Surely you have noticed that, on the calendar, throughout the year there are "days of..." everything you can imagine: to the now classic Father's Day, Mother's Day and even Grandparent's Day, Worker's Day, Pride Day, and the also important days dedicated to highlighting the fight against certain diseases, various anniversaries have been joined, which sometimes are nothing more than anecdotal but other times are of great importance for what they represent.
Since at ASALVO we are dedicated to the world of children and our purpose, as we have told you on many occasions, is nothing more than to help you and your little one in their first months, today we are going to talk to you precisely about the day of that little person who has become the center of your life. We are going to talk to you about some historical aspects of that day and celebrate CHILDREN'S DAY with you.
In reality, and internationally, Universal Children's Day is celebrated on November 20. This day is celebrated to commemorate the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which took place in 1959, and the most recent approval of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989. On the sidelines of this international day, the United Nations General Assembly urged each country to dedicate a calendar day to promoting the rights of children in their country, organizing activities to promote their well-being in all areas. In Spain it is celebrated on April 26, and those of us who make up the ASALVO team on this day want to congratulate your little one and you, indirectly, on this day. We are going to dedicate this week's posts to Children's Day: in the first, even though the month of November is far away, we are going to comment on some aspects included in the cited texts, and in the second we are going to congratulate your little one by showing you what items we have in our catalog designed for their well-being.
Within the UN, as a specialized agency, UNICEF is in charge of ensuring the content of the texts approved and recognized internationally by many countries, of helping children and their families. Sometimes from the comfortable and calm first world, we think that many of these things do not concern us. It is in our best interest to remember them because it is an act of solidarity and a wake-up call that reminds us that not far from where we live there are brutal wars, famines and abuses towards the most defenseless, which are children. We are going to collect here some articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which we find interesting to highlight due to their general nature and the validity they may have today:
- Article 3. In all measures concerning children taken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, a primary consideration shall be the best interests of the child. Every day we see in the press selfish attitudes of fathers and mothers who seek to put their interests before those of their children. It is important that we all demand the neutrality of the competent bodies and the correct application of the legislation with the sole purpose of ensuring that the interest of the minor prevails.
- Article 11. States Parties shall take measures to combat the illicit transfer of children abroad and the illicit retention of children abroad. The media also report the worrying increase in fathers and mothers who move illegally with their children to deprive the other parent of their rights.
- Article 16. No child will be subject to arbitrary or illegal interference in his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, or to illegal attacks on his or her honor and reputation. This point is perhaps one of the most topical points in the first world, where social networks and other forms of communication represent a flagrant breach of this article, often with total impunity and often with fatal consequences. It is up to all of us as parents to ensure the correct use of these tools without interference, but with a sense of responsibility.
- Article 23. The States Parties recognize that the mentally or physically handicapped child must enjoy a full and decent life in conditions that ensure his or her dignity, enable him or her to become self-sufficient, and facilitate the active participation of the child in the community. The rights of children are widely defended in this text that we are commenting on, but we as a society must all pay special attention to children with physical or mental disabilities. They are the most vulnerable part of our society.
- Article 24. The States Parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to services for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall endeavor to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right to enjoy these health services. Sometimes we have told you about the importance of children being in the hands of appropriate personnel for everything related to health. There are too many false messiahs and health-related gurus!!!Trust the health professionals in our country, who are among the best in the world.
- Articles 28. Every child has the right to education and it is the obligation of the State to ensure at least free and compulsory primary education. The application of school discipline must respect the dignity of the child as a human person. If health is important, education is no less important. Although it may seem incredible to us, there are still families in our country who need monitoring by the authorities to guarantee that their children are enrolled in school. Education from the early stages allows for comprehensive training, and prepares one to assume a responsible and free life.
- Article 21. The States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to play and recreational activities appropriate to his or her age, and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.. There are societies that seem to forget that children are children, and not miniature adults, and with jobs and activities that do not correspond to their age, they considerably curtail their subsequent development.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child, whose articles we have cited, is the most universal treaty in existence, and in general establishes the rights of boys and girls in all countries in relation to life, health, education, the right to play, family life, protection and non-discrimination. We invite you, as a new mother or father, to spend some time reading it.
(https://www.un.org/es/events/childrenday/pdf/derechos.pdf).
Today you have allowed us to get a little more serious, because the occasion requires it. Whether we celebrate Children's Day in April or November, the commitment of all levels of society to upholding the rights of children is important. You as parents and we as a company are part of this society. And at least we are convinced of our role.
