Istanbul celebrates World Children’s Day with awareness campaigns

ISTANBUL, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) — Türkiye’s largest city Istanbul on Wednesday celebrated World Children’s Day with awareness campaigns dedicated to children.
Apart from workshops, games, storytelling sessions, face painting, concerts, film screenings, and other fun activities held on the particular day to help children learn about their rights, the municipality has also been hosting the 4th edition of the Children’s Rights Festival, a nine-day event kicking off on Nov. 12.
Among the celebration activities on Wednesday was a discussion about where children’s rights exist and what happens in cases of rights violations. The discussions were held among a group of children, the youngest being four, accompanied by their teachers, within Istanbul’s ancient city walls.
The group also designed and decorated colorful banners inscribed with important rights, and displayed their creations in a lively march.
“Throughout the festival, we have organized a series of workshops and activities that are designed to be easily understood by children, while also raising awareness among parents about children’s rights,” Senay Gul, director of Istanbul’s Children Services Department, told Xinhua.
“Using creative drama techniques, we effectively communicate these concepts to children. Our goal is to raise their awareness of their rights, educate them, and encourage their active participation as engaged members of society,” Gul said. ■