Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / June 16, 1994, edition 2 / Page 1
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Volume 1, Number 1 Special Supplement June 16, 1994 DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD JUNE 16, 1994 Day of the African Child: An Overview ? Hy Gwendolyn Calvert Baker June 16 was de clared the Day of the African Child (DAC) by the Organi zation of African Unity to ? commemorate the 1^76 massacre of children in Soweto. South Africa. As the new president of the U.S. Committee for UNJCBF (the United Nations Children's Fund). I am honored to join the dedicated organizations and individuals who are bringing attention to the challenges and achieve ments of Africa. ? ? ? I Given this year's momentous developments in South Africa, the 1994 commemoration of the Day of the African Child takes on special meaning. We recently listened as _F.W. de Klerk and Nelson. Mandela dedicated their Nobel ITaureate speeches to the children of South Africa. And we watched as they reaffirmed their commitment to children . by signing the World liji^NDKLAAND THE AFRICAN CHILD An excerpt from his speech on the presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize - VsTo, Norway, December 1993 At the southern tip of die continent of Africa, a rich reward is in the making, an invaluable gift is in the. preparation, for those who suffered in the name of all humanity when they sacrificed everything? for liberty, peace, human dignity and human fulfillment This reward will not be measured in money. Nor can it be reckoned in the collective price of the rare met als and precious stones that rest in the bowels of the African soil we tread in the footsteps of our ancestors. It will and must be measured by the happiness and welfare of the children, at once the most vulnerable citizens in any society and the greatest of our trea sures The children must, at last, play in the open veld, no longer tortured by the pangs of hunger or ravaged by disease or threatened with the scourge of ignorance, molestation and abuse, and no longer required to engage in deeds whose gravity exceeds Jhe demands of their tender yeara. In front of this distinguished audience, we commit the new South Africa to the relentless pursuit of the purposes defined in the Work! Declaration on the Survival, Protection, and Development of Chikfam The reward of which we have spoken will and < must also be measuredfcythe happiness and welfare of the mothers and fathers of these children, who - must walk the earth without fear of being robbe$ killed for political or materialprafit, or spat upon because they are beggars. They too must be relieved; of the heavy burden of despair which they carry in their hearts, bom of hunger, homelessness and unemployment Nelson Mandela and F. W de Klerk sign the World Summit for Children Declaration for the Survival. Protection, and Development of Children. Looking on is Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt. Summit Declaration ami Plan of Action, joining more than 150 nations that have pledged to make children a priority and put an end to the malnutrition, illiteracy, widespread dis ease. and poor living con ditions that many children face in the developing world. And now we cele brate the freedom from apartheid, oppression, and violence that the new South Africa has achieved. Still, much needs to be done for the children of Africa. Although only one tenth of the world's child population lives in Africa, one third of the almost 1 3 million children who die every year are African. Great strides have been made in cutting the child mortality rate and improv ing access to education, health care, clean water, and sanitation. But other problems such as the AIDS epidemic, the enor . mous external debt situa tion. and the civil conflicts that plague the continent are taking their toll. African leaders them selves are committed to improving the lives of their children. More than 35 African nations have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child . an international treaty that guarantees < children the basic human rights of survival, protec tion. and development in all circumstances, includ ing war. And in response to the 1990 World Summit for Children, over 3Q African nations have now finali/ed National Programs of , Action to achieve specific goals for the well-being of their children by the year 2(KK). On a recent trip to Mo zambique, I witnessed firsthand the commitment and dedication to children in that country. Mozambi que only recently emerged from years of bloody civil war and now schools, maternity centers, and health training centers are being rebuilt, radio pro grams are spreading mes sages of health, safety, and education, and rural women are being taught new methods of food preparation, sewing, stove-making, and lan guage skills. I am moved and encouraged by the hope and resiliency of Mozambique, and by what I saw UNICEF doing in that country to teach children the skills to rebuild their lives and nation. But Mozambique is just one of 5 1 African countries that, despite limited access to re sources and economic hardship, are priori tizing the needs of their children. This year, the fourth commemoration of the Day of the African Child, we invite every American to celebrate the future of A^ ica's children. And in ;he United States, we see the Day as an extraordi nary opportunity not only to advocate for an area of the world in great need, but also to foster cultural diversity and better under standing among children here and in Africa. Gwendolyn Calvert Raker is the new presi dent and chief executive officer of the U.S. Com- * mittee for UNICEF. She is the first African American to hold this position.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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June 16, 1994, edition 2
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