HISTORY OF CHILDREN’S DAY

2. HISTORY OF CHILDREN’S DAY • Children’ s Day grew out of the Geneva Declaration adopted on September 26, 1924 by the League of Nations • Purpose: to bring attention to the needs of • the children of the world • The Geneva Declaration urged that one day out of the year be dedicated to the right of a child to • ٭ Physical Development • ٭ Mental Development • ٭ Educational development • ٭ Play • Source: Inter-American Children’s Institute • http:www.iin.oea.org

3. HISTORICAL CONTEXT1ST World Conference for Well-being of Children • August 1924 - 54 representatives from different countries gather in Geneva, Switzerland. • Passed “Geneva Declaration Protecting Children" • The proclamation made a strong appeal for : • Relief for children in poverty • Prevention of child labor • Reassessing the way that children are educated • Other issues related to the welfare of children • around the world. • Source: Government Information Office-Republic of China-Taiwan

4. Geneva Declaration • The Declaration of the Rights of the Child is attributed to Eglantine Jeff, founder of the International Union for the Well-being of the Child and the British Trust. • La señorita Eglantine Jeff, fundadora de la Unión Internacional para el Bienestar del Niño y de la Caja Británica de Ayuda al Niño, se debe la Declaracion de los derechos del nino conocida también como la "Declaración de Ginebra."

5. Historical Context for El día de los niños in Mexico • Mexico is one of one hundred countries who originally established Children’s Day. • Obregón hires José Vasconcelos as minister of education. Vasconcelos establishes rural schools and works to persuade the Mexican people of the importance of education to raise the literacy rate. • Vasconcelos invites Gabriela Mistral to come to Mexico to reform the educational system and to establish rural schools AND free public libraries. Mistral stays in Mexico two years- Between 1922 -1924. • Mexican President Álvaro Obregón establishes April 30th as El día de los niños in 1924 as a way to celebrate the child in Mexico.

7. Early History of Children’s Day Celebrations in the United States • The City of San Francisco is among the first of U.S. cities to declare Children’s Day. The event was held on May 5, 1925 and is attributed to the Chinese Consul General Wang Yunxiang who gathered 60 former Chinese orphans and their families to celebrate one of China’s most popular holiday.

8. Pre-Children’s Day Expression: Children’s Book Week • Established in 1920 by Children’s Book Council • Purpose: • To celebrate the written word • Introduce young people to new authors and • ideas in schools, libraries, homes and • bookstores. • To encourage young people and their caregivers to discover the complexity of the world beyond their own experience through books.

9. OAS and UNICEF • The Organization of American States • (OAS) and UNICEF draft the Declaration of Universal Principals of the Rights of the Child on April 12, 1952 to bring attention to the inequality and mal-treatment of the children of the world • Urge each country to establish an annual day to celebrate children • Source: www.bolivia.com

10. UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY • By resolution 836 (IX)of 14 December 1954, the General Assembly recommended that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children. • Day of activity devoted to promoting the ideals and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the world. • The Assembly suggested to governments that the Day be observed on the date and in the way which each considers appropriate. (http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/children_day/)

11. CHILDREN’S DAY NOV.20TH • Declaration of the Rights of the Child • Proclaimed by General Assembly • resolution 1386(XIV) of 20 • November 1959 • (Source: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights)

12. 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child • Universally agreed set of non-negotiable • standards and obligations • Basic standards for human rights set minimum entitlements and freedoms that should be respected by governments • Founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, regardless of race, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, origins, wealth, birth status or ability • Apply to every human being everywhere.

13. WORLD SUMMIT FOR CHILDREN • September 29-30 1990 • Sponsored by United Nations • Led by 71 heads of State and Government • 88 other senior officials, mostly at the ministerial level • Adopted a Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children • Developed a Plan of Action for implementing the Declaration in the 1990s

14. A World Fit For Children U.N. Special Session May 2002 New York U.N. General Assembly on Children presidents, kings, crown princes, prime ministers, ministers and other senior officials, as well as children and young people, from 189 countries OUTCOME: International agreement on protecting and promoting children's rights, called A World Fit for Children.

15. Día Celebration in The United States • The idea for El día de los niños/El día de los libros was conceived in 1996 in the United States by children’s author Pat Mora as a way to celebrate children, books and culture.

