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The United Nations General Assembly passed a Igsolution in l9h6 establishing the UN International mfildren's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The agency was Charged then with the responsibility of raising a fund 0 provide relief for the suffering children in war— devastated Europe: In 1953 the UN General Assembly Oted to continue the fund indefinitely and also to iden the scope of UNICEF'S activities to inClude rogrammes in Asia, Africa, and Latin America as

ell as Europe. “ r

In 1959 the UN General Assembly adopted what it

alled The Declaration of the Rights of the Child, mating that "Mankind owes the child the best it has

0 give....All children without any exception whatever, Jmll be entitled to these rights, without distinction fl~discrimination". UNICEF was then given the esponsibility to implement children's rights.

At the UNICEF Executive Board meeting in Manila in. 9T3 the year 1979 was declared as The International ear of the Child. The goals set out then were for 1w national evaluatiOn of children's needs and ervices, and the programming of more extended and imtained services for children. The board nphasiZed the need for every country to launch .fiicial and popular action on the national plane, ad for UNICEF to help this to become the starting Oint for lasting action. '

Here in Canada, the Canadian UNICEF Committee and

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\ ‘ V THE UFEI SUN, Thursday, Nov. 1, 1979, page 5

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"the Canadian Red cross Society worked jointly to

produce a programme for the International Year of the Child. The programme was aimed at fostering healthy attitudes in Canadian youths towards the people of other worlds. The Canadian International Development Agency and others funded the programme whose activities included Teacher Training Workshops,. the availability of learning materials with ideas about the International Year of the Child, a series of television and radio programs, and the dedication of the United Nations Day, October 2h, to a look at how children around the world relate to Canada and its Young people. '

An interesting highlight of the program on October 2h was the enlightening of four schools on PEI as undertaken by some international students from UPEI. Anybody who had the opportunity to visit one of these schools would Surely know by the display of the children that they did a lot of research with the help of their teachers. This obviously must have helped both the children and their teachers to understand some basic facts of life about the countries they researched. \

The visits were far reaching and informative. The few students who were able to go round to these schools Were able to clear many myths that existed in the minds of our young ones. From the questions these students had I to answer it was obvious that there was a lack of understanding of some basic facts of life about other countries. Questions like: do you sleep with tigers 'in your country?, do you eat dogs?, do you have nfamilies?, are questions that would not have arisen «if there was a basic understanding that all human Iraces have some basic things in common.

However, the intelligence and eagerness to learn as displayed by these youth are ‘a pointer to the fact that somebody somewhere has to do something in educating not only the youths, but the elders too, in international affairs. Some of the UPEI students were really amazed to find some 10 year old kids asking them some intriguing questions about the politics and ecomomics of their countries. I believe that in most of the areas visited the teachers and Parents must have spent the rest of the day either listening to the children relate their experience with the foreign students. This must mean, therefore, that the children shared their knowledge with the elders.

This kind of activity is really what is required quite regularly here on PEI, not only for children, but for elders too. I would like to see UNICEF and the Red—Cross working together with the International Students Association in order to promote a regular program of tours and lectures to students, clubs and communities on the Island. This way children, parents, and teachers will all get to have some basic understanding of what life is like outside Canada.

As the International Year of the Child ‘ winds up, it is hoped that its spirit will

be blown up so that, as UNICEF puts it, these Would be "more extended and sustained

services", not only for the children, but for their elders too.

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