Chrismas, children and hope
This last edition before the Christian holiday, our focus is on children. Children are often seen, but not heard. Yet their voice is crucial to the development process. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have a right to participate and take an active part in decisions that affect them. Moreover, without a specific focus on children we risk missing the issues that matter to children. We also often fail to recognize the important role that children play in the development of their communities.
Human Rights and Children
The United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) first Advocate for Children Affected by War, former child soldier Ishmael Beah, has pledged to give a voice and hope to children whose lives have been scarred by violence. Mr. Beah’s appointment was announced in New York in late November 2007 to coincide with the 18th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which is also the point at which an entire generation has grown up under the auspices of the Convention.
UNICEF has launched a special ‘CRC@18’ website to raise awareness about the anniversary and involve young people in advocating for their rights. The site includes videos, educational materials and much more. Website available at http://www.unicef.org/knowyourrights/
A 13 year old girl described in her own words why Pakistan should sign the UN Charter on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She says, “We are not aiming to be heroes. This is not a competition or a war. We are just asking for our basic rights as per the UN Charter and legislation to enforce it. We want integration, equal treatment and opportunities in all walks of life; we are not looking for sympathy either. Every one remembers days like Valentine’s [Day] and Halloween, while the day of disabled people, which is a national responsibility, seems to hold importance only for the ones who are directly affected.” How true!
Full story available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=83985
Hope Initiative and Persons with HIV
HIV and AIDS have created an orphan crisis that calls for an immediate response on an unprecedented scale. By 2010, more than 25 million children under the age of 15 will have lost one or both parents to AIDS, and most of them live in sub-Saharan Africa.
While the Hope Initiative and Disability teams developed a global event on World AIDS Day (1 December 2007) to advocate for “Equal Opportunity" for people who are marginalised and excluded due to HIV/AIDS, it wants to continue to share stories of youth and adults with HIV/AIDS. For stories go to
https://www.worldvision.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.1839
Copyright Disabled Peoples' International - 2007 - All rights reserved