The CRC at 30 XUNICEF News & Views A Quarterly Newsletter By and For UNICEF and former UNICEF Staff and Family
News & Views - December 2019 IN THIS ISSUE Click on any heading below to go directly to that section. IN THIS ISSUE FROM THE EDITORS 30 YEARS OF THE CRC Introduction - Sree Photos - Gianni History What the CRC means to me Experience in working with the CRC CRC events Janet Nelson THE MUSIC AND THE MUSICIANS of XUNICEF Introducing our Musicians - Doreen Maggie Black - Getting Together To Sing Doreen Lobo - A Symphony of Memories Pierre Poupard - Le chant et la direction de chœur Ronald van Dijk - Music, My Infinite Treasure Trove Youssouf Oomar - If music be the food of love, play on LIFE AFTER UNICEF David Haxton New Paths - the final chapter of “A Good Life in a Changing World” Click here to read or download the PDF Lou Mendez Luis Oliveros - A Trip to Norway LIFE WITH GRAMPS READERS’ CORNER BITS & PIECES
News & Views - December 2019 FROM YOUR EDITORS
News & Views - December 2019 Our Features in this Edition The CRC at 30 The recent celebrations of the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child provided the opportunity for us to reflect on what the CRC has meant to us as humanitarians, as UNICEF staff, and as parents and grandparents. We wanted therefore to use this issue to collect and share the thoughts of our members. However, we do not want to end the discussion of the CRC with a single publication or a single anniversary. Children’s rights are something we must live and breath - our life’s work, and not just the work of our time in UNICEF. So please continue to reflect and to share. What did / what does the CRC mean to you, your children, and your community? The Music and the Musicians of XUNICEF We are pleased to include in this edition musical works by five of our members. Our September edition brought out a wonderful collection of contributions by our members who have pursued various forms of art and photography. The range of artists included everyone from true professional to raw amateur. The works they contributed were often stunning. Now it is the turn of our musicians and we are pleased to present some of their works in this edition. Unfortunately, so far only a few have contributed, and we are hoping that more will come forward so that we can include them in future editions. Please don’t be shy. If you compose music, play an instrument, sing in a choir (or just in the shower), let our arts editor, Doreen Lobo know. We want you and we want your music !
News & Views - December 2019 Two, Going on Three That’s right. Believe it or not - XUNICEF A Few Statistics about our Website up to 14 News & Views is now approaching the December 2019 conclusion of its first two years of publication. This is our opportunity to say, “Thank You” to ● Total articles posted - 825 all our dear readers, our volunteer writers and ● Total views of articles - 14,450 editors, and those who offered advice and ● Total individual visitors - 3,106 users from helped along the way. We look forward to year three, and we hope you will continue to 125 countries * contribute your ideas, comments, and critiques as we move ahead Source: Google Analytics This is also another anniversary - the end of * Note that our sites are not public, i.e. cannot be our first year on the web. In the past year our found by normal websearch - they are only reached website has come alive with correspondence when the web address is shared by or between from XUNICEF members, news articles they members. wanted to share, and information from our colleagues still working in UNICEF. Google Analytics map of the countries represented by our users. Going ‘ online’ on our website Not everyone wants to visit a website every (xunicefnewsandviews.blogpost.com) allowed week, let alone every day. So we started us to post new information every day, instead sending out our emailed updates. of only once a quarter. It also relieved the Depending on the volume of news and inboxes of members who previously correspondence, the updates go out on a complained of too many unwanted emails. weekly basis; at other times on a bi-weekly Visits to our website started slowly, but have basis. picked up quickly. We hope you will continue reading, We have grown in other ways too. In addition contributing and enjoying our web services. to our photo archives on our main website, we now have separate sites for the A rtists of XUNICEF, the P hotographers of XUNICEF, and (with this issue) the Musicians of XUNICEF). Then in September we launched the XUNICEF Instagram account (see the following article.)
News & Views - December 2019 XUNICEF Instagram—A Stocktaking We launched the XUNICEF Instagram page @xunicef_photography in September this year. So far we have posted over a hundred photos. The richness and diversity of the images and the stories they tell are stunning. After four months, and 100 posts, we can draw some lessons. The account or page has only 74 followers and only some ten to fifteen are regulars - a bit disappointing, as i I would have expected more regular followers. These are good news. For example, in the week 5 to 12 December the page was seen by 193 people, an increase of 59 plus people from the week before. Our posts had nearly 600 Instagram impressions. In fact, dear members, we need you. We call to all XUNICEF members to get more active by both following the account. Post your photos by tagging the account, or sending your photos to t he curator, together with a good caption telling a good story and a short bio. Not yourself a photographer? You can still help by following the account, adding comments, and Inviting others to follow the page. What is in our program for next year? We will continue featuring XUNICEF photographers though perhaps more randomly and not with the same frequency. Most important, sometime next year we will launch a photo contest open to all. For the time being, please accept a warm Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your curator - Gianni.
