Celebration of Universal Children’s Day 2017: It’s a Kids Take Over
Tuesday, 21st Nov 2017 at I-12 Camp Islamabad
Organized by SHARP-Pakistan
United Nations Universal Children’s Day was established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20th each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare. November 20th is an important date as it is the date in 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Child. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Child.
Since 1990, Universal Children’s Day also marks the anniversary of the date that the UN General Assembly adopted both the declaration and the convention on children’s rights.
Universal Children’s Day offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for Children.
SHARP-Pakistan celebrated Universal children’s day with the Refugee Children at I-12 camp Islamabad. Afghan Refugee children, teachers and the parents of refugee children participated in the event. The objective of the event was to promote and celebrate children’s rights and ensure children’s participation.
SHARP Lawyer, Taufiq Ahmed welcomed the participants and extended big thanks to school administration for their cooperation in organizing the event for the promotion of children’s rights. Children are the future of the nation and we should ensure their participation in development.
Mr. Taufiq presented an overview of the organization and highlighted the core function of SHARP-Pakistan. He mentioned that Society for human Rights and prisoners’ Aid is an Implementing partner of UNHCR and is a non-government and non-profit organization, which is working for vulnerable communities and refugees in different parts of Pakistan, through designated offices in Karachi, Lahore, Mianwali, KPK and Head office in Islamabad. Promotion & protection of the children’s rights is one of the core programmes of SHARP. SHARP-Pakistan is providing free legal Aid, advice, and assistance to Afghans Refugees and Asylum seekers in Pakistan under UNHCR mandate. SHARP envisions human rights friendly Pakistan and its team is reaching out to all the stakeholders and communities in this regard.
Mr. Adnan Chohan Program Officer interacted with the refugee children and shared that children are more important and inspiring than any other. Today we are celebrating the adoption of the UN Convention on the rights of children and I wished to speak directly with children. You are future of our planet and future peace of our world is in your hands. I am sorry that we adults let you down. Million of girls and boys are in danger. They are fleeing deadly conflicts. They are in hunger and have no medicines. They are displaced and living in refugee camps far from home — like the children I meet in Punjab, Sindh, KPK and ICT.
Many are being bullied in school, or suffer from discrimination because of their religion, the colour of their skin, or their ethnicity. And so often, they are victims of violence or exploitation at the hands of adults. All this is completely unacceptable.
So here is SHARP’s commitment to you: we will spare no effort to make sure that the SHARP is working every day, every hour, every minute, for your best interests.
Every child has a right to a safe, healthy, peaceful childhood and to develop to its full potential.
Every day, all of us at the SHARP ask ourselves: how can we work together to best support and protect you — the children of the world?
And how can we benefit from your vision and your suggestions?
How can we shape a more sustainable future that will give every child, in every society, every opportunity not merely to survive, but to thrive?
I am so glad to see so many Refugee Children getting education. I want to know what do children think? What kind of world do you want?
I want to hear your ideas and dreams for the future!
Whenever I meet children — including and especially those living in the poorest, most desperate situations, suffering terrible hardships — they never fail to inspire me with their smiles, their laughter, their vision and their hope.
He took pledge to refugee children to keep themselves clean and observe hygiene practices in daily life to have a healthy and prosperous future.
At the end, Mr. Adnan extended special thanks to principal of the school and his staff and all other participants for their support and cooperation.
