For those of us born within the last 20 years, our generation is the first generation to be born into a Canadian society where the Convention on the Rights of a Child was already firmly ratified and established.

I am convinced we can change the lives of kids by paying attention to them. When we find ourselves in positions of policy or government or influence, we can be their voice to stop violence from happening to millions of children every year in our cities.

In Canada, we need to find ourselves thankful for government leadership, and those who are trying to build upon the convention with Canadian laws to protect our children. For example, Conservative MP Joy Smith has been fighting hard to pass Bill C-268, a bill to put mandatory minimums on anyone caught trafficking minors in or through Canada. Recently, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson tabled Bill C-58, which would make it a legal requirement for anyone who provides web services to report if someone on their server is posting child pornography. These are opportunities to applaud the government.