Giants of Africa in collaboration with Roméo Dallaire Institute celebrates Day of the African Child

As the world gathers to celebrate African Child Day (DAC) on June 16, the Romeo Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security (Dallaire Institute) and the Giants of Africa (GOA) reiterated the urgent need to do more to support the continent’s children by placing their rights at the center of the agenda for peace and human security.

These two international organizations work closely with the Rwandan government to promote children’s wellbeing here at home and around the world.

In a special message for this occasion, the leaders of these two organizations conveyed hope and solidarity with millions across this continent who face the great disruption caused by the ongoing pandemic of the corona virus.

Masai Ujiri, co-founder of GOA and Toronto Raptors basketball team president / general manager, emphasized the protection of children in Africa as essential to building a prosperous and safer future.

“By prioritizing the needs of children, together we can build a strong foundation for an Africa, and a world, that is fit for future generations,” he says, emphasizing that “a strong and united Africa requires a clear policy focus to promote the African Child.”

Rtd. Gen. Romeo Dallaire, founder of the Dallaire Institute, points out that since Africa has the youngest population in the world it has the potential to lead the world and change the course of mankind.

“The COVID -19 pandemic has taught us that the new normal needs to recognize we can no longer ignore the most vulnerable, nor the power they potentially possess,” he adds.

The Dallaire Institute (formerly known as the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative) is the parent body of Rwanda’s newly developed African Center of Excellence for Children, Peace and Security to promote a pan-African approach to child safety and the prevention of children’s use in armed conflicts.

The Center is the first of its kind in Africa, with substantial support from the German Government and philanthropic actors such as the Intact Foundation.

It builds on a longstanding partnership with the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) on child soldiers prevention and adoption of the Vancouver Principles, of which Rwanda was a leading advocate.

A cooperation with the Rwandan National Police extends the scope of the Centre.

The Center is conducting innovative research, training peacekeepers and advancing peacekeeping policy changes in Africa and around the world. The presence of the Center in Rwanda is also a testament to the leadership of this country in promoting global peace and security.

According to Dr Shelly Whitman, Dallaire Institute’s Executive Director, prioritizing child protection can help achieve innovation and accountable societies and break generational violence cycles.

“The time is now to dream big and to place children’s rights at the top of the peace and security agenda,” she says.

The partnership between the Dallaire Institute and the Giants of Africa serves to build further resilience among the African youth, working for a future not defined by conflict.

The African Child’s Day has been celebrated every year on June 16 since 1991, when the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union, initiated it.

To celebrate the children of Africa and call for deep introspection and commitment to addressing the many problems they face, the theme of the DAC 2020 is access to child-friendly justice, as adopted by the Executive Council of the African Union during its 34th Ordinary Session of 7-8 February 2019.

Because of the current Covid-19 crisis, the continental level commemoration of the event will be done via a webinar.

Rwanda has already shown its leadership and commitment to protecting the children.

Rwanda is the continent’s first country to endorse the 2017 Vancouver Principles, which prioritize and further operationalize child protection within UN peacekeeping operations, with a focus on tackling child soldiers recruitment and use.

It is the second-largest troop and police on the continent contributing country to peace operations by the United Nations and the African Union. Also, Rwanda is the world’s top contributor to women peacekeeping operations.

Such organizations, together, on this International African Child Day “join together in solidarity for a better Africa.”