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Friday, March 29, 2024

EU leads 2nd Children’s Rights Summit at Museo

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What happens when children take up the cudgels for climate change adaptation? The result will be creativity, innovation and collective voice to get rid of plastic wastes—all for a better environment.

In time for the celebrations of the 30th Year of the Convention on the Rights of Children, the European Union Delegation to the Philippines and the Museo Pambata conducted the Second Children’s Rights Summit.

As the first summit last year was devoted to children’s rights, this year’s edition has taken a notch further by linking children’s rights to the right of children for a green and sustainable environment.

The EU Delegation and Museo Pambata have worked in tandem to mobilize children and youth from public schools, communities, NGOs and arts groups for children and the environment.

The summit is comprised of a trainor’s training for children facilitated in by the EU Delegation to the Philippines’ Program Manager for Environment, Giovanni Seritella, Museo Pambata, and artists of Komunidad X.

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Since Oct. 12, 12 children aged 9 to 14 years old from the artistic town of Angono and from CAA and Regidor Elementary Schools were trained on the basics of children’s rights, and what they can do to advocate for environment protection and for climate change adaptation.

The second step is the children’s summit, where the children together with youth leaders from Bye Bye Plastics Philippines, will re-echo their skills and know-how to their fellow children.

They are encouraged to use their artistic skills to come up with tangible artworks that will remind all of them of the need to help save the environment, get rid of plastic pollution, and to learn how to combat and adapt to climate change.

While Sweden has a Greta Thunberg, the Philippines will not have only one but will have at least 80 child-advocates for the environment and climate change adaptation by the end of the children’s rights summit on Saturday in Museo Pambata.

What is distinctive about this children’s rights summit is that it is going to be run by children and youth themselves. Adults are not allowed, they can be observers but they are not supposed to speak up. Only children and the youth can talk and can share—as they deserve to be heard especially when it concerns about charting their own environment for the future.

Thomas Wiersing, Chargé d’ Affaires, a.i. of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, said this summit is a two-in-one event, as it also underscores the importance of climate change adaptation linked to the second EU Climate Diplomacy Week for 2019.

Since last year, the European Union has adopted a Circular Economy Action Plan to foster a transition to a stronger and more circular economy where resources are used in a sustainable way.

The plan aims to ensure that all plastic packaging in the European market would be recyclable by 2030, the consumption of single-use plastics reduced significantly, and the intentional use of microplastics restricted.

“If we take a sensible approach on the usage of plastic we can help transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy and a healthier climate and in turn we also encourage industry to transition away from producing wasteful and harmful single-use plastics,” he said.

“We are committed very strongly to help uphold the rights of children, to empower them so that they are made aware of their rights and to encourage them to campaign and rally their fellow children to adapt to climate change,” Wiersing said.

He said the EU believes in the inherent trait of the Filipino children to voice out their views, to assert their rights as children, and to come up with their own action plan for the environment.

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