Join hands for child’s rights, Fiji told

November 21, 2009 09:57:59 AM

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The matter of child rights is not something that can be left in the hands of legislators and the organisations that work to promote it, says Save the Children Fiji, chief executive officer Chandra Shekhar.

Addressing more than 60 guests at celebrations at the Funds headquarters in Suva yesterday to mark the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Shekhar said child rights has to be everyone’s responsibility.

“The family has to conform to it to ensure the growing and nurturing environment of the child is peaceful and harmonious,” said Shekhar.

“Similarly the extended family and community have to support and commit to it. Then only the work of others will become meaningful.”

Shekhar said preaching the rights of child to children was no solution as the adult population had a major role in it.

“The mutual understanding, appreciation of the concept and interfaced communicative understanding between the child and the adult will make a difference,” he said.

He said questions had been raised about whether Fiji was ready for the concept of child rights.

“The answer is yes as child rights are not something that we may decide to accept and acknowledge or not. It is an inherent right of a child and is no difference from what the parent would like their children to have at all times.”

The University of the South Pacific’s head of the School of Government, Development and International Affairs, Professor Vijay Naidu, said the concept of child rights was not new but needed to be understood better.

“This is the day for us to commit ourselves and uphold the rights of the child and be the ambassadors to advocate for it. Join hands to keep our children safe and cared for,” Naidu said.

Five children from Suva’s Holy Trinity Anglican Primary School were also part of the celebrations.

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