By 
In 1989, the world made a promise. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted, enshrining in international law the fundamental rights of every child. It spoke of special care and assistance, of family environments filled with happiness and love, of dignity and freedom.
Yet here we stand in 2024, 35 years later, and that promise remains tragically unfulfilled for millions of children around the globe.
The harsh reality is that in many ways, we seem to have regressed rather than progressed:
- Digital Dangers: The explosion of online child exploitation materials in Western countries represents a horrific new frontier of abuse. Our failure to adequately police the digital realm leaves countless children vulnerable.
- Children in Conflict Zones: From Ukraine to Yemen to countless other hotspots, children continue to bear the brunt of adult conflicts. They are killed, maimed, displaced, and traumatized on a scale that should shock our collective conscience.
- Child Marriage and Labor: Despite being officially banned in most nations, these practices persist, robbing children of their childhood and opportunities for education and development.
- The Refugee Crisis: Unaccompanied minors face perilous journeys and uncertain futures as they flee violence and poverty, only to often encounter hostility and inadequate support in supposed safe havens.
- Overlooked Victims: The abuse of young boys, long overshadowed, is a growing crisis that demands our attention and action.
- Ongoing Religious and Ethnic Conflicts: Children continue to suffer disproportionately in areas plagued by sectarian violence and discrimination.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child spoke of a world where every child could grow up in “an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.” In 2024, this vision feels further away than ever for far too many.
We must ask ourselves: How have we allowed this to happen? What will it take to shake us from our complacency?
The rights of children are not optional extras or lofty ideals – they are fundamental human rights. Every day we fail to protect these rights is a day we fail our most vulnerable and our future.
It’s time to wake up. It’s time to renew our commitment to children’s rights with urgency and concrete action. We cannot afford to let another generation grow up in a world that continues to betray its promises.
The children of 1989 are the adults of today. Let us not allow the children of 2024 to look back 35 years from now and wonder why we didn’t do more.
Wake UP
Sradhanand Sital
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