Sebha – The scientific symposium organized by the Center for Community Service and Development at Sebha University, titled “Community Awareness for the Protection of Child Rights” under the slogan “Child Rights: Between Reality and Aspiration,” recommended strengthening community efforts to protect childhood.
Participants emphasized disseminating child rights derived from the Prophetic Sunnah and making them a practical guide for educators, parents, and those responsible for childhood affairs. This would be achieved through symposiums and media programs that highlight educational methods for real-world application, as well as collecting and studying the prophetic traditions related to human rights through research projects and academic theses to showcase Islam’s pioneering role in protecting childhood.
Participants called for applying Islamic principles to child rights and presenting them to international organizations, developing national legislation to align with global conventions, and enhancing legal protection against violence, abuse, and exploitation. They also urged for guaranteeing the right to education and integrated healthcare for all children without discrimination, and supporting families to enable them to fulfill their role in protection and care.
They also stressed the activation of official and community institutions in spreading a culture of rights through awareness programs and campaigns targeting families and society to warn of the dangers of neglect and its psychological and social consequences.
They called for preparing training programs for specialists and caregivers on intervention methods to address the effects of abuse and neglect, and for developing psychological services in educational institutions with the presence of psychological counselors and social workers to periodically monitor children’s conditions.
They also emphasized the importance of the early childhood stage by developing educational entertainment in kindergartens and enhancing cooperation among doctors, social specialists, and psychologists to accurately monitor and document cases of abuse and to adhere to legal and ethical reporting requirements.
The symposium, which concluded last Thursday, recommended developing media content directed at children, launching national campaigns to raise awareness about the risks of foods containing artificial colorings, flavorings, and preservatives, and enacting legislation requiring producers to disclose ingredients. It also called for strengthening cooperation between the government, educational institutions, and civil society organizations to establish comprehensive national policies for childhood protection and to allocate sufficient budgets to ensure a safe and healthy environment for children.
