On November 14th India celebrates children’s day. Please help support our cause to raise awareness of children’s welfare and their right to care, nutrition, and education.
November 20th marks World Children’s Day, when the League of Nations at the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. In 1959 the original declaration of the rights of the child included ten principles:
1) The child shall enjoy all the rights set forth in this Declaration. Every child, without any exception whatsoever, shall be entitled to these rights, without distinction or discrimination on account of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, whether of himself or of his family.
2) The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.
3) The child shall be entitled from his birth to a name and a nationality.
4) The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He shall be entitled to grow and develop in health; to this end, special care and protection shall be provided both to him and to his mother, including adequate pre-natal and post-natal care. The child shall have the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services.
5) The child who is physically, mentally or socially handicapped shall be given the special treatment, education and care required by his particular condition.
6) The child, for the full and harmonious development of his personality, needs love and understanding. He shall, wherever possible, grow up in the care and under the responsibility of his parents, and, in any case, in an atmosphere of affection and of moral and material security; a child of tender years shall not, save in exceptional circumstances, be separated from his mother. Society and the public authorities shall have the duty to extend particular care to children without a family and to those without adequate means of support. Payment of State and other assistance towards the maintenance of children of large families is desirable.
7) The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. He shall be given an education which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgement, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society. The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance; that responsibility lies in the first place with his parents. The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavour to promote the enjoyment of this right.
8) The child shall in all circumstances be among the first to receive protection and relief.
9) The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. He shall not be the subject of traffic, in any form. The child shall not be admitted to employment before an appropriate minimum age; he shall in no case be caused or permitted to engage in any occupation or employment which would prejudice his health or education, or interfere with his physical, mental or moral development.
10) The child shall be protected from practices which may foster racial, religious and any other form of discrimination. He shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men.
In addition to the ten original principals, recent U.N. initiatives have also included:
– teaching environmental concern;
– focus on child labor to include: slavery, child prostitution, and child pornography;
– children of armed conflict suffer physical and psychological trauma and should not be recruited and child soldiers, prohibitions on killing/maiming of children, abduction of children, attacks on schools/hospitals and not allowing humanitarian access to children;
India’s Constitution specifically mentions the following children’s rights:
- Right to free and compulsory elementary education for all children in the 6-14 year age group
- Right to be protected from any hazardous employment
- Right to early childhood care and education
- Right to be protected from abuse
- Right to be protected from the economic necessity to enter occupations unsuited to their age or strength
- Right to equal opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner
- Right to freedom and dignity and guaranteed protection of childhood and youth against exploitation
Although World Children’s Rights day is celebrated on November 20th, in India November 14th coincides with the birthdate of India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. PM Nehru is quoted for saying: “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country.”
On this day, people are encouraged to distribute gift items that include clothes, toys, books, food, and chocolates to children.
About BDF
Building Dreams Foundation (BDF) is a recognized non governmental organization (NGO). BDF promotes the social development of disadvantaged children and communities. Our NGO’s mission is to serve the most vulnerable populations in India. We focus on Food, Education, Environment and Empowerment. BDF helps people to help themselves grow. Our goal is to transform students’ lives through the mediums of music, art, technology, and academic studies. We prepare students for adult life to become productive members of society who serve as role models who inspire others within their communities.
Building Dreams Foundation could not exist without your generous financial support. Please visit our website – https://BuildingDreams.org.in
We encourage individual donations and seek corporate sponsors and grants. Help us end poverty and hunger.
See our press release: https://www.prlog.org/12846688-help-bdf-celebrate-childrens-day-bal-diwas-on-november-14th.html