Mainz Alliance for Children's Rights

The alliance aims to raise awareness of children's rights in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and advocate their implementation. Numerous institutions are involved in the alliance and organize World Children's Day every year. In 2026, World Children's Day will take place on September 19 at Gutenbergplatz.

Why do we need a day for children's rights?

World Children's Day Mainz — Mainz Alliance for Children's Rights

Children's rights are not sufficiently respected in all countries.
Millions of children suffer from hunger and violence, many have to work and cannot go to school.
We must show that not all children are well off in our country either; many children are at risk of poverty, for example.
Every child and every young person needs recognition, protection, and the opportunity to experience a sense of belonging.

Numerous organizations belong to the Mainz Alliance for Children's Rights: Mainz Thinks Globally Agenda Office of the State Capital Mainz, the Office for Youth and Family (House of Youth), the Protestant Deanery Mainz, Flüsterpost e.V. (support for children of parents with cancer), the Mainz Child Protection Association, the Mainz UNICEF Working Group, KIM – Kinder im Mittelpunkt e.V., afemdi-projekte Deutschland, the Mainz Youth State Theater (justmainz), TheaterRaum Mainz, Mobile - Ambulanter Kinder- und Jugendhospizdienst (mobile outpatient children's and youth hospice service) and the Stadtjugendring (city youth council), the Kinder.Gesundheit.Mainz, Human Help Network e.V., and the Tagwerk Foundation.

Members of the Mainz Alliance for Children's Rights

The following organizations are members of the Alliance for Children's Rights

afemdi-projekte Deutschland e.V. (opens in a new tab)
Achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (SDGs), in particular the right to primary education for all and the right to gender equality. Project area: the north of Cameroon.
Protestant Deanery Mainz (opens in a new tab)
The adult and family education of the Protestant Deanery of Mainz and the Office for Social Responsibility and Education focus on the everyday lives of families and children. Sustainability is supported and implemented.
Flüsterpost e.V. (opens in a new tab)
Support for children of parents with cancer. Confidential, free, nationwide advice and support for open and honest discussions with children, young people and adults.
House of youth (opens in a new tab)
The HDJ is one of 10 municipal children's, youth and cultural centers in the city of Mainz run by the Office for Youth and Family. It offers events on a wide range of topics and is run on an open basis.
Human Help Network e.V. (opens in a new tab)
HHN actively promotes children's rights worldwide and is committed to helping children in need: projects in Rwanda, Uganda, Thailand and Germany offer children and young people new opportunities and prospects. They are designed for the long term and help.
Young State Theater Mainz (opens in a new tab)
justmainz offers an extensive program of productions for children, young people and families in the fields of drama, musical theater, dance and concerts. A free offer for participation for all ages.
KIM - Children at the center (opens in a new tab)
The association has set itself the goal of making life and everyday life easier for children up to the age of 12 in difficult circumstances, regardless of their national/social background. As part of a network, we help financially and provide assistance.
Child Protection Association Mainz (opens in a new tab)
The Deutscher Kinderschutzbund e.V. is the largest child welfare organization in Germany and is committed to ensuring that all children can develop according to their abilities.
City Youth Ring (opens in a new tab)
Is the voluntarily elected umbrella organization of numerous youth associations/organizations in the city. The association represents the interests of young people in various municipal committees and alliances.
Children.health.foundation.Mainz (opens in a new tab)
The Kinder.Gesundheit.Mainz foundation is committed to a healthy future for children and young people. Its goals are to improve psychosocial development conditions, preventive health care and the strengthening of children and young people.
Tagwerk Foundation (opens in a new tab)
Nationwide, development policy school campaign "Aktion Tagwerk-Dein Einsatz zeigt Wirkung": social commitment by children/young people for their peers in other regions of the world. Solidarity that transcends national borders.
TheaterRaum Mainz (opens in a new tab)
In our theater work, we combine acting scenes, read-aloud moments and free play-along sequences. We bring children into action. With us, they experience what theater is: a holistic process of seeing, playing, learning and understanding.
Grieving Parents & Children Rhine-Main e.V. (opens in a new tab)
We accompany children and young people sensitively through their grief after the loss of a close relative. We offer them space to express their grief creatively, in movement or in a quiet exchange with others.
UNICEF Working Group Mainz (opens in a new tab)
The volunteer working group supports UNICEF's worldwide program work (health, nutrition, water supply, hygiene, education, child protection, social participation) in order to realize children's rights "for every child".
Mobile - Outpatient hospice service for children and young people (opens in a new tab)
Mobile is part of the Mainzer Hospizgesellschaft Christopherus e.V. and supports and accompanies children, young people and their families with life-shortening illnesses.

Background information on World Children's Day and children's rights

Background to World Children's Day

September 21, 1954, marked the birth of World Children's Day. The United Nations General Assembly recommended that its member states establish a worldwide children's day to promote children's rights and friendship among children and young people around the world. World Children's Day is celebrated in over 145 countries, always on a different date. In Germany, September 20 was chosen. World Children's Day has become a widely recognized event throughout the country, celebrated as a children's and family festival in over 400 cities and communities.

Program World Children's Day Mainz 20.09.2025

Children's rights

Summary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 10 children's rights

The right to equal treatment and protection from discrimination regardless of religion, origin, and gender.
The right to a name and nationality.
The right to health.
The right to education and training.
The right to leisure, play, and recreation.
The right to have one's own opinion and to obtain information, communicate, be heard, and assemble.
The right to a non-violent upbringing and privacy.
The right to immediate help in disasters and emergencies such as poverty, hunger, and war, and to protection from neglect, exploitation, and persecution.
The right to a family, parental care, and a safe home.
The right to care in the event of disability.

Why do we need to care about children's rights?

UN Special Representative on Youth Ravi Karkara states:

The world has never been younger than it is today; 23% of the world's population is between 12 and 24 years old (1.6 billion people).
For this generation, life mainly takes place in cities.
Access to economic, natural, political, and social resources is a challenge for young people all over the world.
Participation as a fundamental principle of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child seems more controversial, complicated, and difficult to implement than measures for survival, development, and protection.
Effective and meaningful participation depends on many factors: the child's opportunities for development, the willingness of parents and other adults to engage in dialogue, safe places in the family, community, and society that enable dialogue, and consideration of the age and maturity of the children.
Children should not be pressured, restricted, or influenced; they should be able to express their opinions freely and not feel manipulated. People under the age of 18 do not have the right to vote and therefore cannot influence decision-making processes.
Young people must be recognized as a key resource. They are bearers of rights and responsibilities.
Young people must be informed about their right to freedom of expression and participation in decision-making processes that affect them, and they must be encouraged and empowered to exercise these rights!