Release date ; November 20, 2021
A Province Children Deserve
National Children’s Day, on November 20, is a day celebrated in Canada and around the world to mark the adoption in 1989 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Former Ontario Child Advocate (2008-2019) and current NDP Candidate in Don Valley West, Irwin Elman, states,
Today, on the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, we must remind ourselves that, as the father of children’s rights Januscz Korczaksaid, “children are not the people of tomorrow, but people today”.
We must remember as human beings, children have human rights. We must also remember that adults in our societies bear a duty to ensure those rights are realized.
On this day we must think about the children who were lost to residential schools, and those who suffered and continue to suffer due to our governments’ policies.
We must commit to a Province that says three things to every child and every family;
To each and every child: “we will protect you and ensure you are safe”
To each and every young person: “you will have what you need, when you need it in order to thrive”
To each and every family ( however constituted, biological families, kin families, adoptive families, foster g=families, chosen families): “Thank you. You will have what you need when you need it, so you can do right by your children.”
We are at a moment, moving towards a post pandemic world, where we can build a new normal. We can build a caring democracy.
We don’t need a government that centres every decision on the almighty dollar or it’s political fortunes. We can elect an NDP government that will centre every decision on the well being of people.
We can elect an NDP government whose first question will not be, “how much does it cost to deliver on our promises, and how much will we have to cut back on our promise to children and families?”. Instead, we will ask, “working together, how can we deliver on our promise to make life better for everyone in Ontario?”
Irwin Elman
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