Dia del Niño/a (Children’s Day)
On April 30th, Mexico celebrated their Dia del Niño/a – a day created to affirm children’s rights and cultivate happy childhoods for all children. The health institutions and Mexican President of the time acknowledged the vulnerabilities of that population (children) and that their suffering was a worldwide crisis that impacted everyone.
The famous late artist/rapper/activist, Tupac Shakur, was known for an acronym he created and subsequently got a tattoo of called THUG LIFE. This acronym stood for The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody. The larger message behind this highlighting the way we, in society and in our homes, treat infants and children will have larger impact and consequences with time.
I share these two historical pieces as I reflect on Tupac’s message on Dia del Nino/a. Children are a vulnerable population that must be respected, protected, loved, valued, and cared for. And while it starts at home with parents, caregivers, and extended family, it also becomes a societal obligation to value, protect, and respect children who will make up our social fabric in the future.
If children can understand and know they are welcome and cherished in our society, there is a larger chance they will become well adjusted adults willing to contribute value back to our society. They become the very adults we interact with in our day-to-day. I hope everyone can reflect on the importance of cultivating + encouraging our younger generations as a form of activism.
I will end this post by sharing the 8 Fundamental Rights of All Children, according to the Mexican “National Commission of Human Rights” (https://www.cndh.org.mx/):
Derecho a la vida; (Right to Life)
Derecho a la educación; (Right to an Education)
Derecho a la alimentación; (Right to Food Access + Nutrition)
Derecho a la salud; (Right to Health)
Derecho al agua; (Right to Water)
Derecho a la identidad; (Right to Identity)
Derecho a la libertad; y (Right to Freedom)
Derecho a la protección. (Right to Protection)
