The beginning of our story
A small group of friends comes face to face with an incident of abuse against a minor and while looking for a way to intervene, stumbles upon the UN International Convention on the Rights of the Child, which -8 years after its ratification by the Greek State (N2101/1992)- remained largely unknown in Greece. The group makes it their goal to make the Convention known, disseminate it and lobby so that children’s rights are respected.
Ombudsman for the Child
The above group expands and becomes the Initiative Group for Children’s Rights, which starts to take a more holistic approach with regards to these specific rights. In fact, in its first Declaration, it stresses the need for establishing an Ombudsman for the Child and begins to take relevant action.
Ombudsman for the Child
The above actions bear fruit. Greece gains an Ombudsman for the Child!
The Group becomes a Network
The Initiative Group takes legal form. With Mirsini Zorba and 79 other founding members coming from different fields (teachers, writers, artists, journalists, academics and others) the non-profit organization Network for the protection of Children’s Rights is founded. During the course of its history the organization is rebranded to Network for Children’s Rights (NCR) while many prominent personalities pass from its Board of Directors, among them Thanos Mikroutsikos, Georges Sari, Loti Petrovitch and others.
Το βιβλίο Έ! Φίλε
NCR began to develop, with the aim of promoting children’s rights and nurturing a love of literature.
The first actions for and with children
NCR realizes its initial actions directly supporting children. It undertakes and offers services for the socialization of children living in the Shelter of Unaccompanied Minors Applying for Asylum of the Child Care Association.
Through different eyes
The catalogue Seeing the World through Different Eyes (Anatolikos editions), created by NCR in 2010, is a book/tool which, even up to this day, continues to be of use to teachers, parents and generally anyone who wishes to speak to children about diversity and their rights through literature. It includes 170 children’s books with a synopsis of their plot but also the subject/rights they discuss.
In the UN
NCR is part of the relevant NGO delegation which presents itself in Geneva, before the appropriate UN committee, the Alternative Expo of NGOs for Children’s Rights in Greece (2002-2009). Since then it has actively taken a stance in every legislative initiative related to children’s rights.
Our home!
Το Εργαστήρι Πολιτισμού ήταν η αρχή. Στην πορεία το Δίκτυο θα επεκταθεί σε επιπλέον χώρους για να προσφέρει σε περισσότερα παιδιά ποιοτικές δράσεις και υπηρεσίες: Κέντρο για το Παιδί (2015, Φρουραρχείο Αθηνών), Κέντρο Δημιουργικής Απασχόλησης (ΚΔΑΠ) “Το Δίκτυο στην πλατεία Τράιμπερ” (2016), Εφηβικό Δίκτυο (2017), Ομάδα Παιδικής Προστασίας – CPU (2018), “Ζήσε το Πάρκο [Αντώνης Τρίτσης]” (2021).
In 2012 NCR acquires its first workspace and names it the Culture Lab. It can be found in Alkamenous Street 11B close to Larissa Station. Before starting its operation, schools from all over the neighborhood are invited to the space and children get to express their ideas and wishes about its function mode and configuration. The first book shelves are installed for the children’s library (which today are brimming with over 8000 book titles), a piano (for education or just to play your own tune), expandable tables (for classes, handcrafts and other creative activities, which can easily be set aside to free up space for games and dance), but also games, board games, puppet shows and many others!
The Culture Lab was just the beginning. Later on, NCR will expand to other spaces in order to offer quality programs and services to even more children: Centre for the Child (2015, Athens Frourarcheio), (KDAP) Creative Centre “The Network at Traiber Square” (2016), Youth Center (2017), Child Protection Unit – CPU (2018), “Experience the Park [Antonis Tritsis]” (2021).
Campaigns
At NCR, we are known for our campaigns! Since 2013, NCR has instituted the organization of two campaigns aimed at raising awareness and promoting children’s rights on the occasion of the International Children’s Rights Day (November 20th) and the International Children’s Book Day (April 2nd). These campaigns take place annually and, aside from raising awareness, they encourage and facilitate collaboration between different institutions with children as their topic of action.
Member of Eurochild
NCR strongly believes in collaboration and teamwork; aiming to be part of serious collective initiatives whose goal is the promotion and protection of human rights.
One of the most important among such initiatives is the European organization Eurochild, an “umbrella” of organizations from all over Europe that stand up for children’s rights. NCR has been a part of it since 2014.
Quality Islets award
The Quality Islets award that was awarded to NCR by the President of the Republic as a recognition of its efforts and its path so far
About Us
The Network for Children’s Rights acquired non-profit organisation status in 2004, but actually began as an informal action group four years earlier with the aim of raising awareness of problems relating to the righs of children and interceding in order to solve them. It encourages initiatives and actions to ensure that the UN International Convention on the Rights of the Child is implemented in Greece, to guarantee respect for diversity and to put an end to discrimination. Its members are teachers, parents, university lecturers, authors, artists and children who work on a voluntary basis both within and outside the school community. They carry out surveys, campaigns and programmes.
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+30 210 8846590
diktio@ddp.gr
