CER: Dear children, happy holiday!

Centar za edukaciju i istraživanje (CER) and the Vermont Youth Centre marked International Children’s Day today, an occasion intended to remind and raise public awareness of the need to protect children and minors from exploitation, violence and various forms of discrimination. CER and Vermont activists visited the “Nodi” kindergarten in Bijeljina today, where a creative educational workshop was held to remind children of their fundamental rights, followed by an informal get-together and entertainment for the youngest children.

We would like to remind you that, at the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. It sets out universal standards that the states which have signed and ratified it must guarantee to every child. Above all, the Convention concerns  obligations  adults, and then numerous social stakeholders involved in child protection.

By a resolution dated 14 December 1954, the UN General Assembly recommended that all countries observe World Children’s Day as an international day of friendship and understanding among children. Countries were encouraged to organise activities on this occasion to promote the well-being of children around the world.

This is the first document to treat a child as a subject with rights, and not merely as a person in need of special protection. And unlike the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which has moral force, the Convention on the Rights of the Child is a legal act with the force of law and  obliges  parties to comply with its provisions. It also includes the right to monitor its implementation in the states that have accepted and ratified it.

At the same time, this is a great opportunity to remember the 10 Commandments for Children.

Meet them today and put them into practice forever!

1. My hands are small: don’t expect perfection when I make the bed, draw, or throw a ball.


2. My legs are short: slow down so I can keep up with you.


3. My eyes haven’t seen the world the way yours have: help me discover it. Don’t hold me back.


4. The housework can wait. I won’t be little for much longer – make time to play with me.


5. I am your special gift, so treat me accordingly.


6. I need your support as I grow. Don’t criticize or punish me. Remember—you can criticize my actions without criticizing me.


7. Give me the freedom to make my own decisions. Let me make mistakes so that I can learn from them. That way, one day I will be able to make the right decisions.


8. Don’t be afraid to go away for the weekend without me. You need a break from me, and I need one from you, too. It’s also an excellent way to show me how important you are to one another.


9. I know it’s hard, but don’t compare me to my brothers and sisters or to other children.


10. Don’t do things for me. Then I feel that the way I do them isn’t good enough and that I disappoint you.