"All Equal and yet so different !! "

The School of Mouvaux (France) which is following our adventure for almost 19 months now, has a theme: "All Equal and yet so different!" On November 20, the International Day of Children's Rights, it is good to remember that our dear little darlings are right !!! Yes, in the texts we (Children and grown ups) are all equal, yet the reality is quite different.

For 19 months now we travel and meet people, discover new cultures and from these 19 months our view on the world has changed. The numbers and statistics we hear on TV or read in school books, such as: "The infant mortality rate in Mozambique is 10%," have now turned into people with faces, names and nationalities. When we learn that 20 girls have just been stoned to death in India for saying no to forced marriage, we do not imagine the number 20 but we think Alisha, Amara, Pamara or Shabita ... When we think of "problems" of Western world (such as a water break for a few hours, a late train ...), we rather imagine Andrew fetching water 5 kilometers from home, Pedro having only one meal a day or Emily wearing more than used clothes ...

During this 19 month journey through some countries of Africa, the South East Asian countries, Oceania and South America we have seen children work in mines, fields or shops; other children begging or prostituting themselves, many children not attending school; others being educated but unable to read because the public education system in some countries is poor ... Yes, we saw the Rights of Children (and sometimes even those of adults) violated. This is revolting and yet we do not have the right to judge these families. Some children work to earn a few pennies to support their families. Can we blame them for trying to survive ??? In Bolivia, a law allows the work of children aged 10 ... This may sound horrible and against children's rights but because it is the reality that today unfortunately many children have to work to survive, supervise their work within a legal framework can be a good thing.

On November 20 we would like, that each of you be aware of what is happening in the world. The world is beautiful, the world is different, the world is complex; some children wear uniforms to go to school, others receive a private education at home and some die in the streets ... We are not here to make judgments but we must open our eyes. It is by accepting and experiencing the things that they can change! Before mastering metal smelting, we had to know and learn fire ...

Children have rights! Today they are not always respected, but hopefully one day each child can celebrate November 20 in joy !!! So yes, we are ALL EQUAL AND YET SO DIFERENTS, but accepting it, is already a step towards this difference !!!