Chapter 1: Powerless or Powerful?: Thinking Like an Activist POWERLESS OR POWERFUL? THINKING LIKE AN ACTIVIST "We''re not waiting five, ten, twenty years to take the action we want to see. We''re not the future of the world; we''re the present, right? We''re acting now. We''re not waiting any longer." Salvador Gómez-Colón, climate resilience activist, Puerto Rico You have probably noticed that life is not fair. It can make you feel frustrated and angry--even helpless--when you come across something unjust. It might be a news story about illegal elephant hunting or families separated by war. It might be something you experience close to home, like seeing smog pollute the sky, a neighbor''s dog always chained to a post, or bullying at school. Near or far, you probably wish someone would do something.

You might want to help make things better but just have no idea where to start. You might even think, What can I do? I''m just a kid. Let''s see if you''ve got your facts straight. Life is unfair. Injustice exists in the world. I''m just a kid. But there is no such thing as "just a kid." Young people from around the world are tackling problems to make the world a better place.

You can too! The job begins with thinking like an activist. THINK LIKE A WHAT? An activist is a person who fights to stop or reduce a problem. Activists also work to make life easier for those who are suffering. They understand that the way to make a difference is to take a giant difficulty and break it into smaller ones. Look at it this way--you know war is a huge issue. Can you stop countries from fighting? Probably not. Could you help people who are suffering because of war? Absolutely! You might raise money to help feed people in a refugee camp. You could collect school supplies for children in a war zone.

You could encourage others to join you. Although you might not know the best way to do these things, you can find out. Activists ask questions and play with ideas to find the best ways to help. They know problem-solving often includes these steps: practice, fail, and try again. It''s annoying to fail, right? You don''t hear a lot of people yelling, "Yeehaw, it didn''t work!" Still, activists persist. What stops them from quitting? Knowing that what they do is important. Right now, you are holding a tool in your hand. Use this book to discover the many steps you can take to be the kind of activist that makes the world a better place.

Have you got what it takes? Find out with this Think Like an Activist quizard. QUIZARD THINK LIKE AN ACTIVIST What''s a quizard, you ask? Is that even in the dictionary? Well, not yet, but maybe an activist could make that happen. For now, let''s pretend a quizard is a teeny test that can make you a wizard of wisdom on a topic. 1. An activist is a person who: (A) signs up for acting lessons (B) hopes for the best (C) takes action to solve problems 2. An activist takes a big issue and: (A) makes it bigger (B) hides under the bed (C) makes it smaller 3. An activist is: (A) a superhero with a gold cape who always knows what to do (B) a wise person with wrinkles and gray hair (C) a person who keeps trying QUIZARD RESULTS If you answered each question with C, congratulations! You''re already thinking like an activist. MEET A YOUNG ACTIVIST Aakaash Anandan Chennai is the very busy capital city of Tamil Nadu, a state in southeastern India.

Cars, trucks, and buses crowd city streets. People on motorbikes and scooters, called two-wheelers, zip around other vehicles, searching for a clear path. Accidents are common, and traffic can make it hard for ambulances to reach accident victims quickly. In 2015, five-year-old Aakaash was riding a two-wheeler with his parents. When he saw an accident occur, his mother had to explain that a young boy had hurt his head and died. She told him the child would have lived if he had been wearing a helmet.1 Aakaash could not forget what happened. He understood a simple decision could have saved the rider''s life.

Aakaash decided to take action. When people visited his home, Aakaash talked to them about why helmets are so important. He asked his friends at school to tell their parents to wear helmets too. Aakaash even began to help the Chennai traffic police. At a busy intersection called the Indira Gandhi square, Aakaash waited until drivers stopped at a long light signal. When the traffic backed up and came to a stop, he handed motorists pamphlets. They included the message, "Uncle, please wear a helmet. It is for your safety.

"2 IT''S MY RIGHT! Suppose you are a famous actor. (Maybe you are! Hello--can I have your autograph?) If that''s not you, simply picture yourself as a star working on a big-deal project. Let''s put you back in time to a film being created in 1930s California. You''re getting paid for your breathtaking talent, but because you''re a kid, your parents manage your money. You never even see it! When you turn eighteen--the age that makes you a legal adult--you ask for the cash. Uh-oh! Dear Ma and Pa spent every penny. I''m not a mind-reader, but here is my best guess on what you''re thinking: They shouldn''t have been able to do that! I have the right to my own money! You are correct. No matter how old you are, the money you earn should be saved for you.

Fortunately, in 1938, actor Jackie Coogan took his mother and stepfather to court for spending his entire fortune. This led the California legislature to enact the Child Actors Bill, also known as the Coogan Law, which now ensures that child actors'' rights are protected.3 As a result, if you get a starring role in Hollywood today, your money will be safe thanks to labor laws that better protect the rights of child actors.4 The word rights refers to things you should be allowed to have, get, or do. You should have access to the basic things you need to survive, like clean water, nutritious food, and a safe place to live. You should be allowed to get an education and basic medical care and do and experience things like other kids, such as play, share your thoughts freely, and explore your world. You should not be treated differently because of your skin color, language, or clothes. It should not matter whether you are young or old, rich or poor, healthy or sick.

Human rights are about how people treat one another. They are meant to make sure everyone has equal opportunities. Across the globe, individuals and groups work to ensure all people can enjoy equal treatment. The United Nations (aka the UN), with 193 member countries, is the largest worldwide organization dedicated to promoting equal rights. The UN did something handy: it listed all the things people deserve to have to ensure they are treated equally. These "things" are called fundamental human rights . Let''s break this down: Fundamental ? something basic and important Human ? hopefully what you see in a mirror Rights ? what each person deserves, in order to be treated fairly The UN list, called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (aka the UDHR), contains thirty articles that detail all human rights. Here''s a quick look at some of them: All people are born free and equal.

Everyone deserves the same human rights, no matter their race, color, sex, language, religion, or political opinion. No one should be placed in slavery. No one should be forced to marry. Everyone has the right to own property. Laws should treat all people equally. All children have the right to attend school. Anyone charged with an offense should be considered innocent until proven guilty. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, called freedom of thought .

5 The UN encourages all countries to use the UDHR when they create new laws, and it''s been translated into more than five hundred languages! The UN also wants to make life easier for children around the world and has made a list for kids under age eighteen called the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This document contains fifty-four articles on children''s rights. Here''s a quick look at some of them. Children have the right to: A name and nationality Healthy food and clean water A safe home Protection from harm Healthcare Be able to play and rest Go to school Express opinions Speak any language Practice any religion6 Some of these rights may sound familiar, but others might surprise you. Isn''t it obvious everyone should have a name and nationality? Why would anyone stop you from speaking your own language? Doesn''t everyone know that the same laws should apply to everyone? If you come from a place where laws exist to protect all citizens, these are logical questions. However, different countries and cultures around the world have their own traditions and ideas about how to live. For equality to exist, governments must support and enforce universal human rights.