Children, youth and survivors’ voices
Putting the leadership of children, youth, and survivors at the centre
Children, young people, and survivors are the driving force behind Safe to Learn. Their leadership sparked this movement and their voices continue to shape it. Across the world, they are calling for one clear priority:
Every school must be a place where all children feel safe, respected, and are able to thrive.
Global evidence reflects this urgency. In a UNICEF poll with more than one million responses across over 160 countries, 69 per cent of young people said they had felt afraid of violence in or around their school and one in two young people named violence as a major concern in their community.
Safe to Learn works to make sure their voices are not symbolic – that they shape our tools, influence reforms, strengthen accountability, and drive global advocacy.
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Youth Manifesto: What children and young people demand
The #ENDViolence Youth Manifesto, created in 2018 by young people from around the world, sets out clear and powerful demands for making schools safe. These demands remain foundational to Safe to Learn’s mission.
Children’s Delegation at the Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children
During the 2024 Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Bogotá, Colombia, the Children’s Delegation announced a Call to Action.
Through in-person engagement with ministers and participation in high-level dialogues, they elevated the lived experiences and priorities of children directly to global decision-makers.
Their messages were compelling and direct:
- “Involve us in every decision, programme, and law. We are the key.” — Griselda, 17, Indonesia
- “Stand firm in your commitments so that all children feel protected and live in equality.” — Paula, 15, Ecuador
- “Together we can create a society where every child enjoys equal rights, free from violence.” — Sahadip, 16, Nepal
In their closing remarks, the Children’s Delegation emphasized the need for accountability, inclusion, disability-responsive systems, digital safety, and protection from sexual violence – issues they experience every day.
Post-conference child-led action
Following the conference, the Children’s Delegation continued their leadership through coordinated advocacy and peer mobilization. They engaged with decision-makers, strengthened participation within networks, and worked with partners – including Safe to Learn, Child Rights Connect, Together for Girls, and Joining Forces – to follow up on commitments.
Their activities included:
- Raising awareness and mobilizing peers
- Engaging with governments on commitments
- Strengthening child participation mechanisms
- Connecting with children across regions working on ending violence against children issues
- Collaborating with civil society organizations and survivor-led networks
- Developing and using tools to support accountability
These actions reflect their continued commitment to ensuring governments uphold their promises.
Pledge Keepers: Children supporting governments to keep their promises
As part of their post-conference work, the Children’s Delegation contributed to the development of Pledge Keepers, an activity pack designed for and with children to help them understand, monitor, and engage with government commitments to end violence.
The tool enables children to:
- Understand national pledges
- Track progress
- Participate in accountability processes
- Engage with ministries and leaders
- Support other children to take action
Check out the Pledge Keepers Activity Pack, a resource the supports children to remain partners in accountability — not only during global events, but throughout national follow-up.
Youth-Led storytelling: Don’t Fail Us
Creative advocacy is a powerful way for children and young people to express their priorities and demands. In the youth-led film series Don’t Fail Us, created with and through Safe to Learn and partners, young advocates from Kenya, Colombia, Viet Nam, and Sierra Leone share their experiences of unsafe school environments and call on leaders to act. Their stories reflect the harsh realities faced by millions of children worldwide — while also highlighting their strength, agency, and unwavering commitment to change. Their demands — dignity, inclusion, accountability, and protection — echo the principles of the Safe to Learn Call to Action.
The films were launched at the Transforming Education Summit in 2022, giving youth voices a global platform at a moment of worldwide focus on education and equity.
Through powerful personal stories — of bullying, discrimination, exclusion, gender-based violence, mental-health stigma, and unsafe school settings — Don’t Fail Us challenges leaders and education systems to listen, act, and transform. The film invites viewers to recognize that safe schooling is not optional: it is a fundamental right.
Survivor leadership
Survivors of violence — including childhood sexual violence — provide essential leadership in global efforts to end violence in and around schools. The Brave Movement of survivor advocates helps shape:
- Stronger prevention measures
- Safe and accessible reporting systems
- Accountability and justice pathways
- Lived experience centred policies and budgets
- Stigma-free conversations and support services
Their expertise and lived experience ensure Safe to Learn remains grounded in the realities faced by children everywhere.
How Safe to Learn amplifies these voices
Safe to Learn works closely with children, youth, and survivors to ensure their perspectives meaningfully influence policies, programming, and accountability. We:
- Integrate their insights into national reforms
- Strengthen participation in global and national platforms
- Embed their perspectives in Safe to Learn tools, guidance, and learning
- Collaborate with youth-led, child-led, and survivor-led organizations
- Support storytelling and advocacy that elevates their leadership
Children, youth, and survivors are not just contributors – they are co-architects of solutions and co-leaders in building a world where every child can learn free from fear.
