02/16/2021
Five opportunities for children we must seize now
https://www.unicef.org/eca/five-opportunities-children-we-must-seize-now
COVID-19 is the first truly global crisis we have seen in our lifetime. No matter where we live, the pandemic affects every person – children most of all. Millions are missing out on basic health services, education and protection simply because they were born into poverty or because of their ethnicity, religion or race. COVID-19 has widened this…, five opportunities, for the world’s children revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and , five lessons, on how we can reimagine a better future for them, as reflected in the voices of young people. 1: For vaccines to work, we must build trust 2: Bridging the digital divide can help bring quality education for all 3: COVID-19 has unlocked attention on global youth mental health 4: COVID-19 does not discriminate, but our societies do 5: Climate…, 1: For vaccines to work, we must build trust, “ The growing anti-vaccination rhetoric is putting us at risk from deadly diseases that should have been eradicated completely in this day and age. No one should have to suffer from a disease that vaccines could safely prevent. No one. ” Ridhi, 20, Thailand Syringes and safety boxes, For vaccines to work, we must build trust, History and science tell us vaccines are the best hope we have of ending this virus and rebuilding our lives and our livelihoods. Yet, as Ridhi reminds us, there is a real risk the What you need to know about a COVID-19 vaccine COVID-19 vaccines will not reach all who need it. Vaccine hesitancy will have a profound effect on our ability to…, What needs to be done:, Now that the world has developed multiple COVID-19 vaccines, we can turn our attention to the long and difficult fight to eliminate this virus from the planet with equity and fairness, reaching everyone including the poorest and most excluded. Work is already being done to prepare for that day. UNICEF is a committed partner of the Advance Market…, 2: Bridging the digital divide can help bring quality education for all, “ I think this may be the perfect time for schools to listen to their students and find ways to improve their online learning facilities. Even after the pandemic passes, remote learning could be a valuable tool to making education accessible and flexible. ” Kamogelo, 18, South Africa, Bridging the digital divide can help bring quality education for all, Kamogelo is right. During the peak of school closures in early 2020, about 30 per cent of the world’s schoolchildren were unable to access remote learning. In fact, only just over half of households in a majority of countries around the world have access to the internet. These are the same children who are already unlikely to have access to…, What needs to be done:, First and foremost, governments must prioritize reopening schools and take all possible measures to reopen safely. But this great pause in learning has also provided a moment to rethink how we deliver education. UNICEF’s Reimagine education Reimagine Education is revolutionizing learning and skills development to provide quality education for…, 3: COVID-19 has unlocked attention on global youth mental health, “ Why do we treat mental health as if it’s not a big deal? Why do we say to a person in grief that ‘you are just overthinking’? Why do we stereotype people having mental illness [as] being crazy?... It is time that we set aside these stereotypes and accept that mental health is as important as our physical health. ” Tulika, 18, India, COVID-19 has unlocked attention on global youth mental health, Tulika is right: mental health is a big deal – just as important as physical health. This is especially true in childhood and adolescence, when we lay the foundations for our lifelong cognitive and learning ability, our emotional intelligence and our resilience in the face of stress. Again, the pandemic has highlighted just how vulnerable…, What needs to be done:, Young people like Tulika are calling out for support, and we need to listen to their concerns. Some governments are. In Bangladesh, Georgia and India, free phone helplines provide vital care and support for children. India’s Childline received more than 92,000 calls asking for protection from abuse and violence in the first 11 days of the COVID-19…, 4: COVID-19 does not discriminate, but our societies do, “ We must discard the belief that we're powerless and realize that we're infinitely powerful. ” Clover, 20, Australia, COVID-19 does not discriminate, but our societies do, The coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone on the planet, but it is not affecting us all equally. In too many countries, your ethnicity, your colour or your wealth, may make you more likely to suffer the consequences. For example , in the United States, African Americans represent 13 per cent of the population but roughly one fourth of…, What needs to be done:, As Clover eloquently affirms, children and young people are not powerless. We must ensure that every child has the opportunity to contribute to society and that no child is left behind, regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity or religion., , We need a renewed commitment to addressing inequality and discrimination. As Secretary-General Guterres said this year, not only do we need a new generation of Social protection social protection policies , but we must tackle deep-rooted discrimination in gender, race, or ethnicity through targeted programmes and policies. Far too many…, 5: Climate change is the other planetary crisis that won’t wait, “ A lot has changed for us since we cannot go out anymore and demand action, but that does not mean that the climate movement has been silenced…We cannot be silenced. The climate crisis is still on. It has not gone. It has not changed. ” Vanessa, 24, Uganda Black girl is holding a poster, Climate change is the other planetary crisis that won’t wait, COVID-19 has taught us that planetary problems require planetary solutions. No one suffers more from a change in climate than a child. Children are vulnerable to the changes in the air they breathe, the water they drink and the food they eat. We know children are more vulnerable to life-threatening water and food scarcity and waterborne diseases…, What needs to be done:, We must link our COVID-19 recovery and response with bold and urgent actions that address Environment and climate change climate change and protect our environment . We need government stimulus programmes that prioritize low-carbon approaches and a coordinated global approach alongside local action. We already know of solutions: making water,…, A final word..., In a public letter I wrote in 2019, I laid out my worries and hopes for the future of children and young people. Little did I know that a year on, a global pandemic would demonstrate, in dramatic fashion, how well-founded these worries would be. The bad news: As the crisis continues and the economic fallout deepens, we still have difficult days…
Европа и Центральная Азия
