Did you know that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, with the lone exception being the United States? (CRC) Or that the United States also operates the largest immigration detention system in the world, holding an average of more than 67,000 people in custody on any given day? (HRW) While at the same time, 25 states have enacted bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, disrupting access to necessary healthcare for more than 100,000 young people nationwide? (HRW)

These issues represent a failure to uphold the fundamental rights of children and young people around the world. This year, STF is launching our new Demanding Our Rights action plan so STFers can take on all three. STFers will:

• Educate themselves and their peers on how children's rights are upheld and violated around the world;
• Examine the issues most directly affecting youth today, including violations against immigrants in detention facilities and access to gender-affirming care; and
• Engage their school communities in advocacy that supports the human rights of people under the age of 18, domestically and abroad.

Use the resources from the Demanding Our Rights toolkit, including the CRC, Dignity in Detention, and Gender Affirming Care toolkits, to get started today.

Ever onward for human rights!
STF Team: Kristin, Naila, and Nathend