A ‘Children in Conflict Week’ of activities and fundraising starts on Monday May 4 at The University of Manchester, the first initiative of its kind on campus.
The week is jointly organised by four student societies, Give For Gaza, Amnesty International, UNICEF and STAR, and is supported by the Students’ Union, as well as a number of other student societies.
The week will feature a wide range of events, including a comedy night, two club nights and live performances, culminating in a Fun Day in Platt Fields Park on Sunday May 10.
An estimated 20 million children have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict and human rights violations, whilst more than two million children have died as a direct result of armed conflict over the last decade.
Between 8,000 and 10,000 children are killed or maimed by landmines every year, and an estimated 300,000 child soldiers – boys and girls under the age of 18 – are involved in more than 30 conflicts worldwide. This is taking place every day, violating children’s rights, destroying their childhood and compromising their future.
The week aims to raise money for charities that are working with children, as well as raising awareness about the reality of childhood in areas of conflict.
Law student Tanzil Chowdhury, one of the event organisers, said: “It is really positive to see all these societies coming together to highlight such an important issue and at the same time putting together some great events; there definitely appears to be something for everyone.”
For the full programme of events visit: http://www.umsu.manchester.ac.uk/campaigns/children_in_conflict
