Belgian children call for peace at United Nations

A delegation from SOS Children's Villages Belgium is heading to the United Nations in New York on Tuesday. The children will deliver a message from children in more than 30 countries calling for peace worldwide, SOS Children's Villages Belgium said on Tuesday.

On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the children will ask the international community to put an end to war in the world. SOS Children's Villages national director Hilde Boeykens will also show a video as part of the Stomping for Peace campaign.

"Today, on the eve of International Children's Day, children are calling for an end to the normalisation of violence against them," Boeykens said. "Children deserve a safe environment and the opportunity to develop fully. The children's demand is clear: leaders must intervene immediately and put children's rights at the centre".

470 million affected

According to the organisation, an estimated 470 million children, or about one in five of the world's children, are living in or fleeing conflict zones. Many are injured, killed, abducted or sexually abused. Children in countries at peace are also affected and react to the news with fear, anger and sadness.

With the Stomping for Peace initiative, SOS Children's Villages is making four demands: an end to violence against children, the enforcement of international humanitarian law, the provision of humanitarian aid in conflict areas and the prevention of family separation through violence.

"Stomping for Peace (...) embodies a movement driven by the passion and resolve of children standing up for their rights and those of fellow children whose lives are impacted by war," the NGO says. "By participating in this initiative, children can elevate their voices and unite in the pursuit of a world where every child can flourish in safety and dignity."

^{© PHOTO AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT}