Declaration of the Rights of the child

On Saturday, November 22nd Michigan Peace Team was invited to accompany a march and rally held in central park, close to the border. The rally was held in honor of the anniversary of the Declaration of Rights for the Child. Central park is in the middle of a very busy area, one side of the park is located in the business district, and the other with colonias and housing. In the morning we rode with the children on busses that went to the neighborhoods: Mexico 68, Granjas, Divison Del Norte and Primero de Mayo.

After arriving at the park the Centro de Derechos Humanos gave a presentation to the kids on their rights and the rules for the event. The children were asked to make signs and banners for the march that was going to take place. The banners varied but they were all directed towards the rights of children.


The Declaration of the Rights of the Child includes the following principles:

Principle 1
The child shall enjoy all the rights set forth in this Declaration. Every child, without any exception whatsoever, shall be entitled to these rights, without distinction or discrimination on account of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, whether of himself or of his family.

Principle 2
The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.

Principle 3
The child shall be entitled from his birth to a name and a nationality.

Principle 4
The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He shall be entitled to grow and develop in health; to this end, special care and protection shall be provided both to him and to his mother, including adequate pre-natal and post-natal care. The child shall have the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services.

Principle 5
The child who is physically, mentally or socially handicapped shall be given the special treatment, education and care required by his particular condition.

Principle 6
The child, for the full and harmonious development of his personality, needs love and understanding. He shall, wherever possible, grow up in the care and under the responsibility of his parents, and, in any case, in an atmosphere of affection and of moral and material security; a child of tender years shall not, save in exceptional circumstances, be separated from his mother. Society and the public authorities shall have the duty to extend particular care to children without a family and to those without adequate means of support. Payment of State and other assistance towards the maintenance of children of large families is desirable.

Principle 7
The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. He shall be given an education, which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgement, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society.
The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance; that responsibility lies in the first place with his parents. The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavour to promote the enjoyment of this right.

Principle 8
The child shall in all circumstances be among the first to receive protection and relief.

Principle 9
The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. He shall not be the subject of traffic, in any form. The child shall not be admitted to employment before an appropriate minimum age; he shall in no case be caused or permitted to engage in any occupation or employment, which would prejudice his health or education, or interfere with his physical, mental or moral development.

Principle 10
The child shall be protected from practices. which may foster racial, religious and any other form of discrimination. He shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men.


In Juarez, the rights of children, as well as others, are being ignored at an alarming rate. Children in Juarez face an impoverished, dangerous, and unsafe childhood from which the government can offer no protection. The violcence in Juarez is random, all sides are mixed, and no one really knows who they are fighting. The government can not offer protection because they don’t know who they are protecting and who they are fighting, or when the violence is going to happen. Some of our own neighbors our Narco’s, there is nothing we can do but say “Good morning” when we walk by. When its dark outside children must go inside, not because they have school in the morning but because parents do not want them to be taken or killed.

Every day Nina and I listen to gunfire, and know that someone’s life is being taken. Last night there was over 30 gunshots at around 4A.M in the listening proximity of our house. On Friday there was a gunfight wih around ten shots. The violence here never ends.


*NOTE* I will add pictures from the march later today.

Friend of MPT sequestered in Juarez

A young man and I (Angie) have been working in the community and with youth since my arrival here in Juarez. A member of the center recommended that I talk to him because of his involvement with the youth and adolescents in the area. He, his wife, and I all enjoyed soccer and with that he started a local soccer tournament in the neighborhood of which we live. A few weeks back on the first day of the tournament, there was gunfire in the area, and a woman was killed. Last sunday after the tournmanet had ended he was kidnapped from his home. Those that kidnapped handled negotations for his release with the family, they requested 150,000 pesos for his ransom. The family paid his ransom and he has since fled from Juarez becuase he and his wife are in so much danger. This is so sad because he and his wife are some of the most amazing people I have met, and they were friends of mine. Finding out that he had been sequestered affected not only his family, the church, but myself and the community that he works in. The kids we work with are heartbroken, and confused because it makes no sense, serves no purpose, and there is nothing they can do about it, they just lost friends of their community. The gentleman and his wife rightfully and wisely are choosing not to return to Juarez, not even to gather their belongings from their house. A very large amount of people have been taken, secuestered, or murdered, it is the reality that people around here deal with every day.

MPT accompanies representatives of four colonias

On Friday November 5th MPT accompanied representatives from four different colonias to the "Presidencia Municipal". Representatives from four colonias came together through the popular committees in order to obtain improvements for their colonias to be safer. At 1030 we met the group outside of the Presidencia where they strategized and the signed the papers dictating their requests and needs. The group is requesting the government pave their streets, clean the parks and fields, provide assistance for manual labor(i.e giving trucks for the colonia to be able to haul trash away), and many other requests the people believe to be necesssary. The group walked inside with Angie towards the front and Nina further back. 10 women, 1 gentleman, and 1 child served the secretary with the papers and asked that they be given to Teto. The sectetary gave the representatives a slip of paper with the number they should call to follow up about the issues and their requests. Overall this experience was very relaxed, and empowering for the people that we accompanied.

