ABSTRACT
Ecuador was the first country in Latin America and the third country in the world to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 1990, a diverse network of organizations working on the rights and well-being of Ecuador’s children was established to push for compliance with the convention. Considering that Latin Americans have been at the forefront of the global struggle for children’s rights, this chapter analyzes the progress they have made toward safeguarding these rights and promoting the well-being of the region’s youngest inhabitants. In 2010, young people between the ages of 12 and 17 gathered for a youth conference in Quito, Ecuador. Some were members of a broad-based coalition. Erika Ibanez observed that the goal of youth mobilization was to push the state to recognize that children and teens have the “right to voice their opinions”. The chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
