Human beings should have a peaceful situation in order to live happily with their neighbors and surroundings. According to Cambridge Dictionary peace means "(a period of) freedom from war and violence, esp. when people live and work together happily without disagreements". Peace is significant to create a better environment and better generation. Young generation plays an important role in the future. Qualified next generation will certainly make a better world. To have qualified next generation; people must pay more attention to child rights. Child rights are usually neglected by the government, certain party and family. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United States said "Human rights are what reason requires and conscience demands. They are us and we are them. Human rights are rights that any person has as human beings. We are all human beings; we are all deserving of human rights. One cannot be true without the other."

The 21^st century war began on September 11^th, 2001 when there were terrorist attacks towards the WTC building and Pentagon headquarter. The attacks of terrorist on September 11^th, 2001 will be symptoms of war between the world and the terrorist. Unfortunately, the USA accused Al Qaeda, the radical Islamic organization in Afganistan without any valid evidence and attacked the country. In fact, the victims were not only the terrorists of organization related to Al Qaeda, but they were also children of Afganistan suffering more. In other words, their rights are neglected. Based on the convention on the rights of the child, "child is recognized as a person under 18, unless national law recognize the age of majority earlier".

Child rights are often neglected by the government because those children live in poor countries or developing countries. Usually children in those countries have less education and less facility if they are compared with the children living in the rich countries. There are common problems taking place such as street children, child soldiers, the sexual exploitation of children, child labor, maltreatment in foster care, or briefly abuse of child rights.

First of all, child soldiers are used in many countries around the world. They participated in war. They shouldn’t join armed groups. They should go to school and get education. The government shouldn’t use child soldiers since they will suffer more if they are trapped in the enemy’s side. The government should give children appropriate education instead of obligation to become soldiers.

On the second place, in the developing countries many street children ask for money. It’s indeed a pity. The government should rehabilitate them in the rehabilitation centre. They should get education and housing. The problem gets worse because the government don’t want to give rehabilitation for them and the children even don’t want to be rehabilitated. In Indonesia the children are only removed from one area to another area without any rehabilitation. In the future there should be no street children anymore. The government should give more attention and the most important thing is to give them education.

Next, sexual exploitation of children is a serious problem too in many poor and developing countries. They exist because of no welfare. A chain of actors sell them to brothel keepers. Some people go to the village and tease them to work out of town. After they agree, they will work as prostitutes. The government or the people should prevent it from happening. The government should make a decision to avert them by making regulation against selling children. The perpetrators should be sentenced in death. People around the world should also raise public awareness of the devastating effect of HIV/AIDS. It will reduce the suffering the children are experiencing.

Finally labor children are also big problems in developing countries. Over 250 millions of people around the world work. They sometimes support their parents for the living cost. Parents should support them. Many of them are forced to work. Children are sometimes beaten if they make mistakes. In certain parts of the world parents sell their children to the company as they are indebt with them. We hope in the future the government should raise public awareness of education. Education will make children independent. They can work with their skills. Parents should know the importance of education and the government should also give free education instead of other interests.

To give child rights, the world leaders should think about the peace and education. No threats of nuclear weapon exist in the world or no countries has initiatives to attack any country without any prior agreement from the United Nations. It will make the children suffering more. They often become victims of the war. To create peace, reconciliation among countries should be made and maintained. Therefore, education is also significant for children. They have rights to education. Therefore, in the future they will be independent and have any kinds of skills to face their future.

This essay was made for the international essay contest 2003.