Palermo (Italy). On the occasion of the World Day of Children and Adolescents, 20 November 2023, Mary Help of Christians Parity Institute of Palermo, of Mother Maddalena Morano Sicilian Province (ISI) joined the “Childhood and Surroundings” project of the Studies University of Palermo.
The objective of the Day, which celebrates the approval of the Convention on the Rights of Children and Adolescents by the UN in 1989, is to promote the well-being of minors, especially of those who for various reasons including conflicts, natural disasters, poverty, etc., cannot live a carefree, healthy childhood with physical and socio-psychological well-being.
In this regard, Mary Help of Christians Institute joined the project created by the Studies University of Palermo and promoted by the Municipality of Palermo. It is an experiential workshop which involved all the districts of the city and from each three schools were chosen, to make children aware of their rights and the rules to be respected in different life contexts.
The private Institute bases its education on Don Bosco’s Preventive System which, relying on three pillars – reason, religion, and loving-kindness – seeks through dialogue, to create a positive environment in which young people can grow and learn by establishing relationships of trust and respect between themselves and the educators.
In the footsteps of Don Bosco, the teachers Rossana Caruso and Giuliana D’Aleo, together with the psychologist Emanuela Ciarla and the children of the Civil Service Flavia G. Caruso, Gabriele Arena, Giorgia Arena, Walter Tarantino, Silvia Ciulla, and Ramona Gallarati, organized the day with engaging educational activities, with the aim of making the little ones aware of the rights and rules of everyday life.
The first part of the day was dedicated to learning about rights through images that depicted the right to health, the right to nationality, the right to play and study, the right to freedom, the right to have a name, the right to be loved, etc… The children were involved in the creation of a poster which depicted the rights they had learned.
Subsequently, illustrations of correct and inappropriate behaviors were shown for school, at the park, in relationships with others, with the aim of helping the children recognize the different contexts that are part of their daily life.
The last part of the project involved the creation of a treasure hunt, which took place in the school garden, where the children went in search of the images illustrated in the previous phase. Once the image was found, each person had to explain whether the behavior was correct or not and in which context it was found, with the aim of making them understand the importance of respecting the rules and rights for themselves and others.
With the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children become bearers of civil, social, political, economic, and cultural rights for the first time. Days like this are therefore important to remind the governments that have ratified the document of the commitment made and to underline the need for continuous awareness in the rest of the world in recognizing and protecting the rights of minors.
Source: FMA ISI
