“The Pilgrimage of the Monkey King for the Rights of Children”
Date: February-March 2010.

Purpose of the journey:
To promote, throughout workshops, talks, radio and TV interviews, among children and Educators, Facilitators, and youth in the region of Central America and Canada, the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Children, its deep values, meaning, obstacles, solutions, perspectives, facilities and possible applications in our every day life.

To share to Canadians, the experiences, knowledge, obstacles, challenges, dilemmas and solutions children can envision here and in the rest of the hemisphere, in order to enjoy and improve the quality of their human rights.

Goal:
To offer free workshops and talks to groups of children, teenagers, students and educators from Non Governmental Organizations, in all and every country (in Canada and Central America). To offer to national governments in the region, a free copy each, of the friendly version of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Children: “Colour your Rights (only for those children by heart)”, as a gift from Canadian children to children in the region.

Route and Countries to visit in this order (first part documentary film):
Panama
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
Honduras
Salvador
Guatemala
Belize

Organizations involved:

Non Governmental Organizations Network Universal Great Brotherhood (Red de Organizaciones No Gubernamentales Gran Fraternidad Universal). This a network of non-for profit organizations that promote holistic health and the development of human consciousness through the promotion and practise of several disciplines and activities such as: yoga, meditation, Tao Te Chia, Pilates, Capoeira, naturism, alternative medicines, social, cultural and educational activities. It has several centres and ashrams across the Americas, in Spain, Italy and the U.S.

Latin American and Caribbean Network for the Defence of Teenagers, Boys and girls, (Red Latinoamericana y Caribeña por los Derechos de las Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes) this is the leading organization in the Americas and the Caribbean that reviews and follows the international commitments made by governments at the UN on behalf of children. It denounces, studies, proposes and presents the negotiations in order to fulfil the spirit of the Convention on the Rights of Children in the region.

Regional organizations that work, directly, on behalf of children:

Panamá: Red Nacional de Protección a la Niñez y la Adolescencia en Panamá.

Costa Rica: Coalición de ONGs para el seguimiento de la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño, Aldeas Infantiles SOS Costa Rica and Unión de Instituciones Privadas de Atención a la Niñez.

Nicaragua: Federación Coordinadora Nicaraguense de ONGs que Trabajan con la Niñez y la Adolescencia.

Honduras: Red Institucional por los Derechos de la Niñez.

Salvador: Red para la Infancia y la Adolesencia

Guatemala: Coordinadora Institucional de Promoción por los Derechos de la Niñez y Movimiento Social por los Derechos de la Niñez y la Juventud.

Belize: NOPCAN.

This journey will be photographed and filmed by Carlos David Santamaría Ochoa, photojournalist, Bachelor ‘s Degree in Public Relations, Masters Degree in Social Work , Lecturer at Tamaulipas University and winner of the Journalism National Award in México.

Carlos’ Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela