A rich program for the Gard Child Rights Week

“Preparing for the future means believing in our ability to do it together“, begins Philip Seraphimides, president of the Unicef ​​Languedoc-Roussillon committee during the press conference presenting the week of children's rights. “This is why this week in Gard is so important to highlight the joint work of all associations which aim to protect, preserve and defend children's rights..” A work which is reflected in a rich programming for this event organized from November 20 to 29, 2024, supported by the International Defense of Children (DEI) association of Gard and coordinated by the Departmental Council. But also a work which is strives to ensure respect”the four fundamental principles of children's rights“recalled by Délie Muller, president of the DEI: ” non-discrimination, priority given to the best interests of the child, the right to live, survive and develop, respect for the child's opinions and speech. We are still far from meeting the commitments made in 1989.” That is to say since the adoption by the United Nations of the international convention on the rights of the child (Cide). In total, a collective of more than 27 local associations is engaged in this fight alongside the department which, through child welfare (ASE), takes care of and supports nearly 4,000 children.

Activities throughout Gard and a children’s forum

The program is based around activities for schools and leisure centers, but also for the general public with theater, café and parent-child workshop, film screenings, exhibitions, round tables, conferences. Especially this year, “The children's forum”, which will be held on the right bank of Pont-du-Gard on Wednesday, November 20, will launch the festivities and will be an opportunity to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the international convention. Educational workshops, stories, game libraries, games, yoga, music will punctuate this day.

For the rest, activities will be organized in the municipalities of Nîmes, Aigues-Mortes, Redessan, Saint-Christol-lez-Alès, Saint-Privat-des-Vieux, Uzès, La Calmette, Barjac, Alès and Anduze. The University of Nîmes – Vauban site – will be there and will host round tables on the rights and protection of children in care as well as a conference on November 28 by Claude Ardid, journalist and author who spent two months immersed in the Marseille miners' brigade.

Finally, the screening of the film “Los lobos”, at the Le Capitole cinema in Uzès will close this 2024 edition. Two children, Max and Léo, are forced by their mother, after leaving Mexico, to learn English. they want to make their dream come true: going to Disneyland. A dream that is certainly not reserved for these children alone.