MPT accompanies group of Children and Teens

Tuesday night MPT accompanied a group with working youth and adolescents. At the beginning they discussed and made posters saying how they felt and what they thought about the recent murders of 14 women and children at a fiesta. They mentioned they were scared, it was bad, it wasn't right, and one girl said they killed my brother. Her 17 year old brother was assassinated as he sat outside of his house. Later in the night some kids practiced writing, others played with toys. Two girls came that do not usually attend the group; they were invited by one of the girls that assists the group. I along with others was outside of the house where kids were playing jump rope and talking. As we were talking I noticed two kids fighting, I interpositioned myself between them and asked them what the problem was. After coming to no resolution and them still wanting to fight, I tried to get them to talk with the leader of the classes. They refused and a young woman said "dont worry they won't fight anymore", I said okay, I hope your right. Ten minutes later another fight, the leader of the group came when I called for her and we got the two to calm down. As everyone was leaving a group of 6 or 7 started to walk towards their respective houses and one of the girls who had been in the previous fight, started to fight with another one of the girls from the group. I know the girl she started to fight with, and she and I have talked on many levels, I had never seen her be angry or fight with a single person. I interpositioned myself again, and walked her backwards away from the fight. The other girl kept trying to hit the girl that was with me and I ended up taking a punch in my shoulder. As I walked the girl away she clutched on to my arms like not only was she scared, but she was mad, and did not really know what to do. I talked to her and calmed her down, the woman who leads the group and I accompanied her and the kids to the hill where they would walk home just to ensure that no more fights happened. Later the woman who leads the group asked that the two girls not be invited back to the group unless they were willing to respect the rules. "This is a group for fun and education. If they want to come they can not fight or use bad language".

Overall the experience with this group was very nice, through talking with the kids I have gotten to know some of them, and they are great kids, they just live in a really rough part of Juarez. I asked them about school, what they wanted to be as an adult, what they thought about the recent murders. The kids are extremely mature for their age, and they understand the situation that is happening around them.

The pain in the reality

Sunday was the first day of the soccer tourament that I am coordinating with a gentleman from the area. Our first game started with "Barcelona" Vs. "J.O Ladies", it was a great game and we all had fun. I am the referee for the games and I never expected them to take it so seriously, its not just a game here, it matters to them. Our first game concluded with Barcelona as the victor 3-2. As our second game started between "Manchester City" and "Argentina" everyone was in great spirits. Around 10 minutes into the game, We heard gunfire that was very close in proximity. The gunfire was on the street adjacent to the field where we were playing. During the gunfire, I felt like everything slowed down, but it was moving so fast. People were running trying to get their kids away, people yelling and screaming, driving away in cars. The soccer game completely stopped and all the kids ran to the corner of the field where you could see the situation that was taking place. The gentleman, his wife, and I were calling to the kids "Venganse! Venganse!"(all of you come here, Come here). The young man I work with finally went to the corner and physically moved the kids back. When we first arrived we asked the Centro "what should we do if we see or hear something happening?". Their response was very simple, "Turn your back or they will kill you too, they will kill you for even looking". A woman came over and said something to the young man I work with and he came over and told his wife and I to sit down against a wall, I am not sure what that women told him, but it was clear that we were in danger. As we were yelling for the kids, I just happened to get our safety phone call from Michigan Peace Team. Obviously this was not a good time, I asked her to cal back later. That phone call took the last of my phone minutes and so now not only was I in an unsafe, unplanned situation, but I had no way of calling Nina who was not with me. I have to admit that I felt a lot better becuase I had the young man, and his wife there with me. Around 5 minutes passed and parents came for their kids to get them home, people were still running and yelling. We found out that a man came to kill another man, He was walking with his wife and child. When he saw that they were coming for him, he ran away and his wife was left with their child. The man shot her 6 times instead, the child left unharmed physically. When it was safer I left with my affinity team in a car, they dropped me off at home.

The Violence here is very real, but the people that are left here to fight it are real as well. The fear is paralyzing to man. That woman was killed, for reasons unknown, but no reason given could justify the taking of a life.

In the Beginning

Ciudad Juarez, Mexico





Juarez is a city of many different views given by many forms. The media has portrayed it as a city with constant drug warfare, malicious murders and kidnappings, and little love. When Nina and I arrived here in Juarez we were greeted with beautiful skies, wonderful people, and absolutely no danger. Julie took us to the Centro where we met some of the women that we would be working with for the next few months. The Centro is covered in pictures of love, and ideas of hope and a better future for Juarez. The women took us to our house where we will be staying for the next few months. A woman here in Juarez has graciously offered her space for us to use as our home. The houses here are different than in America. Our house is bright orange with a blue gate, like many of the houses here the colors are bright and many times do not match. According to people here, improvements to your home can get you into trouble with the gangs and mafia.
The neighborhoods here are divided into colonias; all of them have different styles, and reputations. The Colonia that we are staying in is safer than other Colonias. Women from the Centro took us walking on Wednesday night where we were surrounded by children playing in the streets, families walking to and from school, and people gathering to chat. Children here introduce themselves, kiss you on the cheek and ask a lot of questions, especially if you are from North America. We walked to a church where we attended a meeting and saw the presentation that Nicole has posted below. Members of the Centro are giving a presentation that represents Juarez yesterday, Juarez today, and what they foresee as the future of Juarez. They are fighting for their city and we as Michigan Peace Team members are being invited to stand with them in their struggle.

Today we are attending a conference at a university that promises to be absolutely amazing. Check out our next blog soon.

-Angie and Nina