Thousands of children and youth gathered on the picturesque Al Majaz Amphitheatre Island over the weekend which raised 48 banners inscribed with the rights of children and youth, symbolising and reiterating Sharjah’s firm support to the fulfillment of their rights worldwide.

This and other activities marked the two-day Sharjah Carnival for Children and Youth, whose second edition was organised by the Sharjah Baby Friendly Office (SBFO) on November 21 – 22, to coincide with Universal Children’s Day observed annually on November 20.

The event attracted a heavy footfall of thousands of children, families and school visits from across the UAE, witnessed the participation of public and private organisations as well as top Arab social media influencers, Fatima Al Banna, Thaher Al Muhairi, Noor Al Baloushi, Ali Bin Kamal, Mohra Al Shehi, Yousef Al Ali, Sultan Bin Bader, Mezna Najib, Mohammed Al Mazroui, Maha Quraishi, Ahmed Al Amiri and Mira Al Hammadi.

Themed ‘Children’s Rights Island’, the carnival was packed with interactive activities and insightful workshops for children and youth, live entertainment shows and musical performances. Participating schools presented shows, songs and theatrical acts centered around the topic of children’s rights.

‘Sharjah in Blue’ increases awareness on children’s rights 

To mark the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the United Nations’ Declaration of the Rights of the Child, SBFO launched an awareness campaign titled ‘Go Blue Sharjah’ as part of UNICEF’s ‘Go Blue’ campaign where buildings and landmarks around the world are lit up in blue in support of child’s rights. Led by a group of painters and artists, children were engaged in a mural-making activity, while many cultural and tourist attractions in Sharjah including Al Majaz Amphitheatre, 1971 Design Space and the flag pole at the Flag Island, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Musical Fountain at Al Majaz Waterfront and Sharjah Municipality have all been adorned in hues of blue for three days until today (Saturday).

Sharjah Child Friendly City logo reinterpreted through mosaic art 

The carnival had a photo booth platform dedicated to receiving visitors to take pictures. More than 200 of these pictures taken were stuck together to create a portrait photography mosaic reinterpretation of the Sharjah Child Friendly City logo.

Dr Hessa Al Ghazal, Executive Director of SBFO, said: “The carnival is both an outcome and a true reflection of the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the unfailing support of his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA).”

Emphasising that the carnival highlighted the crucial role of combined efforts to elevate the status of human beings, Dr. Al Ghazal said, “It was a pillar of community development”, adding: “The excellent huge turnout of children, families and schools from across the UAE who joined to share their dreams and highlight universal children’s rights, was so encouraging for us. Children demonstrated a great level of awareness and understanding of their rights and needs.”

“This motivates us to continue working to elevate the status of children and youth, and provide everything they need to feel secure and enabled to develop themselves, and to continue acting on Sharjah’s mandate to creating an environment in which an educated and conscious young generation enjoy their rights to the fullest possible extent.”

16 entities participate create a buzz at the carnival with different activities and workshops

The carnival opened with a UAE’s flag salutation performance by Sharjah Girl Guides (SGG). The two-day event saw a myriad of child right-themed edutainment activities and workshops brought in by 16 different entities. The Lughati initiative organised workshops like ‘Reading Creatively’, ‘Think with Joy’, ‘Creative Reader’ and ‘Creative Writer’ to promote the love of Arabic language in children.

Sharjah Health Authority’s focus was on health with workshops like ‘Doctor of the Future’ and ‘Your Diet Your Health’. Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services also participated with a range of art workshops and entertainment activities, like ‘Robotics Programming’, ‘Handicraft’, ‘Sand Sculpture Making’ and ‘Music Education’.

Also participating was the Sharjah Education Council, which offered an interactive workshop titled ‘Puzzle Game, to stimulate children’s mental abilities, while the Child Safety Department (CSD) organised a series of awareness activities about children’s rights and the importance of protecting them against physical, psychological and cyber hazards. CSD also held workshops and interactive games titled ‘I Know My Rights’, ‘Tolerance’ and ‘Creativity and Innovation’.

Sharjah Children Centre organised a workshop titled ‘My Right to Healthcare’. Sharjah Police was in-charge of the security and logistics organisation of the carnival.

Sharjah Municipality held a workshop titled ‘Recycling with Innovation’, ‘Innovative Vet’, and ‘Innovative Mechanic’, among others to highlight children’s talents. Sharjah Social Services Department presented an educational workshop, ‘My Rights’ to educate young participants about their rights. The Maraya Art Centre featured calligrapher and artist, Abdullah Al Hammadi, who engaged children in the creation of paintings inspired by the articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Children address world via Sharjah TV

Sharjah Broadcasting Authority participated in the event with a 90-minute live broadcast through a show aired on Sharjah TV, where children and young adults presented a programme highlighting the different activities and workshops held during the two-day event. The young presenters interviewed several officials from Sharjah entities.

Other participating entities included Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development, Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators, Sharjah Private Education Authority, Sharjah Health City and Sharjah Museum Authority.