Slovenia celebrates the Week of the Child

A blog by Petra Zega, Programme Assistant at the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth, on the Week of the Child a full week of events dedicated to children and their rights.

In Slovenia, the Week of the Child has been celebrated for 70 years and it has always been on the first Monday of October. The programme has been originally organized by Eurochild member the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth, which also protected it as its trademark, and it is currently recognized at national level.

The Week of the Child is dedicated to addressing issues related to children’s status in society and the protection of their rights. Each year there is a main topic and this year’s topic was “A Child, the Blank Sheet”. The idea suggests that every child is born as a blank sheet, shaped over time by the environment, education and experiences. For decades, Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth have prepared an epistle on the selected theme, which can take the form of a story, poem, quote, or comic.

This year, from 7 to 13 October, we focused especially on childhood and on values ​​- how they were upheld in the past and how they are regarded today. We organized a consultation where various speakers participated, including youth representatives. Our members across Slovenia have organized various events that enabled children to express themselves creatively - an important dimension is that activities are intended for all children, regardless of their personal circumstances and they are free of charge.

We are particularly proud that we collaborated with students to design posters for the Week of the Child, and we selected one to serve as the official poster. Additionally, a student wrote an epistle conveying important messages about the values we aim to promote, such as respect for nature and others, honesty and justice.

We sent posters and epistle to all kindergartens and elementary schools in Slovenia, inviting them to participate in an art and literature competition, with the epistle serving as the inspiration. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and we are pleased to have achieved our goal: with the help of educators and teachers become more aware of essential values.

For further information, you can contact Petra Zega, Programme Assistant at the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth.