We're glad that you're interested in writing for newspapers and magazines about kids' needs and rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Here are some ideas on how to begin:
Read up and become informed on the issues. Head into your local library. If you want, we can send you a bibliography and some informational material for the cost of xerox and mailing, around $5.00.
Decide where you'd like to begin. Do you want to write and article for your school newspaper? A letter to the editor of your local paper? A kids' editorial? A letter or a short piece for your favorite kids' or grownups' magazine? By the way, you can find many magazines in your local library. Inside of each is advice on where to submit your writing.
Think about what you would like to say and the best way to say it. You might want to first write about how hard things are for kids in every country of the world, about how the United Nations Convention can help kids, and what people can do to help ratify and enforce the UN Convention, and in that way, how they will be helping kids everywhere. That's one way to go about it but you might have very different ideas. It's important that you, as a writer, say what you have to say and say it in your own way. (If we can help you get your facts together, or tell you how people can write letters, circulate petitions, etc., please let us know).
When you first write, don't worry about grammar, spelling and punctuation. Write without worrying about these things till your second or third try.
Read what you've written outloud. Have you left anything out? Does it sound good to you? If you want to make changes, do it now. And now you can check to see about punctuation, spelling and grammar.
Show it to your friends, your family, your favorite teacher. Get their ideas and make new changes, if you agree with them.
When you're satisfied that you've got the best possible article you can write, send it off to the newspaper or magazine with a short letter telling the editor that you'd like him or her to consider it for publication. Keep a copy for yourself in case it gets lost. And enclose a stamped self addressed envelope. In case the editor decides not to publish it, your article can be sent back to you. (Don't be discouraged if that happens. Almost every writer gets letters of rejection regularly.) You can read your article over and over again, rewrite it a bit if you want to, write a new cover letter to the next editor and send it on to another publication.
Good luck. Please let us hear your ideas and send us your articles. We can share them with one another.