SDA-RF-CH-4.14.pdf

Media

extracted text
d<sc.

SDA-RF-CH-4.14

$7/1 ZEWiAfTM r.
/3’(F"-stF/Oor)„
Ll r/ cat
r /V’ar/<S fioa°

eA^GAio i

“buoo!

£H It-'H

A YEAR FOR THE CHILD
Children are the world's greatest resource. Invest­

ment in a child's development is an investment in the
future of a nation.

Yet children are still struggling to

have their needs fulfilled — and because they are small,
and not very strong, they do not always survive the
struggle. Their life is hardest in the developing countries,

where basic services like health, nutrition, safe water

and shelter are inadequate and funds to provide them
are scarce. But something has to be done, because more

than half the deaths in developing countries occur among
children under five years of age.
It is because the needs of children must be recog­

nised — and

must

be

fulfilled — that

the

UNITED

NATIONS has declared 1979 the International Year of
the Child (IYC).

The aim of this declaration is to focus

public attention on the plight of the child — and to
promote active change to improve the quality of child­

hood.

The welfare of

children

is closely

linked to
1

economic and social progress. By dedicating a year to
the Child, the UN hopes the nations of the world will

recognise the rights of children and take action to ensure
that all children enjoy these rights.
The Purpose of the Year

The International Year of the Child (IYC) is concerned
with all children in all countries, especially young children.
Its major aims are :



to encourage all countries, rich and poor, to
review their programmes for the promotion of
the well-being of children, and to mobilize
support for national and local action program­
mes according to each country's conditions,
needs and priorities;



to heighten awareness of children's special
needs among decision-makers and the public;



to promote recognition of the vital link between
programmes for children on the one hand, and
economic and social progress on the other;



to spur specific, practical measures — with
achievable goals — to benefit children, in both
the short and long term at the national level.

The Year should also provide an opportunity to
emphasize the

intellectual,

psychological

and

social

development of children, in addition to their physical

welfare.

Since 1979 is the 20th anniversary of the Declara­
tion of the Rights of the Child, IYC is an opportunity

for each country to increase its efforts to implement
those rights.

2

EDUCATION : Pre-primary

and

elementary edu­

cation; pre-school education for weaker sections;

mobile schools; children's literature; teachers train­

ing, orientation courses for women; education of
handic'
'"raining; com­
munity

SOCIZ51

es;

creches;

balwadi

for

wording

mothe
Servic

Development

LEG1SI

en's

States

enforcement

of Chi

ation on child

Acts in

labour; enaciuiem ur iaw=> <_>n ccjuaiity and non­

discrimination in respect of persons born out of
wedlock.

PUBLICITY : Radio/TV programmes;

documentary

films; newspapers; printed publications; issue of
commemorative postal stamps and coins; national/

state/district/block

level

contests

for

primary/

middle/secondary school children and non school­

going children.
FUND-RAISING : Creation of a national children's
fund and state level funds to raise resources for
programmes to benefit children.

National Slogan, Symbol and Theme

The Indian slogan for IYC is "Happy Child - Nation's
Pride" and the Hindi version is

— W5 W STET 1

7

The symbol depicts a boy and a girl with the sun

and a slate.

The sun signifies health and strength.

The

slate stands for the importance of education for the
future of children.

The general theme of IYC in India is "Reaching the
Deprived Child".

Cover : UNICEF Photo by S. Raman

Soti Printing Press, Delhi-6

Not viewed