C-Rights (the Center for Child Rights, known in Japanese as Kokusai Kodomo Kenri Center) is a certified NPO that aims for a child-friendly society. Its website describes such a society as one where children are free from all forms of violence and can feel glad to have been born, where children are regarded as members of society and their voices are properly heard and reflected, and where children can play an active part in building a better society.
At the center of its work are promoting children's rights and its child advocacy projects. It also runs a youth group, Youth for Rights, and holds lecture series and study meetings on children's rights, and has published its fiscal 2025 annual report. It also carried out overseas projects in Cambodia and India in the past, and records of that work are available.
Under the heading "Research, Communication and Development Education on Children's Rights Worldwide," it publishes papers, contributions and reports on children's rights, and also introduces videos, books and a "World Children's Rights Karuta" card game. The site also has a page that explains the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the United Nations in 1989, and its four principles in easy language for children.
Key points
- Projects promoting children's rights and child advocacy
- Spaces for younger generations to take part, such as the youth group Youth for Rights
- A rich variety of materials for learning about children's rights, including papers, videos, books and a card game
Why this organization deserves attention
Its distinguishing feature is that it respects children as individuals with rights and values listening to their voices. It presents the "child rights approach," based on the four principles of the Convention (non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, respect for the views of the child, and the right to life and development), as a method the organization has long valued.
Because it delivers specialist information through plain language, videos and books, it is easy for both children and adults to approach. There are also several ways to show support, such as becoming a member or monthly supporter, or donating.
Editor's comment
C-Rights' work teaches us that listening to children's voices is the first step toward a child-friendly society. For adults, too, it may be a chance to look again at how we relate to the children around us.
The page "What are children's rights?" on the official website is written in easy language. Why not read it?