Uzbek children join hands in participation, rights protection and riding rollercoasters
Tashkent, Uzbekistan - 2 June, 2008 Around one hundred children from every region in Uzbekistan have come together in Tashkent. They have all won an essay competition on child rights and they are here to better understand these rights and to make their voices heard. This is the very first National Children’s Forum in Uzbekistan. Organized by UNICEF, the You Are Not Alone Foundation and the Children’s Fund of Uzbekistan, the forum is a key element in the Government’s Year of Youth action plan. It also closely coincides with international child protection day. The forum is inaugurated by two Deputy Prime Ministers, the Minister of Education and other senior officials. All adults and children alike agree that children’s participation must be a keystone of society across the entire country. Here the children receive the skills they need to ensure their rights. They are also making friends and having fun. “These children, who are attending today’s forum, are the future leaders who will shape the country and social economic policies. They are becoming architects of a better future for themselves and other children.” said Mahboob Shareef, UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan.
Over the first two days, the children learn new ways to draw adult attention to their universal rights; the right to live in a family environment, to quality education, to equality of opportunity and more. They visit the Senate building and they meet with Senators. On day three, they visit the UNICEF office. They interact with staff and learn about UNICEF’s work. Through games, led by UNICEF Peer Volunteers, they enhance their knowledge of children’s rights. Then it’s off to an amusement park to ride rollercoasters, share jokes and eat ice cream. In early 2008, the Uzbek Parliament adopted the law on the Guarantees of the rights of the child. For everyone, this was a great step forward. For the kids in the forum, it provided food for thought and thoughts of greater participation. The children shared their thoughts on a child friendly version of the law. This will be discussed further during the summer session of the Children’s Parliament, before being printed and disseminated throughout the country. At a meeting convened by the children from State institutions, a declaration on the rights of children in care was created. And all children contributed to an action plan to share their new knowledge and with friends, parents, the wider community and government officials, including the Deputy Prime Minister. The discussions are enthusiastic and many ideas are born, shared and developed. It becomes clear that the children will be the eyes and ears on child rights implementation in Uzbekistan. Said Sergei Shelest, a boy from the orphanage in the Kashkadarya region, “I learned a lot during the Forum and met new friends and interesting people», The most exciting part was turning adult language on the law into child friendly words we could all understand. Now I feel I have a lot of responsibility and I will continue my work back home.” By Bobur Turdiev and Matthew Taylor in Tashkent
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