The
Young People in the Media (YPM) in collaboration with stakeholders in child
protection with support from UNICEF recently organized a daylong Inter-School
Drama Competition for Lower and Upper Basic Schools.
Inter-School
Drama Competition was part of commemoration activities for the Day of the
Africa Child with a local theme “Role of Children in Peace Building” held at the Marina International School Hall
in Fajara.
Speaking
at the ceremony, the Executive Coordinator of Young People in the Media, Abdou
Jatta, who doubles as UNESCO GAPMIL Global Youth Ambassador, noted that the
role of children in peace building was in line with the DAC Global theme.
He
said the Global theme was the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for children
in Africa: Accelerating protection, empowerment, and equal opportunity”.
Jatta
added that the inter-school drama competition focuses on unity, peace-building,
nationalism, democracy and tribalism related to children towards
peace-building.
He
further expounded on the general
objective of the DAC celebrations in 2017 which was aligned with
Agenda 2063, noting that the AU Committee of expert developed and
adopted Agenda 2040 formally
known as “Africa’s
Agenda for Children:
2040 Fostering an
Africa Fit for Children”.
“It
centers around aspiration
6 of the
continental Agenda 2063, an
Africa whose development is
people-driven, relying on
the potential of
African people, especially its
women and youth,
and caring for
children by focusing
on children and
youth as the drivers of Africa’s sustainable development.”
For
her part, Fatim Badjie-Sinyan, Vice Chairperson Board of Director of YPM, said
since 1991, when the Day of the African Child was first initiated by the
African Union, it was set aside to honour the students who claimed their right
to education and paid dearly with their lives in Soweto, South Africa on 16
June 1976.
Mrs
Badjie noted that this has become an opportunity to examine progress towards
health, education, equality and security for all African children.
She
explained that advocacy day such as DAC further advocate for children, to hear
from children themselves, and encourage policy makers to do the same and act.
“We
know that in the past, African governments had committed to peace building,
yet, meaningful child participation in the affairs of state, community and
family have been rare,” she said.
She
added: “This is an occasion for everyone to acquire a better understanding of
meaningful child participation and peace building so that we promote and
practice truly meaningful child participation towards peace building.”
Hence,
with the Day of the African Child being celebrated across the African
continent, issues of immediate and pressing concern would be tabled.
UNICEF
Child Protection Specialist, Mr Eustace Cassell, highlighted the four major
rights of children according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC).
Such
rights, he said, are right to health and thrive; education and development,
protection from violence and practices and abuse, and participation in
decision-making.
“Your
roles are very pivotal in the implementation of all these rights,” he told the
participants.
Mr
Cassell further expounded on the political repressions many children directly
or indirectly suffered from abuse, violence, neglect and discrimination.
He
reaffirmed UNICEF’s continued support to partner with global and local
stakeholders in this process to ensure that peace-building initiatives that aim
at using children as agents of change at the school and community levels.
The
Director Department of Social Welfare, Madam Fanta Bai Secka, expounded that
accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunities for children in
The Gambia could not be achieved without nurturing the culture of peace and
nonviolence amongst children.
She
emphasised that peace not only comes from being able to contribute the best
towards creating a world that supports everyone but it is also securing the
space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they
are.
