The 20th of November marks the Universal Children’s Day
20 November 2017
The 20th of November marks the Universal Children’s Day
“The Smile of the Child” honors the 20th of November and continues its struggle for the protection of all children in Greece and beyond
Athens, 20 November 2017
Today is Universal Children’s Day, celebrating the anniversary of the proclamation and the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly on November 20, 1989. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding text on the rights that all children should enjoy, setting the fundamental values and principles for their protection and wellbeing.
Despite the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the challenges for the protection of children in Greece and across the world remain. According to the European Commission, 16,000 children die every day, mostly from preventable or treatable causes. Every five minutes a child dies as a result of violence in their homes, schools and communities. Around the world, girls and boys are victims of sexual abuse, deprived of education and living in poverty, whereas worldwide 50 million children have migrated or are forcibly displaced today.
“The Smile of the Child”, committed to the vision of its 10-year-old founder, Andreas Yannopoulos, for the protection of all children, serves the values and principles of the UN Convention and stands by every child in need or at risk, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The actions of 22 years have resulted in making a difference for more than 1.300.000 children, victims of any form of violence, children living in poverty or threatened by poverty, missing children, and children with serious health problems.
At the same time, “The Smile of the Child” shares its experience and good practices with organizations and actors from across the globe constantly struggling in Greece and beyond for the improvement of the living conditions of children and the development of a protection net in cooperation with all the competent authorities that will target the real needs of children and their families. The Universal Children’s Day is a day of struggle for all children, however the care for and protection of children in practice requires constant efforts on a daily basis. We usually say that children are the future of a better world.
Nevertheless, we should not forget that children are the present. They are the present that we need to ensure for a better future across the world.
