The future of tomorrow are the children of today.The world is fighting to meet the target of reaching the eight Millennium Development Goals by marking Universal Children's Day on November 20.
A review of organizations dedicated to improving the quality of Children's lives. Presented through songs, news reports, mission statements and children.
Universal Children's Day, 20 November
Produced by: Fabrica
The Meaning of Universal Children's Day
By resolution 836(IX) of 14 December 1954, the General Assembly recommended that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children. It recommended that the Day was to be observed also as a day of activity devoted to promoting the ideals and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the world. The Assembly suggested to governments that the Day be observed on the date and in the way which each considers appropriate. The date 20 November, marks the day on which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989.
In 2000 world leaders outlined Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015. Though the Goals are for all humankind, they are primarily about children.
UN launches new drive to protect children
More than ever before, young people are recognized as having rights -
and as having an active role to play in asserting those rights.
1. Malnutrition is a major contributor to disease and early deaths for mothers and children. Undernutrition, including vitamin and mineral deficiencies, contributes to about one third of all child deaths, and impairs healthy development. At the same time, growing rates of overweight are linked to a rise in chronic diseases. The result is a double burden of malnutrition.
2. An indicator of chronic malnutrition is stunting. This is when children are too short for their age group. About 165 million children globally are stunted resulting from not enough food, a vitamin-mineral poor diet, inadequate child care and disease. As growth slows down, brain development lags and stunted children learn poorly.
3. Wasting and bilateral edema are severe forms of malnutrition - resulting from acute food shortages and compounded by illness. About 1.5 million children die annually due to wasting. Rising food prices, food scarcity in areas of conflict, and natural disasters diminish household access to appropriate and adequate food, all of which can lead to wasting.
4. Essential vitamins and minerals in the diet are vital to boost immunity and healthy development. Vitamin A, zinc, iron and iodine deficiencies are primary public health concerns. About 2 billion people are affected by inadequate iodine nutrition worldwide. More than one third of preschool-age children globally are vitamin A deficient. Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children.
5. Maternal undernutrition leads to poor fetal development and higher risk of pregnancy complications. Together, maternal and child undernutrition account for more than 10 percent of the global burden of disease.
6. For healthier babies, WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months, introducing age-appropriate and safe complementary foods at six months, and continuing breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond. Worldwide, about 20% of deaths among children under-five could be avoided if these feeding guidelines are followed. Appropriate feeding decreases rates of stunting and obesity and stimulates intellectual development in young children.
7. Nutritional problems in adolescents start during childhood and continue into adult life. Anemia is a key nutritional problem in adolescent girls. Preventing early pregnancies and assuring adequate intakes of essential nutrients for developing girls can reduce maternal and child deaths later, and stop cycles of malnutrition from one generation to the next. Globally, anemia affects 42% of pregnant women.
8. The rise in overweight and obesity worldwide is a major public health challenge. People of all ages and backgrounds face this form of malnutrition. As a consequence, rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other diet-related conditions are escalating worldwide. These are very difficult to treat in places with limited resources and with already overburdened health systems. About 43 million children under age five are overweight, according to 2011 figures.
9. Nutrition information is required to identify the areas where assistance is most needed. WHO released international child growth standards that provide benchmarks to compare children's nutritional status within and across countries and regions.
10. Public education is another way to improve nutritional health. Starting in China during the Beijing Olympics, and continuing in other countries, WHO and Member States will promote "5 keys" to a healthy diet:
a. give your baby only breast milk for the first six months of life
b. eat a variety of foods
c. eat plenty of vegetables and fruits
d. eat moderate amounts of fat and oils
e. eat less salt and sugars
November 2010, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and ADA Foundation officially launched their first joint initiative, Kids Eat Right. The two-tiered campaign aims to mobilize ADA members to participate in childhood obesity prevention efforts, and to educate families, communities, and policy makers about the importance of quality nutrition.
Mission: The Kids Eat Right campaign was launched to support public education projects and programs that address the national health concern of obesity among our children.
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To learn more about the Kids Eat Right Campaign visit:
Free The Children's We Create Change campaign is one of Canada's largest penny drives. The goal is to provide clean water to 100,000 people in the Adopt a Village communities around the world.
"Imagine a new idea as vital as democracy.
Now imagine helping it spread
quickly throughout the world! Child Honouring is one such idea,
an idea whose time has come.
- Raffi
He is known to millions as "Raffi", a beloved songwriter and performer, author, ecology advocate and founder of Centre for Child Honouring. Child Honouring is a vision for creating a humane and sustainable world by addressing the universal needs of children.
Covenant for Honouring Children
Turn This World Around
Raffi's tribute to humanity's hero sprang from Mandelas call to global leaders in 2000 to turn this world around, for the children. In 2001, Raffi sang this for Nelson Mandela at Torontos Ryerson University. The song expresses the essence of Raffi's Child Honouring philosophy, a children-first paradigm for societal change. A child-friendly world enriches all of us, and offers the best chance to create sustainable cultures. All children want to live in peace, and to follow their dreams.
