC from around the nation (Washington, DC).
Developed resource paper on the case example of former ‘restavek’ in Haiti (modern child labor/slavery).
Met in India with Kailash Satyarthi, founder of the Global March against Child Labor, for project planning.
Celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus with guest, the Dalai Lama.
Initiated an education and outreach program on child issue areas for U.S. students, teachers, and parents.
Developed new publications “Stateless Children: Youth Who Are without Citizenship”, and “Modern Child Slavery: The Coercion and Exploitation of Youth Worldwide and distributed these to NGOs and some UN agencies.
Participated in the UN General Assembly’s Special Session (UNGASS) on Children, the International Forum for Child Welfare World Forum:” A World Fit for Children”, and the National Conference on Missing and Exploited Children White House Summit.
Coordinated the U.S. Campaign Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC).
Responded to a U.S.government request to draft legislation on the issue of trafficking children.
Participated in and secured experts for the “Under Our Wings” conference on the juvenile death penalty.
Launched website for the U.S. Campaign against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.
Secured individuals to testify at the Senate hearing on the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography.
Led in the push for the United States ratification of the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.
Served on the International Advisory Committee for Child Welfare League of America.
Consulted with numerous international NGOs, the Vatican Office Representatives on Trafficking; the Embassy of Thailand staff; the Uganda Minister of Gender, Labor and Social Development; numerous Members of Congress; members of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; and many others.
Provided research fr the United Nations Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons and developed and coordinated new report-“Case Studies on the Impact of Small Arms on War-Affected Children in Cambodia, Mozambique, and Colombia.”
NGO Participant on the 2nd World Congress against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.
Prepared research for the United Nations General Assembly- Special Session on Children (UNGASS).
Coordinated conference to co-found the U.S. Campaign against Sexual Exploitation of Children.
Established the steering committee for the U.S. Campaign against the Sexual Exploitation of Children.
Developed online issue booklets and youth gang report, entitled “Youth Gangs: Crashed and Burned Early.”
Developed a new publication- “Discrimination Against the Girl Child: Female Infanticide, Female Genital Cutting, and Honor Killing.”
Provided Discrimination Against the Girl Child books to Members of Congress, at their request, to assist in the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Created the Execution Action Alert Network to prevent and eliminate the execution of youthful offenders.
Selected to recruit and train the US youth delegates for the ECPAT International Youth Conference.
Designed and Presented “Implementation without Ratification: CRC” at conference in Sydney, Australia.
NGO Participant in the United Nations Conference on Women: Beijing+5 “Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century”.
Organized a rally with Amnesty International against the trade of conflict Diamonds in Sierra Leone
Provided Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) workshops with NYAP state affiliates.
Participated and assisted in the national and international work of the Child Rights Caucus.
Hosted child care workers from Russia, China, Ukraine, South Africa, Western Sahara, Argentina, and Jordan.
Developed new publications- “Children and the HIV/AIDS Crisis: Youth Who Are Infected and Affected” and “Children Behind Bars: Youth Who are Detained, Incarcerated and Executed.”
Lobbied for and succeeded in the ratification of U.N. International Labor Organization (ILO) 182.
Organized Summer Citizenship Program in Washington, DC for youth.
Coordinated “Challenges of Palestinian Youth in the New Millennium” international conference in Bethlehem.
Led a study tour for NYAP leaders to the West Bank and Gaza Strip to meet with youth service organizations.
Developed new publications: “Child Labor: Exploited and Abused Youth at Work”, ” A Right World: Helping Children Understand the CRC, Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: Youth Involved in Prostitution, Pornography, and Sex Trafficking, “Child Soldiers: Youth Who Participate in Armed Conflict”.
Co-founded and served on the Steering Committee of the US Campaign to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.
Co-sponsored a symposium on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at Georgetown University.
Joined the Child Labor Coalition (CLC) to positively affect outcomes of national/ international youth decisions and served on the U.S. Coordinating Committee of the Global March Against Child Labor.
Helped establish the U.S. Alliance for the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Created and distributed a 1999 wall calendar on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Produced two YAP International Reports- one on U.S. farm worker children and one on the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the United States.
Provided assistance to a local organization in South Africa to create its own Youth Advocate Program.
Supplied equipment to an educational program working with Afghan refugees.
Coordinated a study tour for NYAP to investigate and examine youth issues in China.
Co-sponsored the national NYAP conference and secured attendance of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Created a report on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) sent to 2,000 organizations.
Led on the U.S. Coordinating Committee for the Global March Against child Labor, to highlight child labor issues.
Published a quarterly newsletter on national and international youth issues sent to partners and subscribers.
Participated in the Second World Congress on Family Law and the Rights of Children and Youth.
Hosted youth organization staff from Tajikistan, Ghana, and Sri Lanka to discuss future exchange programs.
Conducted an educational staff exchange program in South Africa.
Palestinian Youth Service Program, a job-training and educational program for youth in the West Bank and Gaza Strip was formally started and recognized by the Israeli and Palestinian governments.
Conducted training sessions and workshops on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to educate youth workers around the United States.

YAPI History: 1996-2003

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