During this beautiful revolution that Lebanon is witnessing, I have seen children and young people in the streets of Beirut raising their voices for a better future and I was stunned by their way of expression and their pacifism and so I let myself be carried away.
The voices of the new generation need to be heard. We need to listen to them and make things right for them, they are critical to shaping the future and they want to contribute to the solutions that the country is demanding. Solutions must ensure that every young person can access education and development opportunities. Solutions must guarantee that every child enjoys their right to a childhood. No boy or girl should be left behind, at high risk of abuse or exploitation, deadly preventable diseases or out of school.
In Capharnaüm, Zain was feeling «invisible» like an «insect». He represents only one of many broken childhoods that we see in the streets of Lebanon –sometimes selling gum, sometimes flowers, sometimes carrying heavy loads, forced by life to experience hunger, abuse, exploitation, violence, lack of protection, disease, constant fear for their life…
It is our responsibility to change this reality. We cannot adapt to this situation. Each of the achievements for child rights that we are celebrating, must reach every girl and every boy, wherever they are and regardless of their condition. We all have the power to do something.
Let’s give them back their childhood. Now is the time to re-commit, and to address the very real challenges that too many children and youth of the 21st century face. This is the moment for our generation to listen to their voices and demand that our politicians, our governments, our business leaders, the international community and our communities fulfill their commitments and deliver real action for children now.
Recently, as the world is celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we need to remind ourselves that the next generation is dreaming of a country that reflects their aspirations for equal rights for all. We must not lose this opportunity as we won’t have a second chance. WE owe it to them and to their dreams for a better Lebanon.