On 1-3 April 2009, London will chair the G20, a forum that brings together systemically important industrialised and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy. Save the Children have created the ‘Children’s Charter’ a collection of messages from young people across the globe, to be delivered to world leaders, including Gordon Brown and Barack Obama, at the G20 meeting. These messages are reminders to the governments involved about every child’s basic human rights to education, healthcare and safety.
Wieden + Kennedy London have partnered with the Shacklewell School in Hackney to take part in the activity for the Save the Children’s Children’s Charter. The agency briefed a group of 20 school-kids who make up ‘The Discovery Group’ where the children are encouraged to challenge and stretch themselves in different ways; emotionally, socially, academically and personally. They were asked to devise their own creative statements and messages in response to the question ‘what should every child in the world have?’ They produced a series of artworks and plays – which have been edited together to make an entire film suggesting areas for change and improvement.
Shacklewell School Drama Therapist Jodie Cariss said, ‘It’s such a wonderful opportunity for this lovely and diverse group of children to have the chance of working on such an important and meaningful project. They are very keen to share their views and this has given them real focus and incentive. Keeping kids engaged with global situations involving children is fundamentally important for the future and their voice is refreshing and honest”
Sam Brookes, Head of Client Services, Wieden + Kennedy said ‘“Working with the incredibly talented ‘Discovery Group’ from Shacklewell School to give children their voice and help Save the Children petition for children’s rights, has been the most rewarding and valuable way we can help support our clients’ challenges. This approach is powerful and gets to the heart of their campaign and we hope we can do more of this in the future.’
At 1pm on Tuesday 17th March, the children came to Wieden + Kennedy to introduce and present the film to the office, friends of the agency and representatives from Save the Children. Hackney MP Diane Abbott will be visiting the Shacklewell School in the next two weeks to meet the children and collect the film to present to Gordon Brown before the G20 commences – a goal that was worked and hoped for throughout the project.
Save the Children Head of Communications Joe Barrell said, ‘The world economy is in crisis. Children are being hit first and hardest. As global leaders meet to build a new economic order, they must not forget the world’s poorest children. Save the Children wants as many young people as possible to follow the pupils at Shacklewell Primary’s fantastic example by adding their voice to our campaign and urging the G20 leaders to act’.