Universal Children's Day - 20 November

[Pap]

Children's Day is celebrated on various days in many places around the world, to honor children globally. It was established in 1954 to protect children working long hours in dangerous circumstances and allow all children access to an education. The UN General Assembly recommended that all countries should establish a Universal Children's Day on an "appropriate" day. Major global variants include a Universal Children's Day on November 20, by United Nations recommendation.


I don't wanna grow up.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCjokrhNXCE

[pandora]

The children...
thanks for the thread Pap and most especially Donald, forever young.

Just a few Pooh quotes...


“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh


“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.”
Winnie the Pooh

Ah yes playing 'Pooh Sticks' from long ago

[redrock]

In view of this, maybe a little reminder of some of their basic rights. The whole Convention is too long to post but below are the basics.

"The Convention sets out these rights in 54 articles and two Optional Protocols. It spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. Every right spelled out in the Convention is inherent to the human dignity and harmonious development of every child. The Convention protects children's rights by setting standards in health care; education; and legal, civil and social services."

What can we do? Naturally look after our children/our family but also lobby our governments to ensure that basics such as health and education are met without any hesitation - for all in our country.

What about the 'other' countries - the 'other' children? Those that are exploited for our vanity - those with tiny fingers stitching beads and beads on the top you will be wearing at your next party, ruining their eyes and their health. Or those in sweat shops making the clothes you want to buy cheaply. Those in the factories making the fabric for these clothes, the shoe industry, carpet industry, etc. They breathe in noxious fumes, dusts, are prone to accidents, do not get an education.

We are enabling this. We can help 'correct' this too. Source your goods ethically. OK.. so it means a bit of research and a bit of your time but is a child's life not worth your few minutes of 'hassle'? Support one/several of the many organisations that work towards child welfare and that do make a difference.

I'm not even going to mention the children that are being sexually exploited and traded.....

It's not sweet and rosy, all about pooh bear and piglet, princesses, etc. It's reality and that hits a lot harder - much more difficult to contemplate, isn't it?

Though we should actively 'work' on child welfare and rights every day, an official day like this may draw our attention to what it's really about.

[Pap]

The children...
thanks for the thread Pap and most especially Donald, forever young.

Just a few Pooh quotes...


“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh


“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.”
Winnie the Pooh

Ah yes playing 'Pooh Sticks' from long ago

The wisdom that Pandora can give away!...

In view of this, maybe a little reminder of some of their basic rights. The whole Convention is too long to post but below are the basics.

"The Convention sets out these rights in 54 articles and two Optional Protocols. It spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. Every right spelled out in the Convention is inherent to the human dignity and harmonious development of every child. The Convention protects children's rights by setting standards in health care; education; and legal, civil and social services."

What can we do? Naturally look after our children/our family but also lobby our governments to ensure that basics such as health and education are met without any hesitation - for all in our country.

What about the 'other' countries - the 'other' children? Those that are exploited for our vanity - those with tiny fingers stitching beads and beads on the top you will be wearing at your next party, ruining their eyes and their health. Or those in sweat shops making the clothes you want to buy cheaply. Those in the factories making the fabric for these clothes, the shoe industry, carpet industry, etc. They breathe in noxious fumes, dusts, are prone to accidents, do not get an education.

We are enabling this. We can help 'correct' this too. Source your goods ethically. OK.. so it means a bit of research and a bit of your time but is a child's life not worth your few minutes of 'hassle'? Support one/several of the many organisations that work towards child welfare and that do make a difference.

I'm not even going to mention the children that are being sexually exploited and traded.....

It's not sweet and rosy, all about pooh bear and piglet, princesses, etc. It's reality and that hits a lot harder - much more difficult to contemplate, isn't it?

Though we should actively 'work' on child welfare and rights every day, an official day like this may draw our attention to what it's really about.

Food for thought. Thank you redrock.