MEGJASHI appeals for end of political abuse of children in Macedonia

Below you can find an appeal sent by the "First Children's Embassy in the World - Megjashi" to the Macedonian mass media.

 

Appeal to the political parties

The First Children's Embassy in the World - Megjashi, on the occasion of the forthcoming parliament elections in Republic of Macedonia and the electoral campaigns, points out the necessity to protect the children from abuse and manipulation in achieving political goals.

The Law of Child Protection says: "The abuse of children for political or religious organizing and agency is prohibited" (art.9/2). There were numerous examples in the past years where children, who hadn't had their political conscience developed yet, were politically indoctrinated by some political parties' ideologies, and thus, used as means for achieving political goals. At the past elections the children were present at the political parties' meetings, in the electoral headquarters, in media propaganda, or they were even disguised as advertising objects wearing T-shirts with the parties' mottos or the politicians' images. Also, there were fights and hostility or even hate between groups of children being sympathizers of certain political party... The parties engaged the children in distributing the parties' propaganda material, pamphlets, posters, etc.

For those reasons, we remind that the responsibility for these events is to be taken by the political parties and the parents who often take their children with them to the political meetings, where their safety can be imperiled.

The First Children's Embassy in the World - Megjashi reminds it is necessary that the media refuse emitting political messages containing any abuse of the children. In TV commercials, there cannot be any content harming the children's best interest (art. 3 and 36 from the Convention on the Rights of the Child).

The First Children's Embassy in the World - Megjashi encourages all political parties, in the forthcoming electoral period, to challenge each other with contents and activities announcing a better and safer childhood, where there will be no children victims of violence, children excluded from the compulsory primary education, children living on the streets or handicapped children having problems because of their special needs; but for the children to live in welfare and have a better future.

The First Children's Embassy in the World - Megjashi expects a promise from all political parties to guarantee the respect of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in practice and to obstruct the violation of the child's rights.

Dragi Zmijanac MA.Sc
Executive Director and Founder
First Children's Embassy in the World - Megjashi

You can download the appeal in PDF file.

 

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Appeal.pdf	22.72 KB