Universal Children's Day 20th November 2012

A Bright Future
Universal Children’s Day
20 November 2012

The United Nations (UN) have declared the 20^th of November their annual Universal Children’s day.   World Leaders want primary education for every child in the world by 2015 – so, as they point out, we need to get cracking!

It was back in December 1954 that the UN suggested that governments around the world celebrate the day and promote their future objectives in whatever way they think will make a difference.

UNICEF (The United Nation’s Children’s Fund) makes a huge difference to children all around the world every year. This includes launching a group giving a voice to victims of conflict.  This is a group created by young people with first-hand experience of these horrible situations.  They tackle childhood disease and try to make the world a better place for children who literally have nothing.

Children's Day 2009 saw UNICEF sign outlines to improve children's rights everywhere, and launch a 24-hour TV coverage.  I think it was around that time that I thought about sponsoring a child that I do through PLAN, one of the child sponsorship charities.  We sponsor a dear little chap from Haiti delighting in the name Neufranny who sends us letters and up to date photos every so often. Without our sponsorship he wouldn't be able to go to school.  But the thing I like the most about this sponsorship that it is designed not just to help Neufranny, but also to aid his village as a whole with a lot of community based projects being sponsored with donated money. 

If you're a teacher, it would be a great idea to dedicate lessons on the 20^th November to showing the kids how differently children live in developing countries.  As a parent, highlighting what they wouldn't have if they lived in some of the world’s most deprived regions might help your own children appreciate what they do have!  They might not realise that children in other less wealthy countries do not have even the basics for life, like food and clean water, let alone the things that are beginning to populate Santa lists about now, for Christmas. You can do it in a way that is easy and fun to understand.  After all educating the next generation is the way to ensure a better world for everyone. 

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Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio