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May 13 2009

Europadagen 9 maj – barns rättigheter viktiga för kreativitet

Under årets Europavecka i Tanzania 2009 arrangeras en mängd aktiviteter på året Europatema Kreativitet och Innovation, bland annat seminarium på Dar es Salaams Universitet om innovation, olika kreativa kulturella utställningar samt en fotbollsmatch mellan EU-diplomater och Tanzanias utrikesdepartement.

Vid invigningen av Europaveckan i Tanzania den 8 maj höll Sveriges ambassadör Staffan Herrström ett tal där särskilt barns rättigheter lyftes fram. Talet återges nedan på engelska.

Speech by Ambassador Staffan Herrström, Europe Day Reception 8 May 2009

20 years ago Sweden and what is now the Czech republic were separated through an iron curtain dividing our whole continent, Europe.

Today I have the floor here and now because Sweden holds the local EU Presidency representing our Czech colleagues holding the overall EU Presidency.

20 years after the fall of the Berlin wall we are partners in a united Europe. 

This was a change that was hard to believe in. But it was possible. And it happened.

That is certainly worth celebrating in itself.

But we are also celebrating European integration under a theme that is very close to my heart: Innovation and creativity. Crucial for growth. Crucial for the eradication of poverty. Tanzania certainly needs more entrepreneurs, stimulated by an encouraging business climate. Stimulated also by a change from a culture of secrecy to a culture of transparency. Already on its way – hopefully accelerating.

But I have one single, more fundamental message: Secure the rights of girls and boys. Creativity starts there.

Secure the rights of all boys and girls to get education. To get education at all. To get education with quality. To get education also inclduing disabled children, no to be hidden but to get equal opportunituies.

And the rights for children to get education stimulating creativity, encouraging reading, empowering children to speak out and to defend their rights.

So much education is top-down, authoritarian. And even including physical violence through corporal punishment.

Please let us change all this. Let children read, create, develop their skills. Let’s jointly use this year of creativity to energise the efforts to strengthen the rights of children. We have a convention for chdilren’s rights. Let’s jointly move that from the paper to the everyday life of children wherevere  they are – in Tanzania as well as in Sweden. Because they are the future artists, business men, ambassadors, ministers.

The boys and girls – the children of this country. That’s where it all should start.

 

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