News & Views - December 2019 THE CRC AT 30 Introducing our Contributors to our CRC at 30 Edition (Sree’s intro)
News & Views - December 2019
News & Views - December 2019
News & Views - December 2019 Photo Memories
News & Views - December 2019 2019 - A Milestone Year Marta Santos-Pais 2019 is a milestone year. It marks the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. Since its adoption, the Convention has mobilized nations across regions behind a common mission: to spare no effort to translate its provisions into a tangible reality for children—all children, everywhere and at all times. 2019 also marks the first review by the United Nations General Assembly of progress made in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda was an historic breakthrough with its ambitious vision and set of precise goals designed to build a world free from fear and from violence, a world which invests in its children and in which every child grows up free from neglect, abuse and exploitation. Click here to continue reading Marta’s reflections on the CRC
News & Views - December 2019 Geneva - the Global Hub Janet Nelson The city of Geneva very proudly sees itself as “the global hub of children’s rights.” It was here that the first Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted in 1924 by the League of Nations, and then again it was in Geneva that 10 years of negotiations resulted in the CRC. It is now the place from which the Committee on the Rights of the Child monitors the CRC’s implementation. So when it came time to commemorate the CRC’s 30t h anniversary, the former Swiss member of the CRC Committee, Jean Zermatten, and the current Swiss member, Philip Jaffé, created t he association “30 Years of Children’s Rights,” along with the City of Geneva, the University of Geneva, and a number of key child-rights civil society organisations, in coordination with the Committee on the Rights of the Child, OHCHR, UN diplomatic missions, and other child-rights NGOs. Click here to continue reading Janet’s report on the Geneva Commemoration of CRC@30
News & Views - December 2019 Faith and Children’s Rights: Rebeca Rios-Kohn As a tribute to the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and in partnership with UNICEF, Arigatou International developed a global study entitled Faith and Children’s Rights: A Multi-religious Study on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Study was officially launched on November 19, 2019 in Geneva at the United Nations and was also presented in Nairobi and Buenos Aires, and in other countries by the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC). Arigatou International worked in close collaboration with Marta Santos Pais, the former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, the GNRC, and received support from other partners: the International Dialogue Center (KAICIID) and World Vision International. Three members of the writing team are former UNICEF staff members: Akila Aggoune, Janet Nelson, and myself. Many of you will also remember another one of the authors, Savitri Goonesekere, former law professor in Sri Lanka, who wrote many articles concerning the CRC for UNICEF and was also a member of CEDAW. Eileen O’Connor, another former UNICEF staff member, also supported the editing and production of the Study. We are thankful to the many contributors and peer reviewers who helped with direction and content and they are identified in the Study. Click here to continue reading Rebecca’s article on the participants and the process leading up to Arigatou’s important report on Faith and Children’s Rights. Rebecca includes links to the report itself.
News & Views - December 2019 The CRC and Me Dr. R. Padmini On that historic day of the adoption of CRC, I was part of the team engaged in “ behind the scenes” support, and was thrilled by the events that took place then. Incidentally, on the 10th anniversary celebrations in 1999, I happened to be in New York [by then retired] and re-experienced some of the euphoria of the day of adoption. Soon after CRC was adopted, I was named as the Programme Focal Point on CRC, and briefed the first International CRC committee in Geneva on the Convention and its programmatic aspects while Kimberley Clarke dealt with advocacy and related aspects. I was also engaged often, along with Hans Narula, in leading discussions on what was meant by Rights-based Programming in internal meetings. Click here to continue reading Padmini ́s account of her long involvement in the CRC Click here to read her report on the CRC@30 celebrations in Karnataka
News & Views - December 2019 The Continuing Challenge to Strengthen Implementation of the CRC Hiranthi Wijemane Reflecting back on my tenure in the CRC committee, it was disappointing that many of the Concluding Observations , carefully drafted by us as members of the Committee were most often not given due attention and implemented in between sessions. I believe that this is an area in which the UNICEF country offices could play a catalytic and advocacy role. UNICEF should play a catalytic role with State authorities to establish a continuous CRC monitoring system, which leads to the better implementation of the CRC at country level This should be advocated at country or regional levels to make a significant difference for children whose rights continue to be violated with impunity. The CRC is of no value to a country unless CRC recommendations are converted to policies and incorporated in national programmes. There is a need to strengthen greater political will for children particularly in developing countries where child rights issues still remain unresolved. Greater efforts are also needed to strengthen the links between NG0s, INGOs and Civil society to collectively promote CRC implementation in a coordinated manner appropriate to each country's situation. The greater participation of children themselves is yet to be a reality in many developing countries. Opportunities for them to express their views must be placed high on national agendas. Click here to continue reading Hiranthi’s reflections on her role in the CRC
News & Views - December 2019 Getting to Number Eight Jim Mayrides I was the Representative in Bolivia and wanted to have the government adopt the CRC among the first ten to do so. During my lunch break one day, I discussed with my Chief of External Relations, Nazario Tirado how to get it done that same day. He called his friend the Vice President, Luis Ossio Sanjines and asked if I could visit him urgently by 3:00 pm. In the end Bolivia became the 8th country worldwide to ratify. Jim Grant had always said to me that if he could quote Bolivian progress on child rights (or on any other child-related issue) to Brazil or Mexico, that it would give him a solid argument to infer that \"why can a Bolivia do it and they could not\"? Jim taught me that approach and it later helped me convince Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan Prime Minister to ratify CEDAW in 1995. Click here to continue reading Jim’s recollections of that day.
