World Children’s Day takes place on November 20, the day when, in 1959, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of the Child. It was again on November 20 the day in which the UN adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The latter is the most widely ratified human rights treaty.
The point of this day is that of encouraging children to stay and play together, recognizing and appreciating the differences existing among them. It is also an occasion for the governments of the world to pay particular attention to the welfare of children. According to Unicef’s data, there are currently 385 millions of children living in conditions of extreme poverty, 264 millions of kids and young people do not attend school and 5,6 millions of children under 5 years of age die every year due to causes that could have been avoided. And Kito Onlus knows though direct experience how indeed school frequency can be put at risk because of environmental conditions and how malnutrition is still today a widespread issue in many parts of the world.
Apart from the necessary reflections upon the conditions of children and adolescents in the world, November 20 is supposed to be a fun day, made by children for children, who should take over the social media in order to make their voice heard. Regarding this, on November 16 in Italy Unicef organized a kids’ takeover at the Chamber of Ministers, within an event called “Designing policies for children and adolescents: a Country made for children”.
If you’d like to know more about children’s aspirations, the events taking place today and the celebrities and world leaders involved, you just need to use the hashtags #KidsTakeOver, #WorldChildrensDay and #KidsTakeOverSchools!
Kids from the Banilad Elementary School in Pinamalayan. Photo by Architect Anna Orlando, Kito Onlus’ Field Assistant.