Amylin Rose Thomas, a 17-year-old American-born Keralite, had the unique opportunity of the Opening Remarks at the 2021 Day of General Discussion before the United Nations Committee on the rights of a child as a representative of the US. Hailing from Philadelphia, she stays with her parents and brother and her parents happen to be Jose Thomas and Merline Augustine from Pala, Kottayam. Her brother Immanuel, a nine-year-old, is a child with severe special needs which is the driving force behind her passion and commitment to be a strong advocate for children’s rights. In her speech, she spoke from the perspective of a sister taking care of a child with alternative care in her home.
Here are the excerpts from the interview she shared with NRI Vision.
Tell us about the experience of delivering the opening address for the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child?
Recently I got the opportunity to be the opening remark speaker representing the children advisory team at the UN general discussion on children with alternative care. I am a member of the children’s advisory team for the past two years to help and develop agenda for the state general discussion. I also mentioned my little brother Immanuel during the opening remarks. When I was given this opportunity, I was shocked that they have chosen me as the speaker and I don’t think I have ever realised the magnitude of power I held until the day. I never thought I will be giving a speech to 500 participants. It was shocking to see that number of people on one screen, one place. I was a little nervous as I am the only child to speak at the opening section. But, I was extremely honoured to be speaking after the UNICEF leaders and other leaders of various organisations. It was wonderful to hear feedback and to be introduced by the Chairperson and overall an unforgettable experience.
Why did you specifically choose Indian attire for the speech?
My dad helped me decide what to wear. I was thinking about who am I representing, not only America, as a voice for children with special needs. But I am also a Malayalee, and it was only apt to bring my culture into the presentation. So, I thought it would be perfect to wear a churidar, an Indian attire, that beautifully represents my culture.
How did you get the opportunity to be a part of the UN speech?
This was not just an opportunity that landed in front of me, it was something I have been working for a long time. A few years ago in the summer before my first year of high school, I went to the summer writing retreat in a university in New York as I got a post scholarship for this programme for a week. I was the youngest there and I wrote a lot of pieces about my young brother Immanuel, about his special needs and many dramatic things that happened in our lives and how they have affected me. The professors took note of my communicative skills and they were astonished at the information I shared in these emotional pieces. They kept in contact with me and provided me with an opportunity to apply for a position on the children’s advisory team. I was selected as one of thirty members of the team representing the United States. After working with this team I gave a lot of feedback, was a participating member, a good speaker and shared my opinions. When they saw my interest and inclination towards child rights they provided me with an opportunity to speak as an opening speaker representing the team.
What do you wish to say to the NRI youths?
There are so many NRI youths all around the world here and the main thing I want to say is that no matter in which corner of the world you are in, you should stand up for children’s rights. Often we expect adults, teachers or parents to stand up for children but sometimes we have to be the person who stands for ourselves or the children that we meet. Because we know what we deserve and each child should receive the same amount of respect, education, medical care and love in general. Speak up when you see any injustice towards children and be an advocate for them. Also, try to represent your culture as much as you can. Irrespective of the population I am surrounded by, I try to showcase my culture by indulging in an Indian dance form for a school talent show or sharing Indian food with my peers.
Who is your greatest inspiration?
My greatest inspiration is Kamala Harris, our Vice President of America. My strong love for her grew during the election time when I realised that she had a really strong chance of being one of the first female leaders of America. The fact that she is also an Indian-American just empowered me. I would love to meet her one day to share some stories of being an Indian-American and to know about her journeys and plans of being the Vice-President.
What all changes you would like to implement if you get an opportunity to work on the issues faced by the children?
Given an opportunity one of the main things I would like to change is the stigma around children with special needs. All around the world, people think that they can’t do anything about these children but these children have many desires and talents as well. People should change the fatalist attitude be more compassionate towards these children. Then I heard about the situation in Afghanistan where during a war or any other humanitarian crisis children get separated from their parents. This is another issue I would like to address by implementing a law that ends the process of separation, no matter what the case is. Also, I want to ensure that every child in the world is provided with food, drink and love.