News & Views - December 2019
News & Views - December 2019 Long live the CRC. Long live all the children of the world Dr. Agnes Aidoo The success of the adoption of the Convention spurred UNICEF on to organize the World Summit for Children by world leaders in September 1990. This was an exhilarating global mobilization. I was part of the team of professionals who provided required inputs for the outcome documents, the World Declaration and Plan of Action, and worked the embassies in New York to urge the Ambassadors to the UN to encourage their heads of State and high level officials to attend. Oh what sleepless nights for the rights of the child!! The detailed rehearsal on the night before the Summit saw many of us work at the UN headquarters past midnight and yet we had to assemble by 5.00am for the Summit! From then on our global advocacy for ratification and implementation of the Convention intensified. I travelled to several countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia including China to advocate and facilitate workshops on the rights of the child with particular attention to the equal rights of the girl child. Then as a UNICEF Representative to Tanzania and Seychelles from 1992 to 1998, I led dedicated teams of UNICEF staff to advocate for the Convention with governments and bring its principles and provisions down to where children lived in their families and communities. Click here to continue reading the story of Agnes’ involvement with the CRC during and after retirement. Click here to view t he photos Agnes has contributed of the CRC@30 celebrations in Accra.
News & Views - December 2019 The Transformative Power of the CRC in the Lives of Children Rima Salah I always felt privileged to be working with UNICEF and contributing to a great cause, such as that of children. This was particularly important to me, to my personal narrative, as I was born a refugee. I realized from a very young age that my family and my people were deprived of their rights and social justice. Later when I lived in a a Palestinian Refugee Camp to conduct my research for my doctoral thesis, I witnessed the terrible effect that war and displacement had on people’s lives and particularly on women and children. The families that I met in the camp told me, that they had lost everything, but they were hopeful, and the essence of their hope lay in the well being of their children, their education, and their future. Click here to continue reading Rima’s article and the story of her long involvement in the CRC Click here to view the webpage of the Early Childhood Peace Consortium which Rima has chaired.
News & Views - December 2019 Continue re History a. Baquer - Personal history b. Rebecca - Faith and Child Rights c. Tom - Jebb What the CRC means to me d. Padmini e. Nuzhat f. Fouad Experience in working with the CRC g. Hiranthe, h. Jim Mayrides, i. Nuzhat, j. Marta Santos, k. Agnes Aidoo l. Razia, m. Dorothy, n. Mary Racelis o. Kimberley? p. Marta Mauras q. Richard Reid r. CRC events s. Padmini - Bangalore t. Carina - Nigeria u. Rima - NY v. Sheila
News & Views - December 2019
News & Views - December 2019 THE MUSIC AND THE MUSICIANS of XUNICEF Introducing our Musicians - Doreen Maggie Black - Getting Together To Sing Click here to read Maggie’s story Doreen Lobo - A Symphony of Memories Click here to read Doreen’s story and see her photos and music video Pierre Poupard - Le chant et la direction de chœur Cliquez ici pour lire en français et pour regarder le clip Click here to read i n Engllish and enjoy his music video Ronald van Dijk - Music, My Infinite Treasure Trove Click here t o read Ronald’s story and enjoy his video and audio recordings. Youssouf Oomar - If music be the food of love, play on Click here to read Youssouf’s story and enjoy his music video
News & Views - December 2019 LIFE AFTER UNICEF Luis Oliveros - A Trip to Norway Last April Luis Oliveros traveled to the far north of Norway on a photography expedition to one of the most remote and most beautiful parts of the world. Read the fascinating story Luis tells of the trip and enjoy the wonderful photographs of the sights he and his friend, Jesus, saw there. Click here to continue reading.
News & Views - December 2019 David Haxton - New Paths - the final chapter of “A Good Life in a Changing World” Click here to read or download the PDF Click here for the flip-page version Lou Mendez - Running a Consulting Company Means You Are Never Bored click here
News & Views - December 2019 LIFE WITH GRAMPS 1. Padmini 2. Mary Racelis 3. Lena Hartono
News & Views - December 2019 READERS’ CORNER 1. Horst Cerni memoirs - Tom 2. New additions to library a. 1. the three volume memoirs of Louis Gendron; b. Eve Labouisse's first book, \"Journey Among Warriors\"...still to be read c. \"Lou Remembered; the Life of Louis Shapiro\"...a collection of letters about the late \"Uncle Louie\", as he was affectionate;y called d. These five volumes came from Monika Proko after the passing of Heino Wittrin. e. I am about to finish the Opus Magnum of Torild Skard, \" Women of Power\" and hope to write a brief review. 3. Call for more books / articles / authors
News & Views - December 2019 BITS & PIECES
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