PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
LUSAKA – MISA Zambia today joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB). This year, the day is being celebrated under the theme “Children’s voices, children’s rights – our collective responsibility.”
MISA Zambia calls upon all the stakeholders in the broadcast sector in the country to provide platforms for children to fully express themselves as we commemorate this day. As we continue to mould our children into future leaders, there is need to ensure that we take into account the issues that affect them. We have a responsibility to amplify their voices to be heard and address matters of concern to them.
Article 17 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child provides that States Parties recognize the important function performed by the mass media and shall ensure that the child has access to information and material from a diversity of national and international sources, especially those aimed at the promotion of his or her social, spiritual and moral well-being and physical and mental health.
It is for this reason that MISA Zambia encourages broadcasters to ensure that their programming and content going beyond the commemoration of ICDB is inclusive of children’s voices that promote their education and development. As education remains one of the critical roles of the media, radio and television play a vital role in shaping the lives of children. It is therefore a call for all broadcasting stations in the country to continue facilitating child-friendly content that builds children intellectually as well as morally.
Issued by
MISA Zambia
Lorraine Mwanza Chisanga
Chairperson
