The ICT Blog
Welcome to the International Children’s Trust Blog
The ICT would like this blog to embrace the ideas, views and experiences of all who are interested and/or involved in the good development of children, especially those who are born in poverty.
This blog is open to staff, trustees and volunteers of The ICT, and individuals who become engaged in our issues either by profession or for personal reasons.
April 2013 Blog
Demand a day!
A few weeks ago I read a blog by a journalist who mentioned that she wasn’t in favour of the large influx of new “international days of.....” – happiness, mother language, road safety, telecommunications…. . you name it, more and more organisations or networks are using “international days” to bring a particular cause to the attention of the public, NGOs and government. The main reason for her objection (from a journalist’s perspective of course) was the fact that a Day itself isn’t actually news. Whilst I completely understand that the day itself might not be enough to generate an interesting newspaper article, the use of “international days” can offer a powerful campaign tool to foster public interest in a particular issue.
Take the issue of streetchildren. The Consortium for Street Children’s campaign “Demand a Day”, is asking the UN to make April 12 the International Day for Streetchildren. To support the campaign, The International Children’s Trust and its partners, working with street involved children, will be holding events, producing newsletters, and sending out campaign messages on twitter and facebook to raise international concern for the millions of streetchildren around the world. If a specific day in the year is awarded as a result of this activity then it would be a small step to realise more and greater activity as each year passes, creating opportunity for broadening peoples’ awareness of conditions faced by streetchildren and changing attitudes in the process. We hope for increased support for our cause and eventually the harnessing of activity into a single VOICE for, and on behalf of, streetchildren around the world. Read more here.
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As blog host, The ICT reserves the right to refuse to publish a blog on any grounds whatsoever. Blogs that are accepted and published may not necessarily reflect the views or practice of The ICT, and may be published to inspire debate or challenge accepted opinion in the development sector.
If you wish to contribute a blog please consider the following guidelines:
Blogs should usually be between 300 and 700 words in length and written in English
Blogs should be concerned with aspects of the international child development sector
Blogs should be respectful in tone
Please send completed blogs, with your name, any relevant professional status, and full contact details (including email and postal address, and telephone number), to: admin@ictinfo.org.uk
Blogs sent anonymously will not usually be considered.
Blogs that are published will include the author’s name and any professional status but not any contact details which will be kept for The ICT’s information only.
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