Children are the Future of the World
Summer has come with its own good news. If the first day of summer gave us pleasant rays of the Sun, then today we are rejoicing twice. In fact, the first day of summer begins with a significant holiday - the celebration of the International Children's Day.
International Children's Day is one of the oldest international holidays. It should be noted that International Children’s Day is annually celebrated around the world. The occasion is the best day to ensure the well-being and respect for the rights of all children. This holiday is especially important for child’s rights. It encourages all of us to reflect on the achievements made on behalf of children. International Children’s Day is one of the oldest international holidays. It is celebrated annually on June 1 in different parts of the world as an initiative for children’s well-being and rights. The decision to hold it was made in 1925 at the World Conference on the Welfare of Children in Geneva. In 1949, a congress of women was held in Paris, at which an oath was made to fight tirelessly for a lasting peace, as the only guarantee for the happiness of children. In the same year, at the Moscow session of the Council of the International Democratic Federation of Women, in accordance with the decisions of its 2nd Congress, today’s holiday was established. And a year later, in 1950, on June 1, the first International Children’s Day was held, after which this holiday is annually held. Subsequently, the holiday began to be celebrated annually around the world. World Children’s Day is celebrated every year on November 20, because on this day in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. As an international document of the United Nations, the Convention contains universal standards that States must guarantee for every child. The Convention was signed by 196 countries, making it the fastest and most widely accepted agreement in the field of international human rights in history. Undoubtedly, the International Children's Day is designed to focus the attention of the world community on the health, upbringing and education of children. In this way, since then, the UN has considered the protection of the rights, life and health of children as one of the main directions of its activity. This holiday has its own official flag. On the green, the colors of life, multi-colored children's figurines are depicted, which symbolize the diverse world, as well as the tolerant attitude of people towards each other. They carelessly circle around the globe – their common home. Children's Day has its own traditions. Children’s Day is a reminder to cherish the infectious laughter and boundless joy that children bring into our lives.
As we all know that children are bright of the country and they are also the future of the world. They are going to be the leaders of tomorrow and will make choices that will directly affect our generation. Children are the valuable asset of the nation and only hope of the tomorrow. The love and care that we show and give to our Children today, disregard of their social and economic status, will bloom and determine the fate of our country tomorrow. Children’s day celebration is a tribute to this idea.
The International Children’s Day is also widely celebrated in Turkmenistan. The protection of children's rights is a mandatory requirement of many international documents and resolutions, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Turkmenistan has acceded. Considering that this Convention provides for the fundamental rights of children, including the right to life, the right to full development, the right to protection from harm, the right to protection from abuse and exploitation, as well as the right to participate in family, cultural and daily life activities.
Turkmenistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1994. Since then, UNICEF has been cooperating closely with the Government of Turkmenistan to achieve positive reforms in the lives of children in areas such as health, education, life protection and child protection, as well as in the climate change system. It should be noted that Turkmenistan cares about children’s health and their future. Children's Health and Rehabilitation Center named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, which was built and put into operation by the initiative of our Hero Arkadag, and the Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in the city of Arkadag are clear evidence of our country's care for children. Here, it should be noted as our Hero Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said: “The Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was established for the purpose of social protection of young Turkmen citizens and creating conditions for their happy life, educating them in the spirit of patriotism and humanism, as well as providing assistance in restoring the health of children in need of care”. Emphasizing that great importance is also attached to the protection of children, ensuring their physical, intellectual and spiritual development, and family support, and our Hero Arkadag focused on the need to expand the scope of Foundation’s activities.
In this regard, traditionally in Turkmenistan various events for children are held by the state and public sectors of the country on this date. It is celebrated with lots of activities (related to children to build them ideal citizens) everywhere in our country. Many competitions are organized in all spheres, regarding children health in every aspect like physically, mentally and morally.
It should be noted that in the congratulatory letter sent by our esteemed President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on the occasion of the international holiday says: “One of our main goals is to educate our younger generation to be healthy, happy, patriotic, virtuous, brave and honest people, which is an important condition for the sustainable development of our country.” As in Turkmen proverb says, “Bal süýji, baldan-da bala süýji” that a child is the greatest treasure in a person's life. It is the first stage of life which we enjoy in whatever we love.
Chemen BAYRIEVA,
Senior teacher of the Department of World Languages
of the Institute of International Relations
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan