Friday 6 April 2012

Palestinian Children, Beacons of hope in the midst of despair

Palestinian Child Day comes on 5 April of each year. On this day, the Palestinian community celebrates children, who represent the present and the future of Palestine. This year, once again, this occasion comes at a time when Palestinian children still suffer major Children’s rights violations caused by the occupation. Yet, regardless of all those violations the Children of Palestine symbolize the beacon of hope in the midst of despair.
Two basic articles In the UN Declaration of Children’s Right’s; “The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.” And “ The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavor to promote the enjoyment of this right.” Yet when it comes to the Children of Palestine the reality is different. Unlike most of the Children of the world, Palestinian Children does not have open spaces or parks to play, for a lot of the open spaces they used before are now on the other side of the Separation Wall.
Regardless of the violations of Children’s Right’s in Palestine, the Palestinian Children are resisting the injustices and refuse to let the Separation Wall and the occupation steal their joy and their childhood. Well, the question is “ Are they aware of it?” Maybe not, but by their innocence and playfulness they make a difference. Further more, these Children are not going to wait any longer for any UN resolutions to bring them justice, they have decided to live their childhood, they declare their freedom with a smile, and they cage the occupiers in their sniper towers with an innocent yet persistent attitude of “ we are going to push the wall until it falls”.