Los Dias de los Muertos
Remembering the Children of Latin America
By Joe Hudson '10Features Writer
This coming weekend is Los Dias de los Muertos, or the Days of the Dead. Celebrated throughout Latin America, the holiday brings families together to pray and remember former family members and loved ones. It is also a time to remember Latin American history, and the current and former abuses that have taken place. By reflecting upon the present social inequity that exists throughout the region, we can assist children and their struggle for civil rights.
At their annual meeting last December, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reflected on the present state of Latin American children and the terrible civil rights abuses to which they are currently subjected. The relief organization recognized the incredibly dire conditions of youth in Latin America, estimating that 80,000 children will die as a result of domestic violence. UNICEF additionally projects that another two million youth will be subjected to commercial sexual exploitation, and another six million will experience severe abuse. These staggering statistics have rightfully motivated UNICEF and similar organizations to promote child rights throughout Latin America.
In 1989, Latin America collectively ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. By passing this bold and novel legislation, the region officially and publicly recognized the dire condition of children throughout Latin America. The legislation signaled a significant reaction to the crimes being committed. It officially illegalized "violence, exploitation and abuse against children – including commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and harmful traditional practices." Yet although technically guaranteed, these rights fail to be fully provided or enforced. Nineteen years since the adoption of internationally recognized child oriented civil law, social inequality still persists. Latin American children are still struggling for justice.
The persistent violation of children's civil rights and ineffectiveness of judicial enforcement is directly related to the legal documentation and registration of children in Latin America. Plan International estimates that one in six children born in Latin America are not recognized by their respective countries. Many families are too poor to pay for legal documentation that would formally register their children, leaving many without an official identity. Approximately two million Latin American children each year are born into a society where they exist outside the purview of the laws designed to protect them. An extreme example, according to Plan International, is Paraguay, where it is estimated "that only 30% of boys and girls are registered during their first year of life, [and] for the remainder, they simply don't exist as citizens." Without birth certificates, these "invisible" children are denied basic liberties such as education and healthcare. Those children, who are often in the most need of public support, therefore, are effectively denied access to social programs and other benefits granted to their legal peers.
We at Hamilton should recognize that economic globalization and regional policies have the ability to exacerbate poor social conditions in other countries. We as Americans have the ability to influence governments to make greater social investments, such as child documentation, in return for continued U.S. economic investment. We should all recognize the plight of Latin American Children, and help work for justice.