The 20th of November Universal Children’s Day was established by the UN in the year 1954. It is celebrated globally in order to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide and also for improving children’s welfare. It is an important date as on this date the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. However, we (India) and some other countries such as Australia chose various different dates during the year to celebrate Children’s Day.
Universal Children’s Day is a day to patronize and promote the rights of children. Children’s rights aren’t any special rights or different rights, they are the fundamental human rights. A child is first a human being who is entitled to be treated just the same.Nelson Mandela rightly said, “Safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.”
We must ensure that children are protected from any form of exploitation. Child trafficking has spread its roots deep into the society today. Proper and severe measures need to be taken in order to curb this heinous crime and steps must be taken to restore the dignity of the innocent lives that have survived this atrocity. Advocacy campaigns must be launched to help protect vulnerable children against exploitation. Public policy and training also need mass support. Awareness training should be conducted in schools so that children can learn about safety and gather the courage to report if they see any suspicious activity. Creative ways are the need of the hour to protect the children and improve law enforcement to prevent other children from exploitation and being trafficked.
The world needs to give its best to the children of today. We must improve the odds for every child and provide them with an opportunity to rise above any form of prejudices and pitfalls. We have to ensure their protection against predators and abuse, to fight off disease, ignorance, malnutrition, and shame. It is our fundamental duty to make efforts driven towards making children safe, educated, well-nourished and empowered. As adults, it lies upon each one of us that we advocate, promote, and celebrate children’s rights in order to build a world where every child is in school, safe from harm, and can attain their potential. We must invest in a bright future, and CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE.
