Press Statement on Day of The African Child - 16 June 2009

“Africa Fit for Children: Accelerated Action Towards Their Survival”

 
DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights joins the rest of the continent in commemorating the Day of the African Child on June 16 2009. The day marks the anniversary of the Soweto Uprising in 1976 when thousands of black school children took to the streets to protest against the inferior quality of their education as well as to demand the right to be taught in their own language.

Since 1991, the African Union has recognised June 16 as an opportunity for countries to review progress towards the realisation of children’s rights in the areas of education, health, social security and recreation.

The theme for this year is “Africa Fit for Children: Accelerated Action Towards their Survival”. The theme recalls Article 5 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and Article 6 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which provide that every child has the inherent right to life and therefore the State has an obligation to ensure a child’s survival and development.  The focus will be the State’s commitment to provide access to basic needs such as food, water sanitation, health and education.

 
At DITSHWANELO, we are fully committed to working to ensure that the State fulfills its responsibility to the children of Botswana.  As an organisation, we actively identify the challenges that serve to hinder the acknowledgment of children’s rights and work to find systematic ways to overcome such obstacles.  Our hope is that through our efforts we will not only be promoting the rights of children but also securing their survival and development. It is our belief that the country can only move forward if child survival is treated as a national priority.

16 June 2009
Gaborone

or more information, please contact DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights at Tel: 267 390 6998 Fax: 267 3907778, Website: www.ditshwanelo.info.bw, Email:admin.ditshwanelo@info.bw/ditshwanelo-myfuturetoday@info.org.bw