MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, BERLIN – The world’s future lies within its young generation and children. Consequently, four entities comprising adults, parents, society, and the government are urged to take responsible, supportive actions that guarantee children’s high-quality growth and development rights.
“The quality of children hinges adults’ role in nurturing them because children are our future,” said Mu’ti in the international forum on “Children’s Rights, a Responsibility of Adults on Monday (September 11).
Mu’ti quoted surah Al-Anbya verse 105, “Surely, we have already written in the book [of Psalms] after the [previous] mention that the land [of Paradise] is inherited by My righteous servants.”
So that we have children for the future of our earth, mankind, and universe, we need to understand them and, as much as possible, ensure they can have their rights.
According to the UNICEF Convention, there are at least 25 rights of children, including life survival; name and nationality; identity; keeping family together; contact with parents across countries; protection from kidnapping; respect for views; sharing thoughts; freedom of religion and thought; setting up or joining groups; protection of privacy; access to information; access to good education; protection from violence; protection from harmful drugs; protection from sexual abuses; protection from exploitation; protection from sale and trafficking; protection in war; recovery and reintegration; legal help in detention and criminal; social and economic help; food, clothing, and safe home; rest, cultural arts, and play; and respect to use and express their language, culture, and religion.
Adults, parents, communities, and governments are responsible for doing the best for children.
First, parents are responsible for looking after, protecting, and bringing up children full of love, dignity, and sincerity.
Second, communities are responsible for helping children with no parents, displaced from their family and society by providing shelters, being guardians, social and legal advocacy, and assurance that there is no discrimination on the bases of race, sex, ethnicity, and economy status, religion, culture, family background and so forth.
Third, the government is responsible for building a safe, clean, and good social, spiritual, and natural environment for children through legal policies, law enforcement, and social security.
Adults are responsible for educating children by being good examples, mentors, and teachers, as well as facilitating and helping children develop their personalities, talents, and abilities, understanding their rights, roles, and responsibilities, and protecting them from any kind of violence and some problems.
Muhammadiyah has been very concerned and committed to nurturing children as part of Islamic and social responsibilities. Muhammadiyah has over six hundred orphanages across Indonesia for orphans, homeless, refugees, and vulnerable children.
Overseas, Muhammadiyah also provides schools and shelters for Palestinian refugee children in Beirut. Muhammadiyah works with many international agencies to save children’s lives, such as the “EMAS (Extending Maternal and Neonatal Survival)” program, two-year breastfeeding, saving children from gadget addiction, and other programs to protect our children.
“Hopefully in the future, we could have further partnerships, collaboration, and cooperation to save the lives of our children because they are the future of our world,” said Mu’ti.
