The World Vision charity is helping the children of the Lebenon find their voices through the publication of a book expressing in their own words the challenges they must overcome and the hopes they dream of whilst living in such a destructive time. The book ‘From a Child’s Point of View’, contains contributions from 32 children and young people living across Lebanon.
World Vision Lebanon Advocacy Manager, Patricio Cuevas-Parra, said –
Children found their way to put in writing the themes that concern them and they did it with such an amazing style and passion. Our hope is that this book will be pivotal in raising awareness of Lebanese citizens about the necessity of dialogue on child rights.
The authors were aged between 9-17 years old, and all took part in workshops to discover more about their rights to learn writing and photography skills. The young authors reflected on a diverse range of hard hitting subjects, like child labour, violence and lack of education.
A contributor to the book, 14-year-old Youhanna Abou Khazen, said –
This book is a message to adults to let them know that the children are a very important part of their community. We are the future, and we should defend our rights.A lot of children do not even know what their rights are. They don’t know for example that they don’t have to go to war if they are under 18, and my story in the book talks about that.
The book itself was born out of the Children’s Council, a three-year project which aims to assist children with the knowledge and skills to be involved in influencing their communities and peers to contribute to a more peaceful and tolerant society.
World Vision Lebanon National Director, Perry Mansfield, said –
Increasingly World Vision has come to understand that children are not just passive beneficiaries of our aid. They are powerful partners with whom we must engage if we are to produce positive and lasting change.
