Say happy anniversary for children's rights!

November 20, 5:46 PMCincinnati Communication Skills ExaminerM.K. Jones

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New Delhi, India, Friday, November 20, 2009

AP Photo/Manish Swarup

Today, November 20, the international community is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, (CRC), by the United Nation’s General Assembly. Its global initiative, UNICEF, has made enormous strides in bringing life-sustaining food, clean water, immunizations, health care, clothing, shelter, and education to desperate children in impoverished and war-torn countries everywhere. (See unicef.org.)

But much more assistance is needed. Today, in particular, UNICEF is urging people all over the world to help the one billion children still deprived of crucial necessities, and hundreds of millions more still threatened with violence.

Over 70 countries have used the CRC treaty to incorporate children’s rights in their laws, directing a new focus on protecting youth from “violence, abuse, discrimination, and exploitation,” according to UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman. (See Enquirer.com.)

Only two nations, the United States and Somalia, have not yet ratified CRC. It’s unfortunate but perhaps imperative that the U.S. is preoccupied with protecting this country and other parts of the world from terrorism. However, as citizens we can still work toward the ultimate objective of peace and prosperity for everyone.

An innocent child doesn’t deserve to starve or die from disease, not matter where that child is born. One positive outcome to our national absorption with celebrity is that many renowned individuals are using their voices to bring attention to this urgent global phenomenon.

Performer Danny Kaye was the first UNICEF Good Will Ambassador in 1954. Since then, world-famous Audrey Hepburn was selfless in furthering the UNICEF cause. Presently, just a few UNICEF ambassadors and spokespersons are: Lucy Liu, Susan Sarandon, Orlando Bloom, Ralph Fiennes, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Lawrence Fishburn. There are more on view in the Youtube video below.

While the famed among our performing artists assume leadership in fostering compassion and promoting generosity for children as well as adults on an international level, sometimes our politicians are slow to take up the baton. Hunger should be a non-partisan issue. Basic good health and educational opportunity ought not be available just to those privileged with relative wealth.

We have much to be thankful for as Thanksgiving approaches. While our turkey dinner may not be a lavish affair, at least it will give us sustenance. My hope is that this year more of us will share whatever we have with those who need our donation in order to survive. You can give to UNICEF at unicef.org by arranging payment online, by phone, or in the mail. When you express your unconditional love, your own holidays are sure to be happier, due to the warmth that glows in your heart.