Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: On the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20th November, Terre des hommes (Tdh) and its partners in Romania organized for the second time an original event which is both educational and meaningful: Takeover Day. For a whole day, thousands of young people were able to try out the job of their dreams and take responsibilities. That day, it’s the youngsters who can take the decisions!
This year, nearly 2,700 children took part in Takeover Day throughout Romania. A real success, as originally only 500 participants were expected. The event, a part of the celebration for Child Rights Day, was dedicated to the participation of youngsters and lasted for 4 days, from 18th to 21st November. The concept is bold: the kids select a job that interests them and take the place of a professional for a whole day. They are completely immersed in the job and gain practical experience. The concept is not to observe but to act! In this way, thousands of young people were able to discover what it means to be an ambassador, a doctor, a professor, a businessman or even a pilot. They could take decisions of importance for themselves, for other people and for society in general. It was an enriching experience that enabled them to project themselves into the future and to build their strong personal identity. Among the many participants was Mitica, who could discover what it’s like to be a banker. Dressed appropriately, he wanted to learn where the money is kept, and if bankers do positive things for ordinary people. Ioana Mincu, aged 14, put on the prestigious outfit of the Ambassador of Ireland. Raise awareness and improve integration With this project, taking place for the second consecutive year, Terre des hommes and its Romanian partners have been raising awareness of the children and the general public about the right of children to participation. In Romania as many as 43% of children are never or very rarely consulted on issues that affect them. Each youngster has, in fact, the right to self-expression and to be included in the process of decisions concerning them. It is a fundamental right, set out in the Convention on the rights of the child. Takeover Day also aims at a longer-term objective, that of improving the social inclusion of disadvantaged children and their access to rights. The project is a part of the programme ‘Praevenir’ concerned with protecting children from exclusion and abuse, and the schooling of children in the Roma communities in the southwestern region of Dolj.