Raising Our Voices: Universal Children's Day

On Universal Children’s Day in November, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 10th anniversary of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. These anniversaries are an important moment for the international community to take stock of the progress made on children’s rights and ramp up efforts to ensure that all children grow up with dignity, security and respect.

30th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international agreement that protects the human rights of all children. Thirty years ago, world leaders committed to uphold the Convention to end child neglect, violence and discrimination and to ensure every child receives care and protection to grow and thrive.

The Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children outline standards of care and protection for children who have lost or risk losing the care of their parents. The Guidelines help advance the realization of the rights of children who live in alternative care or in families at risk of separation.

These anniversaries provide an opportunity to celebrate what SOS has achieved in furthering children’s rights globally, and highlight the plight of the millions of children who are neglected, abandoned, abused, orphaned or on the move, and call attention to the protection of their rights.

Universal Children’s Day at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

SOS Children’s Villages Canada partnered with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to celebrate Universal Children’s Day on November 20, 2019, with children from local Winnipeg schools, and SOS supporters and friends.

To start off our celebrations, local school children were invited to learn more about their rights through activities in the museum’s galleries. The museum welcomed over 80 children in Grades 4 to 7 who also learned about the importance of human rights around the world.

A private reception was also held at the museum where local and national dignitaries, including the Honourable Senator Patricia Bovey, Deputy Mayor Markus Chambers, MLA Janice Morley-Lecomte, Mrs. Pallister, MLA James Teitsma and others, met with SOS supporters and Dirk Glas of SOS Mexico. We were honoured to have Mr. Glas, National Director of SOS Mexico, share stories about the impact of SOS Children’s Villages work for vulnerable children and families in Mexico.

EQ3 President Mark Letain also spoke at the reception, announcing the new partnership with SOS that will support various SOS Children’s Villages around the world.

The students and reception guests gathered in the Stuart Clark Garden of Contemplation for the closing ceremonies to end Universal Children’s Day at the museum. SOS Children's Villages Ambassador Regina Nyamekye shared her story about growing up with the support of SOS Children’s Villages in Ghana and SOS Canada President and CEO, Mr. Thomas Bauer, presented the official launch of the 'There's No Place Like Home' photo exhibit.

To end the programing, Senator Bovey and Mr. Bauer led an interactive discussion with the students on the importance of children’s rights. The students got the chance to share what they thought were important rights that all children deserve and what they learned during their day at the museum.

The Universal Children’s Day event was presented by EQ3, an SOS premier corporate partner, to honour and celebrate these important milestones for children’s rights globally.

Global Affairs Canada Roundtable: 30 years of Child Rights and the Unfinished Agenda

To celebrate Universal Children’s Day and the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), SOS Children’s Villages Canada was invited to speak at a roundtable event co-hosted by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the International Child Protection Network of Canada.

The event, 30 Years of Child Rights and the Unfinished Agenda: Protecting and Empowering Children in Conflict and Fragility, brought together GAC staff and members of the development and humanitarian community.

The discussion was moderated by a representative of the International Bureau of Children Rights (IBCR) with panelists from Save the Children Canada, SOS Children’s Villages Canada and World Vision Canada. The panelists provided their insight and discussed the progress made over the past 30 years to advance the rights of children in fragile and conflict affected states, as well as the critical gaps that remain.

SOS Children’s Villages Canada’s Director of International Programs, Marc Bonomo, spoke about the grave challenges facing unaccompanied and separated children, drawing on examples from SOS’ work in Syria, Iraq, Colombia, and Central America.

The event also highlighted the rising number of grave violations against children in armed conflict, and the need to give children a greater voice in humanitarian response programs and the peace building process.

Canadians wishing to support human rights and help vulnerable children are encouraged to sponsor a child, sponsor a Village or make a one-time donation. Your support will change the lives of orphaned, abandoned and other vulnerable children. Please help today.