November 20th is recognised around the world as Universal Children’s Day. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1954 to encourage all countries to institute a day on which to:
- Promote mutual exchange and understanding among children.
- Initiate action to benefit and promote the welfare of the world’s children.
- Celebrate childhood.
At the end of the first decade of the 21st Century, Universal Children’s Day has particular significance. The Millennium Development Goals, outlined by world leaders in 2000, range from halving world poverty and hunger to significantly reducing biodiversity loss, all by the target date of 2015. While the Goals are for all humankind, the are primarily about children and the world they will inherit.
On Universal Children’s Day this year, MantaWatch and Taman Bacaan Pelangi launched their joint marine environmental education program with the children in Flores, Indonesia.
Taman Bacaan Pelangi’s Reading Garden contains a number of books and encyclopaedias about wildlife and the environment. During the two days, Nila also sat with the children to talk and learn about marine creatures and environmental issues, and to share videos and pictures of the underwater realm.
MantaWatch and Taman Bacaan Pelangi are working together to develop and deliver [intlink id=”132″ type=”page”]children\’s environmental education programs in remote areas of Indonesia[/intlink].
You can read more about Taman Bacaan Pelangi and Universal Children’s Day on their website.
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below. What did you do on Universal Children’s Day? What stories do you have about your own environmental education initiatives? Or what excites your own children and encourages them to learn about the environment and the world around them? Tell us here.
