Jubilee Action
Jubilee Action is an international Christian charity working to rescue and protect children of all faiths, races and cultures, facing the most serious injustices. In particular it works to safeguard children who are:
- held in prison
- subject to human trafficking
- victims of child prostitution
- recruited as child soldiers
- living as street children.[1]
Its aim is to end the cycle of abuse by helping children in three ways:
- rescuing them from immediate risk
- offering rehabilitation and support
- providing the skills, tools and education they need to realise a new vision for their lives.
Jubilee Action does this by advising and funding partners working on the ground. Their projects reach children who would otherwise be forgotten or ignored. They prioritise societies where mistreatment has become common place – through war, corruption or political motivation. And they seek to address need that is overlooked by the international community and the media. It chooses partners who are dedicated to changing children’s lives in their own communities, and it provides the seed funding that will help them become independent for the long term. In addition, its grassroots experience provides it with the facts, first-hand evidence and expertise to campaign for change on behalf of the children it works with.
Based in Guildford, a town in Surrey, UK it was founded by Danny Smith and Lord David Alton in 1992.
In 2005, they were featured on ITV News when they released their report "kids behind bars: WHY WE MUST ACT".[2] A reporter accompanied members of the charity to the Philippines to document the children being held illegally in prisons in horrendous conditions. As a result of Jubilee Action's work, mounting international pressure and widespread public condemnation, the Juvenile Justice Bill was passed in April 2006 making it illegal for children under the age of 15 to be imprisoned in the Philippines.
Notable supporters include Lord Alton,[1] Billy Connolly,[3] the family of George Harrison,[4][5] Aninha Capaldi (wife of deceased musician Jim Capaldi), Shahid Azeem and Andy Flannagan.
In 2014 the charity changed its name to Chance for Childhood.
References
- 1 2 "Killing of the Innocents". Liverpool Echo – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . 31 May 2004. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ↑ "52,000 Filipino kids behind bars". Manila Reporter – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . 15 September 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ↑ Knowles, Matthew (13 January 2002). "Connolly's cup of cheer for children facing life of vice". The Mail on Sunday – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ↑ Simpson, Cameron (21 January 2002). "My Sweet Lord back in top slot". The Herald – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ↑ "Europe at War". Sunday Mirror – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . 25 April 1999. Retrieved 20 July 2013.