Know Your Rights And Claim Them

I wish I had read this book when I was 13. Actually, I wish every school had a mandatory class built around it.

Most people assume "human rights" are abstract principles only lawyers, politicians, or UN officials care about. This book proves the opposite: your rights matter the moment someone violates them — and it’s almost always too late if you don’t know what they were in the first place.

That’s why this isn’t just a “nice” book. It’s a necessary one.

What it actually teaches:
This isn’t some vague motivational talk about “believing in yourself.” It’s a practical toolkit — grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — and broken into three parts:
• Know your rights (education, safety, free expression, protection from abuse)
• Understand your rights (how systems of power uphold or violate them)
• Claim your rights (activism, communication, public speaking, safe resistance)

It walks through real case studies and examples from around the world, and doesn’t shy away from harsh realities: abuse, manipulation, trauma bonding, structural oppression, or failed institutions. It balances hope with hard truth.

Memorable takeaways I highlighted:

• Rights are not automatically protected — they’re claimed, defended, often painfully earned.
• “Oppression is a power system that keeps privilege for those in dominant groups.”
• “You have the right not to feel like this. You have the right to be listened to.”
• Education without trained teachers or safe facilities isn’t really education.
• Activism doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it’s quiet, strategic, and slow — but still powerful.

Why it matters to me:
Growing up, I had to learn most things the hard way. My environment didn’t encourage asking questions, challenging power, or speaking out. This book helped me connect dots I didn’t have the vocabulary for as a kid. It also reminded me: rights aren’t given, they’re guarded.
I took notes like I was prepping for a UN debate. Not because I want to be a politician — but because I don’t want to stay ignorant.

Who should read it:
• Young people, obviously.
• Educators, mentors, and anyone who works with youth.
• Anyone who believes they’re powerless.

Because as the book reminds us:
“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”

And that’s exactly what this book does.