UNICEF Lesotho and the Media Institute of Southern Africa Lesotho chapter (MISA Lesotho) will commemorate World Children’s Day, 20th November, 2017 through implementation of Children in the Media Project.
The project comprises of the following activities which will be implemented until March 2018:
- Research on the use of social media amongst children in Lesotho
- Media production on children’s rights and responsibilities
- Meeting of media managers, journalists and children
The project builds on a series of previous initiatives and activities, including:
- holding a series of Focus Group Discussions on media and children in Lesotho in 2011
- commemorating the 25th anniversary of Covenant of a Right of the Child with media production including Children’s Voice newsletter in collaboration with World Vision and Lesotho Child Counselling Unit
- attending a regional Conference of Editors and Children in the SADC region in Namibia in 2014
- training local journalists on reporting children stories
- producing radio programs in commemoration of 70th anniversary of UNICEF in 2016
- contributing to the production of In The Zone, an international newsletter on children and the media
It is hoped that project will contribute towards advocacy for conducive legislation on the use of social media by children in Lesotho while also providing children with a platform to freely express their views in matters affecting them.
Background to World Children’s Day
Every year, UNICEF celebrates the UN Universal Children’s Day on 20th November. This is the day when the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), was adopted in 1989. On this day, we celebrate the progress made for children, and we also take stock of what still needs to be done. It is also the day when we focus on Article 12 of the CRC that guarantees to all children and young people the right to freely express their views on all matters affecting them. Every child should feel respected and valued as a responsible, active citizen in a shared global community.
At the heart of the 2017 initiative is the idea of a ‘children’s takeover’ – UNICEF will be giving children across the world the opportunity to ‘take over’ high profile activities and events in media, politics, business, sports, schools, music and entertainment to raise awareness and funds for the most vulnerable and hardest to reach children.
“It’s a fun day with a serious point. A day for children by children to help save children’s lives, fight for their rights and help them fulfill their potential,” says Nadi Albino, UNICEF Representative, Lesotho.
For more information contact MISA Lesotho
Malume Mohale, UNICEF Lesotho, +266 22315801/+266 58604840, mmohale@unicef.org
Note to editors:
For further information please visit: http://www.worldchildrensday.org/
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children visit www.unicef.org.
