The Human Rights Defender and UNICEF organized a festive
event for children in Privolnoye village of Tashir enlarged community (Lori
province) on June 1, the International Day for the Protection of Children.
About 100 children participated in the event held in the
secondary school of the village. High-ranking officials of state and local
self-government bodies were present, as well as the co-founder of the Aznavour
Foundation, Mr. Nikola Aznavour.
The Human Rights Defender Ms. Anahit Manasyan and UNICEF
Representative in Armenia Ms. Christine Weigand greeted the participants and
congratulated them on the International Day for Protection of Children.
The Defender noted that the protection of children's
rights is one of the priorities of her activities. Ms. Manasyan emphasized that
regardless of the place of residence, it is extremely important for children to
have wide opportunities. In this context, the Defender specially emphasized
that the choice of the venue of the event is deliberate, and the joint event
with UNICEF can be one of those possibilities.
"I think it is important to create an environment
for children that will guarantee the necessary conditions for their
development. Dear parents, teachers, colleagues, I want to emphasize the role
of our exemplary behavior for children. We must always remember that children
don't often listen to us, but they imitate us perfectly" stated Ms.
Manasyan.
In her turn, Ms. Weigand noted that the dialogue with the
children at the school was valuable in a number of ways.
"This year we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, within the framework of which it is
necessary to once again analyze the situation of children, and to listen
carefully to their observations, which will guide our future actions,"
stated Ms. Weigand.
The purpose of the event was to promote children's rights
to participation, to be heard and to express their opinions freely, by creating
a child-centered platform where children and the youth can present their
concerns and issues, and discuss them with competent representatives of the
sphere.
Discussions related to children's rights were organized
for them with the involvement of representatives of the Defender’s Office, the
Public Council on Children’s and Youth Rights adjunct to the Human Rights
Defender, and UNICEF.
Within the framework of the event, Children performed
musical recitals.
Ms. Manasyan also participated in the opening ceremony of
the kindergarten in Privolnoye village.
The Defender noted that the presence of quality
pre-educational institutions and schools in regional communities has an
extremely important role from the viewpoint of community development.
Ms. Weigand emphasized that early childhood education
lays a solid foundation for children's future life, enabling them to develop
various skills, and prepare for school.
The kindergarten of the Privolnoye village was
established with the cooperation of UNICEF, the office of the community and the
Governor, with the support of the Ministries of Education, Science, Culture and
Sports, the Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, and with funding of
the European Union.
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