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Sunday Observer Teen ‘n’ Twenty Youth club
Children’s Rights - You must voice your issues
by Charmaine Fernando
 We celebrated Children’s Day on
October 1, here in Sri Lanka. Do we let the celebrations get limited to
product promotions and special discounts? Do we have a field day on the
first of October and drop attention the rest of the year.
No one can deny a child his right for survival. But what do we see.
Children left at doorsteps or sold over unscrupulous deals to strangers.
Children are too small to realize what goes on. It’s their right to be
protected and provided with care by someone they can relate to.
Every human being under the age of 18 is legally called a Child by
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).Whether
you are a boy or girl below the age of eighteen, with or without
disability, whatever the country, language, colour, social standing,
race or religion the Governement is bound by this law to protect the
child from all dicrimination.
Every child should enjoy the privilege of being taken care of with
respect for his or her rights. All actions and decisions concerning
children should be in their best interest, to promote their welfare.
The Governments are bound to make children’s rights a reality making
the child feel happy in a child-centred surrounding. Parents and family
should work towards a child’s growth and development capacities. Once
born, a child has a right to live. No parent or elder can decide against
it for whatever reason. The survival and proper development should be
ensured by the Nation.
Every child has a right to have a name and nationality. A child has
the right to know and be cared by the parents. The State must preserve
the child’s identity. A child should not be separated from a parent
unless it’s in the interest of the child to live apart.
Children also have a right to voice an opinion, be heard and
considered in a matter affecting them. The child has a right to get and
give information, express views, has the freedom of thought, conscience
and religion guided by parents and national law. Like the adults, the
child too has the right to privacy, family, home and correspondence.
More than anything else the child has a right to be protected from
abuse and neglect and should have access to health services, especially,
primary and preventive health care, public health education that reduces
infant mortality, disease and malnutrition. Every child has the right to
benefit from social security provisions, adequate standards of living
and education. Primary education is free and compulsary to every child.
Having gone through the happy or unhappy stage of a child, you guys
over the age of eighteen are the closest to that feeling what only a
child feels. You have personal experiences of neglect, abuse,
humiliation and not been listened to. You are the best people to talk on
behalf of the child.
Voice your opinions, tell us the issues you have and what should be
done about it. Also send in your photos and details to join up the
Sunday Observer Youth Club.
[email protected]
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