Since 1338 (1959), with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child, November 29 (November 20) was named as World Children’s Day. On this day in 1368 (1989), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was also adopted. This day serves as an opportunity to remember the rights of children. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) designates this day as a day of action for and by children. The theme for this year’s World Children’s Day is “Standing up for children’s rights.”

The UNICEF website, on the page dedicated to World Children’s Day in 2023, in line with the theme of “Action by and for Children,” has highlighted examples of children’s actions to raise their voices and advocate for their rights. Examples from Zambia, Tanzania, France, Nigeria, Tajikistan, and Iraq demonstrate the diversity of efforts and participation of children in civic activities and decision-making. However, as expected, on this page, the space for Iranian children, who in the past year have shouted their demands and rights with the loudest voice possible, is empty. If we cannot expect the UNICEF organization to reflect the voices of Iranian children on its own page due to political relations governing the UN-related institutions, how much have we, as citizens, civil society organizations, political organizations, and Persian-language media, been able to reflect the voices of these children and how successful have we been in providing them with a safe and stable platform? This is a question that

“But this year, as we approach World Children’s Day, hundreds of Palestinian children in Gaza have lost their lives, children whose deaths are either not accounted for or are attributed to the other side in the conflict, while those responsible for protecting their lives shirk their responsibilities. In this situation, there seems to be no end in sight to the killing of children. On the other hand, dozens of Israeli children who were abducted during the 15th of May attack by Hamas on Israeli settlements have returned to their homes. In that attack, dozens of Israeli children were also killed. In recent days, there have been reports of Iranian children facing organized celebrations in schools in response to Hamas’ violent attack on Israel. It is not surprising that children, through their homes, schools, and access to social media, are exposed to news of war. To what extent are teachers, activists, families, and media taking into account the children who are exposed to propaganda and war? This is not the first time that

Before the Hamas attack on Israel, Rojava in northeastern Syria was bombarded by the Turkish government. In addition to dozens of casualties, the infrastructure and public facilities of this region were targeted in the attack. Children in this area were erased from most Persian-language media. What role did we play in hearing the voices of Rojava’s children? While the important message of the uprising was “Woman, Life, Freedom” and the demand for equality, the right to live and have freedom for all humans, how can we respond to the violation of these rights for a group of humans?

I believe that on World Children’s Day, which this year is dedicated to “Standing Up for Children’s Rights,” the key is to answer these questions: What have we done to listen to children and uphold their rights? What have we done to help them and how can we fulfill our duty? Even if we only focus on Iranian children, the answers to these questions are essential in building a democratic and free Iran. If we accept the statement of one of the founders of the International Save the Children Alliance that “every war is a war against children,” it no longer matters where we stand in the conflict. We need to stand up for the rights of all children involved in war. Standing up for all children is part of the education we give to our children and it is an expectation that we can have for future generations. In such circumstances, we can hope for a world free from war and violence.

On World Children’s Day, once again I ask myself, as citizens with any responsibility and position, not from institutions and government officials, but from ourselves:

What can we do and what have we done to hear the voices of children? What have we done and what can we do to uphold the rights of all children? Simply asking questions can be a part of finding answers. My initial answer is educating ourselves about the rights of children and human rights. In the next steps, it is important to learn how to respect the right of children to be heard and how to take steps with them to uphold their rights. The prerequisite for all of this is having a comprehensive view of children, their rights, and the fact that the rights of all children must be respected without any conditions.