As part of the younger generation of Ono Niha, Nias, North Sumatra, and
have learned the children’s rights, I invited the young Ono Niha to have online discussion about children's rights to
Commemorate the Republic of Indonesia's 76th independence (18/8/2021). The
initiative got responses from young people, from students, high school
graduates, and those who are employed. Understanding about human rights,
especially important children's rights, is important because of human rights that cannot
be revoked. Life is a fundamental right that humans are born with and starts
from the freedom of children to their rights.
Starting the discussion, Franciscus Harefa, a youth figure in the
community of Ono Niha, said the stepping point of the discussion: "the purpose of
this discussion is to establish a relation, as well as a media for online
discussion to reach
young Nias and sow a habit for discussion. So the youth will have new insight
and knowledge and concern for the environment."
Then I introduced the concept of 'child's rights, the idea of children
rights appeared at the end of the First World War and continued after the
Second World War as a reaction to the suffering that occur after the wars,
especially faced by women and children. The struggle for the rights of the
child was marked by Eglante Jebb in 1923 through the Declaration of Children’s
Rights that have 10 point statements Rights of the Child. It was adopted by the
League of Nations and known by the Geneva Declaration and then the General
Assembly of the UN finally adopted it. While in Indonesia, the concern for
children began since the founding of the Indonesian Women’s Congress in 1946.
Then in 1951 Indonesia Woman Corps (Kowani) held a congress, and established a National Childhood Day.
This led to the start of the National Child's day on July 23 through The
President Decision 44/1984 and on September 5, 1990, the Government ratified
the Convention on the rights of the child through The President Decision no 36/1990.
As time goes by, the appreciation to the rights of the child grows but, unfortunately, many people have not been 'aware’ of the issue which led to violence against children who should be protected, children who should be educated and have been dropouts, children work hard with have no time to play, recreation and to get sick because of bad habit, food, and unlivable home. Then, who is responsible for fulfilling the child's rights? Answering this certainly begins with who is in the closest circle of children, like parents, families, local communities including the local government to the central.
This discussion was so interesting when the participants gave their responses, Ilham Trihayono a management student of Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University told his experience with a 7-year-old suffering from illness PDD-NOS, a type of autism. "Children with autism often get bullied, and sometimes get no 100% protection because of bullying at school, so parents tended to be protective by forbidding he/she to play." On the other hand, Andre one of the participants criticized that the real target of information on the rights of this child, a person over 18 years old, a parent, or a government, and whether the rights of the child should be deprived? If a child knew the rights he or she would become more difficult to manage.
To be sure, the adults should know the rights of the child and implement it as their responsibility to establish child welfare. It looks simple but will impact the life of a generation, especially to a better Ono Niha generation.***
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