Over 25 million children in the European Union (more than one in four) are experiencing pov­erty, material deprivation and/or living in households with no adult in employment. Particularly worrying are levels of severe material deprivation.

A recent Eurochild survey identified a dramatic increase in the need for food and clothing support across a range of countries. Children in Bulgaria and Romania are, 60 per cent and 55 per cent (respectively), likely to experience material deprivation as compared to an average of 20.7 per cent in the EU27.

Mahatma Gandhi saw clearly what we seem to ignore when he asserted: “If we want to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”

Austerity measures across several countries are having negative impact on family-friendly policies. They have resulted in cuts to vital enabling services such as childcare, education, family and parenting support and youth work.

I am sure we all agree that the society’s basic responsibility towards young children is to provide them with the basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter as well as education. By withdrawing investment in children and families, we are storing up problems for the future.

AD expresses its disappointment over the report issued by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on Malta, which leaves much to be desired. The report covered challenges to be faced by all of us related to age of marriage, violence against children, abuse and neglect, freedom from all forms of violence, children deprived of a family environment, early school leaving and economic exploitation.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its State parties. All States parties are obliged to submit regular reports to the Committee on how the rights are being implemented. The Committee examines each report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the State party in the form of ‘concluding observations’.

The Convention of the Rights of the Child can be accessed on www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm.

When a caring environment is provided, children show eagerness to learn about their world and show interest in making a difference. Work can be done on an individual basis with a child and also with others on developing community service projects in response to a community need, an environmental issue or a larger social issue.

Volunteering in an elderly residence kitchen, developing recycling programmes, raising awareness of an environmental issue or collecting recyclable items are all possible activities that can serve to deepen social responsibility and social action.

Raising money for a cause or teaching children to use part of their pocket money to donate directly to a charity organisation are other possibilities to consider.

Institutions are important in the development of youth volunteering. Increasingly schools, religious institutions and other public and private organisations are recognising and supporting youth involvement in community service and service learning to prepare students for responsible citizenship.

Such activities can have positive effects for both students and their communities.

Families and other social institutions must work together to make sure that all youth have access to opportunities that support their learning of social responsibility. Some countries have also realised the importance of involving children in learning how businesses can be run in eco-friendly ways.

By taking seriously the “education for sustainable development” initiatives recommended by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Casio introduced such initiatives in collaboration with educational institutions.

Children are also exposed to family discussions and discourses in media and, thus, their awareness of the social and political world emerges earlier. Hence, their social and moral abilities can be quite advanced.

Sheldon Berman, in his book called Children’s Social Consciousness and the Development of Social Responsibility, drew on the research literature in such fields as moral development, citizenship education, political socialisation, prosocial development and psychosocial development. He provides educators and researchers with the developmental understandings and instructional strategies necessary that enable students to become active, caring and responsible members of a community.

The importance of the development of a child into a socially-responsible citizen capable of working effectively toward the common good cannot be underestimated, in a world struggling with privatisation and individualism.

If, for any reason, we feel we have failed ourselves in the past we can always keep in mind the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States (1933-1945 “We may not be able to prepare the future for our children but we can at least prepare our children for the future”.

Parents and legal guardians have special responsibilities for children’s education and guidance. Justice between generations means that we have an obligation to hand down our environmental, social and cultural heritage to our children in a sustainable way. It also includes an obligation for the younger generations to care for the elder population. It should be ensured that all generations can participate fully in society.

Children seem to learn much from what we do rather than what we say.

Nighat Urpani is Alternattiva Demokratika’s spokeswoman on global development.

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