Youth Manifesto: What children and young people demand
The driving force behind Safe to Learn
Highlights
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.
We demand: Take us seriously
We demand that our parents, guardians, schools as institutions, policymakers, and communities recognize our essence of being, our equality, our right to dignity, our right to exist in harmony in environments that are free of violence in all its forms. We demand that where violence may exist it must be addressed with the required urgency, without placing the burden on the child.
We demand: Establish clear rules
We demand the protection and prevention of all forms and levels of violence in schools, which should be governed by clear rules, regulations, and action plans to enable reform and recourse for a safe learning environment for all.
We demand: Make laws restricting weapons
We demand that policymakers pass and implement laws restricting the presence and use of any objects as weapons in schools, including but not limited to guns and knives.
We demand: Ensure our safety to and from school
We demand safety on our journey to and from school. We don’t want anyone to harm us in any way. We also demand to be protected by the law and punishment for the lawbreakers.
We demand: Provide secure school facilities
We demand safe learning environments, including buildings and grounds, playing fields, and fixed equipment. We want hallways, classrooms, and bathrooms with gender-neutral options to be adequately lit. We expect security measures like gates, cameras, and properly trained security personnel where appropriate. School staff and students need instruction about what to do in the case of an emergency.
We demand: Train teachers and counsellors
We demand that teachers and counsellors undertake ongoing training and be able to identify, respond to, support, and refer learners who are affected by issues of school-based violence to appropriate services. Training should equip teachers and counsellors to be emotionally intelligent, to deal with inclusivity and diversity issues, and to provide positive discipline for all children.
We demand: Teach consent and respond to sexual violence
We demand that all schools teach all students, regardless of age, gender identity, sex, disability, religion, race, and sexual orientation, to respect one another’s physical and sexual boundaries. All schools must provide accessible and reliable means of reporting cases of sexual harassment and assault (be it physical, psychological, emotional and/or verbal) as enshrined within school governing documents/policies, which must be inclusive.
These demands continue to guide Safe to Learn’s strategy, tools, and advocacy — ensuring that young people’s expectations for safety, dignity, and justice remain at the center of our work.
