The Vow

iamsilent.com
of Silence
How-to Guide
For 24 hours—beginning on March 5 at 3 p.m. EST—young people around the world will act in solidarity to give a
voice to children who have been silenced by poverty. By taking part in the Vow of Silence campaign, you’re exercising
your power to speak up for children’s rights, and spreading awareness so that others can begin to take action too. You
can also collect pledges for each hour you remain silent, and raise money to fund sustainable solutions to poverty and
related issues through Free The Children’s schoolbuilding, alternative income, health care and water and sanitation
projects.

Visit the Vow of Silence website at iamsilent.com to learn more about how you can spread the silence and to get
online resources.

Here’s how to take the Vow:

1. Learn the facts:

Why March 5?

The annual Vow of Silence campaign is held in March because in March of 1876, Alexander Graham Bell invented the
telephone, revolutionizing global communication and making it easier than ever for people to share ideas and express
opinions. While we encourage you to join the movement happening on March 5-6, you can take the Vow of Silence any
day of the year.

Why are so many children kept silent?

Some children are silenced by hunger, others by lack of education. Some are forced to work as child labourers and are
punished for speaking out against unsafe and unfair work conditions.

Check out the facts below, and then take some time to learn more about these issues. Visit the “Learn the Facts”
section on the We Generation, search the Internet, make use of your local library, and talk to your teachers, friends
and family.

• 121 million primary-school aged children are denied the opportunity to attend school. Most of these children are
girls.
• 218 million children around the world work as child labourers. More than half (126 million, to be exact) work
in hazardous conditions: in mine fields, with chemicals and pesticides, with explosives and with dangerous
machinery.
• An estimated 300,000 boys and girls are exploited by armies during times of conflict, forced to act as soldiers,
sex slaves and servants.
• Every day, 28,000 children die from poverty-related causes.

The more educated you are, the more you can teach your peers about these important issues and encourage them to
get involved. Remember: education inspires passion, and passion inspires people.
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2. Spread the silence

Let everyone know that you’re participating in the Vow of Silence campaign, so that you can start spreading awareness and raising
funds—and so that your friends know why you aren’t responding when they say “hello!”

• Change your Facebook status.

• Change your Facebook profile picture to one of the badges from iamsilent.com.
• Put an “I am Silent” banner on your webpage or blog.
• Talk to your family and friends about why you’re taking the Vow.
• Download posters and other media from the iamsilent.com Spread the Silence page.

3. Take the Vow

What does it mean to be silent? Being silent can simply mean refraining from speaking out loud. It can also mean cutting yourself
off from e-mail, Facebook and text messaging. Or you can take it to the extreme and ban hand gestures, note writing, miming and
using sign language. Determine your level of participation based on what you are comfortable with.

This campaign can be done as an individual or as a group working together. You can remain silent for 24 consecutive hours or
spend one hour a day in silence for 24 days. However you choose to take the Vow, your silence will speak to the world.
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4. Make it count
By collecting pledges for donations, you are helping to support Free The Children’s development projects and giving marginalized
children around the world hope for a better future.

Ask sponsors to pledge a donation for each hour, minute or second you remain silent, or for the 24-hour period as a whole. A
pledge form template is included at the end of this package.

You might also decide to hold an additional fundraising event, like a raffle or a bake sale, to support your campaign. For creative
ideas, check out the “Fundraising Guide” on the We Generation website. Your Free The Children youth coordinator is only a phone
call or e-mail away if you need help planning your events.

Donations can be made in the form of cheques payable to “Free The Children” and can be sent to:

Free The Children

Attn: Youth Programming Department
233 Carlton Street
Toronto, ON
Canada M5A 2L2

Make sure to include a copy of your pledge form so that donors who contribute over $10 can get a tax receipt.

5. Break the silence

Now it’s time to make your voice heard! For the rest of the year, continue to learn about children’s rights and make it your goal to
spread awareness to anyone who’s willing to listen. Keep up your amazing efforts, energy and enthusiasm, and never stop believ-
ing in your own power to change the world.

If you will be in Toronto on March 6, you are invited to celebrate with Free The Children at the Break the Silence event. Held at
MTV’s Masonic Temple, the event will feature MTV Live host Jessi Cruickshank, musician Louise Kent, Free The Children founder
and chair Craig Kielburger and more! For more information and to buy tickets, visit MetoWe.com/events/breakthesilence.

If you can’t make it to Toronto, throw your own Break the Silence party! Contact your youth coordinator to order The Spark! Your
guide to igniting social change, a comprehensive guide to hosting awareness and fundraising events.

Don’t forget to write to us and let us know all about your event and campaign. We love to hear from you!
Donation Pledge form
Vow of Silence Participant information
Name: Adopt a Village project I am supporting: Brick By Brick: Clean Water: Alternative Income: Greatest Need:
Address: Country that I am supporting: China: Kenya: Sierra Leone: Ecuador: India: Sri Lanka: Greatest Need:
Phone number:
Are you taking the Vow with your school?
Name of school:

Donor’s Full Name Full Address Phone Number Email Pledge Total Tax Receipt?* Paid?

Remember: Free The Children strongly discourages youth from going door-to-door to collect pledges unless acccompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

*Free The Children can issue charitable tax receipts for all donations over $10
Free The Children - 233 Carlton St. - Toronto, Ontario - Canada - M5A 2L2
416.925.5894 - info@freethechildren.com
freethechildren.com Canada Tax ID: 88657 8095 RR0001
United States Tax ID: 501© (3)-16-1533544
Free The Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children through
education, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and
development programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international child rights
activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has a proven track record of success. The
organization has received the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (also
known as the Children’s Nobel Prize), the Human Rights Award from the World As-
sociation of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships
with leading school boards and Oprah’s Angel Network.