The exhibition " Children's rights have a face and a history" was opened in Veliko Tarnovo, aiming to show the life of children in Bulgaria through the prism of their rights.
The photo panorama was organized within the framework of the "UNICEF Photojournalists" initiative on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Its first presentation in Veliko Tarnovo is part of the annual meeting of child-friendly municipalities, organized by UNICEF, which the city hosts.
The exhibition was officially opened by Ms. Tanya Radochai, UNICEF Representative for Bulgaria, Mr. Gancho Karabadjakov, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo and Ms. Eva Zhecheva, Chairperson of the State Agency for Child Protection.
"In the last 25 years, the way we look at children has changed - as active individuals with distinct rights. But there are still many things that need to be improved. That is exactly why UNICEF called on the people of Bulgaria through this photo initiative to show us how children live and to provoke together adults to think about children's rights. And the fact that we are also celebrating another anniversary - the 5th birthday of the network of child-friendly municipalities, which continues to welcome new members - shows that care for children is growing and that while they are indeed our future, children live in the present and they need support here and now," said Ms. Tanya Radochai, UNICEF representative for Bulgaria.
The idea of the photographs is to promote children's rights and for this purpose the exhibition is divided into categories reflecting the basic children's rights: right to life, right to name and citizenship, right of the child to develop his full potential, right to family and family environment, right to information, right to freedom of expression, right to personal space and private life, right to care and protection, right to a good standard of living, right to development and education, right to protection from exploitation, sexual abuse, deprivation of freedom and trade in children, etc.
The nearly 500 photos collected during the initiative were taken by children and adults, amateurs and professional photographers. 50 of them (25 photos taken by children under 18 and 25 photos taken by adults) are included in the exhibition, which will be displayed in 9 more child-friendly cities - Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv, Blagoevgrad - until the end of November, Shumen, Dimitrovgrad, Kozloduy, Svishtov, Gotse Delchev.
“Upholding the fundamental rights of children is a guarantee for the well-being of the entire society. Cities and municipalities must take care to the maximum extent to ensure good conditions for life and development for all children, said Gancho Karabadjakov, deputy mayor of the municipality of Veliko Tarnovo. The annual meeting of child-friendly municipalities, which takes place on November 5 and 6 in Veliko Tarnovo, aims to create an environment for sharing experience and good practices in the field of implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the local level.
“25 years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we must prove that these are not just wishful thinking. In terms of education, he alth care, the right to choose, the whole society owes it to children. That is why we must work not only for the children, but with the children, because children's participation is among the least developed rights in Bulgaria. For this purpose, we must turn the Convention on the Rights of the Child into a living reality for all children, because it is the most widely ratified international document in the history of human rights, said Mrs. Eva Zhecheva, chairwoman of the State Agency for Child Protection. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is part of the internal legislation of Bulgaria and is the main document whose principles are followed and applied by the State Agency for the Rights of the Child.