16. Historical Context for Día in the U.S. A REFORMA PERSPECTIVE • To address low literacy rates of Latino and poor children in the United States • To provide children and families access to books and entré to the library • To address inequities in library services to Latino and other children and families of poverty

17. Día Presence at ALA • REFORMA - National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking- an ALA Affiliate- votes to promote Día in 1997. • 2002-ALSC votes to support Dia as an initiative • 2005- ALSC becomes Official ‘Home’ of El día de los niños/El día de los libros • Dia celebrates tenth anniversary with celebrations at ALA Mid-winter in San Antonio, Texas and at ALA Annual in New Orleans, La. • Fifty+ librarians gather in Pittsburg, Pa. for a National Institute to strategize ways to engage their communities in Día Partnerships

18. Other Children’s Day Celebrations Throughout Latin American • Argentina- Second Sunday in August • Brazil- October 12th • Chile- Second Sunday in August • Colombia- Last Saturday of April • Paraguay- May 31st • Perú- Third Sunday in August • Uruguay - August 9th • Venezuela- 3rd Sunday in June

19. Celebrating Our Multiculturalismthrough Día • 兒 童 節 /圖 書 日 (Chinese) • Ngày Nhi-đồng/Ngày Thư-viện (Vietnamese) • Le Jour des Enfantes/Le Jour de les Livres (French) • Kinderstag/Der Tag der Bücher (German) • La Festa dei bambini/La Festa dei libri (Italian) • Детский день / книжный день (Russian)

20. DÍA GOALS TODAY • To honor Children and their Childhood • To Promote literacy and the importance of linking all children to books, languages and cultures • To honor a child’s home language and culture • To Promote bilingual and multilingual literacy in a multicultural society

21. DÍA GOALS TODAY • To Promote Books and Reading among Families and Communities • To connect the Public and School library to Families and to the Community • To promote books and stories that reflect our plurality • To promote global understanding through library collections that reflect our plurality

22. TO BE CONTINUED………..

23. TO BE CONTINUED………………

24. PART II THE NATIONAL AND STATE PERSPECTIVES LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU

25. National Presence • Library Association Divisions and Affiliates • ALA, PLA, REFORMA,CBCALA, AIA, • National Latino Associations • National Council of La Raza-NCLR • MALDF • International Reading Association • National Education Association • NAEYC • Head Start

26. National Presence • Children’s Defense Fund • Reach Out and Read • First Book • Web Presence • Colorín Colorado • Reading Planet • Reading Rockets • RIF • Upcoming Opportunities: JCLA-October, 2006

27. STATE PRESENCE • State Library Associations • State Teachers’ Associations • State Bilingual Educators’ Associations • CABE/TABE/FABE? • State NCLR Affiliates • DĺA STATES • Texas Florida California

28. Innovation at the State Level • State-wide Steering/Planning Committee • through State Library or State Library Association • REFORMA Chapters • Spanish-speaking Round Table • Other Partnerships Opportunities • Planning Grant- LSTA

29. THE DELIVERABLES • Proclamations • Día Manual • Web Site • Mini-Grants to Generate State-wide Programs • Recommended Reading Lists • DĺA Programs @ State Association Meetings

30. MORE DELIVERABLES • BOOK MARKS • PUBLICITY • Mini-grants for Multicultural Literature • Mini-grants for Multicultural Programing • Mini-grants for Diverse Authors

31. OUTCOMES To Institutionalize Día i.e.: To make Día a permanent part of what we do as librarians to reach out to the community

32. Día Provides Libraries Opportunities to: • Celebrate cultures and traditions • Outreach to underserved populations • Develop strategies for increased library use among traditionally under-utilized populations • Develop library collections that mirrors the communities that they are/should be serving • Collaborate with other literacy-based organizations

33. What is Culture? Shared Thought, Actions and Products…

34. CHILD OUTCOME A CONNECTED COMMUNITY SOCIAL NETWORKS CHURCH PUBLIC LIBRARY

35. Illustration by Raul Colón from Doña Flor: A Tall Tale about a Great Big Woman with a Big Heart. Random House/Knopf, 1995.

36. Oralia  Garza de Cortés  Early Literacy Consultant Los Angeles Universal Preschool 750 N. Alameda Suite 200 Los Angeles, California 9001 213-416-1220 phone 213-416- fax Ocortes@laup.net Odgc@aol.com www.laup.net

37. www.ala.org/dia