25 Years of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Marked

To mark 25 years of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, an event dedicated to working with children without parental care and their rights was organized today at the EU Info Centre in Sarajevo, through the promotion of the art project „Muzička Soba“ and the screening of three one-minute films that are part of the project „Shvatite nas ozbiljno - govorimo o mogućnostima"  which were entirely produced by children with and without developmental difficulties, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

The project „Shvatite nas ozbiljno - govorimo o mogućnostima" is part of the activities of the broader program “Strengthening the Social Protection System and Social Inclusion of Children in Bosnia and Herzegovina“, which has been funded by the European Union since 2008 in the total amount of 4.6 million euros.

The short films were made by children with the support of the NGO Genesis Project and the Foundation for Creative Development, as part of the campaign „Shvatite nas ozbiljno - govorimo o mogućnostima“ implemented in partnership with UNICEF, USAID, and the European Union.

The films aim to promote children's rights and social inclusion, with a particular focus on opportunities and equalizing the rights of children with developmental difficulties. 

The project „Muzička Soba“ is intended for all vulnerable categories of Bosnian society, and found its first address at the Bjelave Home for Children without Parental Care in Sarajevo. It is conceived as a creative corner where residents, together with pedagogues and musicians, spend their free time through music, learning the history of music, musical styles, composers, getting acquainted with musical instruments, the basics of playing and making music, composing, writing original songs, and learning the basics of music production, etc.

The well-being of children in BiH as a whole and the problems children face every day remain a matter of great importance for all EU member states. Specifically, activities focused on children with developmental difficulties and building a system that will ensure adequate social protection policies is a key priority of the European Union.