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Annual observance on June 16
The
International Day of the African Child
,
[1]
also known as
the Day of the African Child (DAC)
,
[2]
[3]
has been
celebrated
on
June 16
every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the OAU
Organisation of African Unity
.
[1]
It honors those who participated in the
Soweto Uprising
in 1976 on that day.
[2]
[1]
It also
raises awareness
of the continuing need for
improvement of the education
provided to African children.
[2]
In
Soweto
,
South Africa
, on June 16, 1976, about ten thousand black school children marched in a column more than half a mile long, protesting the poor
quality of their education
and demanding their right to be taught in their
own language
. Hundreds of young students were shot, the most famous of which being
Hector Pieterson
. Sadly, more than a hundred people were killed in the protests of the following two weeks, and more than a thousand were injured.
On June 16 every year, governments,
NGOs
, international organisation', and other stakeholders gather to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the full realization of the
rights of children
in
Africa
. For 2014, the theme chosen returns to the roots of the movement:
A child-friendly, quality,
free
, and
compulsory education
for all children in
Africa
. It focuses on the barriers African children face in order to receive a quality education. It is also observed to show respect to the past students who dedicated their lives to their community by helping students today to reach their goals through black student
scholarships
that are provided on the basis of their
African heritage
.
[
citation needed
]
See also
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]
External links
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References
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