Child Rights is a matter of Human Rights

European University of Lefke (EUL) Dr. Fazıl Küçük Faculty of Education Department of Pre-School Teaching organized a seminar themed “Child Rights and Advocacy”. Head of SOS’s Child Village Ahmet Akarsu, SOS Children’s Village Coordination Manager Fatma Amcaoğlu and Developmental Specialist Aliye Ateş attended the seminar as speakers.

Akarsu: SOS Children’s Village helps children and young people shape their future

Head of SOS’s Child Village Ahmet Akarsu gave some information about the SOS Children’s Village Program and said that SOS Children’s Village creates families for the children and young people who have lost the care of their families and helps children and young people shape their future with the Family Based Care program. Akarsu pointed out that ages of 0-16 includes Children’s village, 16-20 youth homes, 20-23 half independent life and 23 fully independent life and gave detailed information about the advocacy projects.

Amcaoğlu: Advocacy consists of all inclusive activities that aims to get support from the society

SOS Children’s Village Coordination Manager Fatma Amcaoğlu said that Advocacy consists of all inclusive activities that aims to change the public opinion or get support from the society and added that in the strategy of the advocacy includes, the articles to be published in the newspapers; the publication of stories about how one person or group has benefited from an agency or activity; as well as the distribution of promotional materials. Amcaoğlu also said that “The Child Protection Policy of SOS Children’s Village is to advocate for children’s rights while creating an environment in which our children can be protected, denying and exploiting all forms of child abuse”.

Ateş: Everyone has responsibilities and duties in protecting children’s rights

Developmental Specialist Aliye Ateş explained the concept of children’s rights as a universal concept that encompasses rights of children that are inherited from birth legally and morally such as education, health, life, shelter, physical, psychological or sexual exploitation, all over the world. Pointing out that Children’s right are the Human Rights specific to children, Ateş said that, “The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which consists of 54 articles and the chapters of these articles, is the most comprehensive legal text to protect the rights of children”. She also said that “Violation of human rights, which are present in many parts of the world today, are more extensive and bigger in childhood, and more difficult to intervene. There are roles and responsibilities of parents at home and teachers; and the state also has a role and responsibility in relation to these rights,” and added that everyone, especially parents (responsible person), teachers and the state, have responsibilities and duties in protecting children’s rights.

Ateş finally said that, children’s rights is a matter of human rights and that all children have the right to live, education, be healthy, make their voices heard and to be treated equally and added that “Above all, children have the right of being children”.

At the end of the seminar, Dean of Dr. Fazıl Küçük Faculty of Education Pof. Dr. Oğuz Serin presented certificate of appreciation to Akarsu, Amcaoğlu and Ateş.