This Universal Children’s Day is special for a large number of children who struggle to get a decent meal, a proper dress, and a sound education and most importantly of all- a good and secure life. If we as adults, can make one child’s life better, it would be the greatest deed of a lifetime.
Knowing about Universal Children’s Day
Every year, on November 20, the United Nations celebrates Universal Children’s Day. The day was formed in 1954 and was accepted worldwide.
The sole purpose for this day is to improve children’s welfare and to bring about a general awareness for the development and improvement of young children's life.
From 1990 onwards, the Universal Children’s Day celebrates the anniversary of the day. It is on this day that the UN General Assembly pledged to take care of the convention of children’s rights.
BRUSSELS, March 1, 2017 - Children take part in a carnival for children in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Feb. 28, 2017.
How is this day celebrated?
On this day, schools and various educational institutions around the world do take interest to make children aware of what rights they have in life.
Teachers usually also make children and students in general think of how they can improve their life. It is also a venue to discuss problems that children and young adults are facing in life on a daily basis.
This special day is widely celebrated in various parts of the world like New Zealand, Canada, and United Kingdom,
In India, there is a special day dedicated for children and that is celebrated on November 14, every year. It is also the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister Nehruji. He was lovingly called as Chacha Nehru by children.
Children celebrate during a Eid Milan programme in Patna on July 26, 2014.
Symbol of Universal Children’s Day
This is an initiative of the UNICEF and the United Nations Children’s Fund. On this day, UNICEF will contain a symbol of a mother and a child all coloured in blue with a white background.
Save the Children.
Significance of Universal Children's Day
Recently, the Save The Children has ventured in and joined hands with UNICEF to celebrate this day. Save The Children works for children and strongly advocates that each and every child on Earth deserves a good life and future.
For this, parents work hard to give their kids the best of facilities, lifestyle and education. In spite of this, there are so many children being harmed and exploited because of their innocence. Their vulnerability is out to inhuman uses and that brings grief for them in the long run.
The most affected among the kiddish lot are the orphans and the street children. They receive no protection, no good food, no facilities for safe living and also no education.
Kolkata: Children celebrate holi in Kolkata, on March 4, 2015.
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Facts about Universal Childrens Day that will make you cry:
More than 65 million children go to school on an empty stomach. This is most noticed in developing countries like Africa.
It is a pity that young girls are more exploited than boys. More than 60% of the girl population in developing countries are married off at very young ages, not educated and some even fall prey to trafficking.
In recent time, lots of children are getting misplaced due to the immigration rules and regulations. This leaves these children with no money, food and guidance. Hey often walk into wrong paths in order to fight hunger.
Some of the most affected countries are Bangladesh, China, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria.
Unicef aims to protect the lives of more than 150 million orphans around different areas of the world.
More often it has been noticed that it is the girl child that suffers more than the boy child. The girls are sent for other forms of labour, whereas boys of lower income household drop out of schools and go into the clutches of drug abuse, violence, robbery etc.
What Adults can remember?
It is easy to complain or shout at a child who does mischief, but we must remind ourselves that the society is equally responsible for looking after children of tomorrow.
If you find children in miserable or compromising lifestyles, make it a point to alert the recognized institutions that can look after children. It would save them and even improve their lives.
Also, do not dedicate this act to just one such day, rather you can protect all children every day of your life.
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