Universal Children’s Day

Today is supposed to be the day when everyone with the rest of the world promotes international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.
On the United Nations’ calendar, Nov 20 is an important date.
It is the date in 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Many children in PNG may not even know about this day because those responsible to make it feature prominently have failed to make it count. The universal message is ‘Children are taking over and turning the world blue’.
It would be nice to have blue colour around school areas, and even businesshouses to support it with various activities planned to mark the day.
Some may ask, why blue?
The one colour is about worldwide unity to raise awareness for everyone to work together and build a world where every child is in school, safe from harm and can fulfil their potential, and we know you do too.
Countries who speak different language will speak the same message through the blue colour today.
For the first time last year, Government allocated money to child protection under the Lukautim Pikinini Act.
For the first time in Papua New Guinea, Department of Community Development hosted the Children’s Inaugural Forum under the theme ‘Let’s give voice to our children’.
It was the first one and by law that this forum had to be held.
The next one will be next year.
The Lukautim Pikinini Act 2015 calls for a biannual forum for our Children to give them a voice.
All issues affecting us also affect our children, but many times our children are unable to speak so the forum is to make them part of the discussions.
The children discussed school fights, drugs/alcohol, social media and, of course ,their understanding of domestic gender violence.
Now we go back to sustainability, and hope to hear on the progress of the various issues discussed.
Frameworks such as the sustainable development goals have to be developed.
They should include a specific target on ending violence against women and girls, offer huge promise, and must be adequately funded in order to bring real and significant changes in the lives of women and girls.
There must be collaboration with all stakeholders to establish an amicable solution.
People must be empowered and transformed.
This is an attitude problem constructed and crafted by cultural and traditional practices and beliefs, thus, there is possibility that this issue will perpetuate.
This is the responsibility of every Papua New Guinean, but the vast majority of us have manifestly failed to fulfil our duty.
All of us are culpable to different degrees, ranging from turning a blind eye to those heinous crimes, not speaking out against them or leaving the problem to be dealt with by parents, teachers, guardians, police, social workers or counsellors who are already overwhelmed.
We all have to do more.
We all have to be watchful, protective and speak out about what we know or observe.
Collaboration is the way forward to addressing this issue.