World Children’s Day – A call to action
November 20 marks World Children’s Day and an amazing 100 years since the Declaration on the Rights of the Child. It feels like an important moment for reflection, says Children in Scotland’s Chief Executive Dr Judith Turbyne.
It might be easy to get a bit disillusioned about children’s rights, when we see so many examples of those rights being violated by war and conflict around the world. Every day we see horrific pictures coming out of Gaza. But we could talk about Ukraine, or Sudan, or Yemen or Haiti or many other countries where conflict has been stitched into the daily reality of children, young people and their families. And, of course, where there is conflict, food insecurity, famine and disease are never far behind. Furthermore, the violence has a wider impact – almost like a pandemic – infecting both those close and far away with anxiety and insecurity.
Such violence can create feelings of powerlessness. It certainly impacts me in that way sometimes. What can I possibly do in the face of a world that can’t seem to learn lessons or find different solutions to the inevitable arguments between countries.
But, of course, what it needs to be is a call of action to continue to be a positive force for change where you can. For us in Children in Scotland, we are here to contribute to a Scotland that is as is as good as it can be for our children and young people. Children’s rights are at the heart of that. Even in these gloomy times we can celebrate the incorporation of UNCRC into Scot’s Law. It took a decade-long campaign which was led by children and young people across Scotland, and the incorporation is testament to that brilliant and passionate campaign.
There is a lot to do. And that has to be our focus. We now have the tool to make the real, fundamental change that Scotland needs to ensure that we are creating a Scotland that is good for all children. Ambitious maybe, but definitely something worth fighting for.
So, we’ll stand in solidarity with our fellow organisations around the world working to create a situation where children’s rights are respected. And we will roll up our sleeves and get on with creating a Scotland that our children and young people can be proud of.
