Acción por los Niños (Action for Children)

When Save the Children-Sweden decided to promote children’s rights in Perú, it founded Acción por los Niños. Today, it is the Peruvian NGO with the most success in changing national and local policies.

Acción understands politics and political science well, and it understands that the government is not the only important political actor. As such, it lobbies the federal government but also works with local schools, the church, civil society, and city governments.

Acción's work with the COMUDENAs is one good example of how national change can occur outside of the government. COMUDENAs are local committees of concerned citizens; they advise the City Defender, a government post that works to insure compliance with human rights. Acción por los Niños trains members of the COMUDENAs to exercise effective pressure, to recognize violations of children’s rights, and to find solutions. It also pressures governments to listen to their advice.

In the schools, Acción promotes student councils, a new idea in Perú. Through Acción’s training, lobbying, and pressure, 5000 schools have now implemented student councils. Acción now wants to give these councils more power -- for instance, by electing a student representative to the COMUDENAs.

Acción also works through the courts and in Congress. It attempts to improve laws on abuse, child labor, and sexual abuse.

Child labor has become the source of a violent debate in Perú. Since Acción wants to represent the interests of many NGOs, it does not take a position on the legitimacy of child labor. Instead, it finds common ground between all participants, then encourages the Congress to take action. Such common ground has included scholarships for vocational training, training schools how to teach working children, and building health centers for working children.

Acción’s web page is a resource for NGOs, students, and journalists. Acción also publishes its research and does bimonthly polls on the attitudes of Perú’s children.

Acción por los Niños
Av. Universidad 274, La Molina.
Lima 41, Perú

349-5010, 349-5013

Director Ejecutivo, Sr. Jaime Jesús Pérez
Alicia Soto Venturo, Secretaria Ejecutiva

postmaster@accionporlosninos.org.pe

http://www.accionporlosninos.org.pe