It’s not every day that two different worlds collide, but anything is possible when a great cause is involved. The same goes for Sachin Tendulkar and Ayushmann Khurrana meeting halfway for UNICEF.
UNICEF India will celebrate Child Rights Week from 14 November (National Children’s Day) to 20 November (World Children’s Day) through a host of activities emphasizing that all children, regardless of gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other status deserve to feel celebrated, and have the right to be included and protected especially the most marginalized and vulnerable.
Sport provides a powerful means to demonstrate the importance of inclusion and equality, which help children develop important life skills such as leadership, teamwork, inclusion, tolerance, and cooperation. Highlighting the role of play and sports in achieving inclusion, children and lawmakers will discuss gender equality and inclusion through sports on Wednesday, 16 November 2022. Lawmakers will interact with children and learn about their experiences, concerns, and aspirations and how sports helped them overcome their challenges.
On Friday, 18 November 2022, Sachin Tendulkar, Regional Ambassador for UNICEF South Asia, and Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana, UNICEF Celebrity Advocate, and UNICEF India will be present at a symbolic futsal match; children from 08 states will play to highlight sports for inclusion.
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“The World Children’s Day is UNICEF’s Global Day of Action for children, by children. Sports promotes participation, breaks gender stereotypes and social barriers, and is a powerful tool to achieve gender equity. Sports can play a catalytic role in changing social norms, providing a pathway for girls to realize their dreams and aspirations. This year, children will leverage the power of sports to highlight inclusion and non- discrimination for every child. We must ensure that every child is celebrated and safe from any kind of discrimination,” said Cynthia McCaffery, UNICEF Representative to India.
Iconic buildings and monuments across the country and the world will go blue on World Children’s Day in solidarity with child rights. The Rashtrapati Bhawan (President House), Parliament Building, State Legislative Assembly buildings, and iconic historical monuments across India in #GoBlue light. The color blue symbolizes and draws attention to rights for #EveryChild both in India and globally.
Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes every child’s right to rest, leisure, and play. Sport is important to a child’s physical and mental development in building life skills and promoting inclusion and leadership.