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Know your rights - and claim them

Book cover

Know Your Rights and Claim - Jointly written by Amnesty International, Angelina Jolie and Geraldine Van Bueren QC © Amnesty

“We can stand up for our rights once we understand them. This book is a guide for every child and young person who believes in liberty, equality and a better world for all.”

Malala Yousafzai

About the book

If you are aged under 18 you have your own set of human rights. Child rights are unique freedoms and protections designed for you. Governments should uphold them but all across the world they are violated. Know Your Rights and Claim Them gives you the knowledge and tools to claim your rights. It introduces them and explains why they matter in the real world. From gender and racial equality, to your rights to free expression, health, a clean climate and a sustainable environment, these rights belong to you.

Know Your Rights and Claim Them celebrates the difference young activists have made in every corner of the world, and shows you how to challenge injustice wherever you may find it. It provides advice on peaceful protest, how to navigate the law, raise awareness at school and in your community, start your own campaign and get those in power to listen, plus vital guidance on staying safe.

These are your rights. It is your right to know and claim them.

'Children are the future. This is the perfect book for young people who care about the world and want to make a difference.' Greta Thunberg

‘I have read this book twice, and it is an essential item not only on my bookshelf but on my course reading list. I cannot express with enough emphasis how brilliant this book is, how I wish I had it as a young person and how I hope that all young people have access to it wherever they are.’ Hans Svennevig, Teaching Citizenship magazine, summer 2022

Further resources

To accompany the launch of the book, Amnesty International has developed a 90 minute online course called "An Introduction to Child Rights", available on Amnesty's Human Rights Academy.

You can also download the learning resource below which has activities you can use with students when exploring the book. 

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