By means of exchanging some criteria among my friends and relatives and by seeking out opinions from other Cuban citizens about the definition of the word ‘‘rights’’, I was able to gather valuable information in order to write some lines about this topic. Nevertheless, we all agreed on just one idea: Rights are not to be invented; they just exist, and they are part of our lives, which must be well observed by every one of us.

We all have rights as human beings, in spite of our age, colour, social origin or cultural background. But, today I’m focusing my attention on one of the most vulnerable groups; I refer to children, so they still are not able to take care of themselves. So, it is adults’ responsibility then to look after them.

Let’s remind first that the Convention of the United Nations about the Rights of Children in 1989 is a treaty, which almost all countries have committed themselves to accomplishing; but the point is that some of them have not, so it’s well known that millions of children in the world don’t even know about the existence of these supporting laws, so they don’t know how to read or to write because they don’t have access to any kind of information.

However, it’s important to say that other millions of children have a required standard of living. So, they have access to public health, education, security and amusement. Therefore, when we make reference to these ones, we certainly include Cuban children, who live in a territory where they are always respected and well assisted.

The four main principles of this treaty, which are based on the rights of children, have been accomplished in Cuba as a result of the effort and dedication of people who work for creating an appropriate world for them. 1. Non-discrimination principle: all children, without exceptions, have the same rights. 2. The main interest of children: any decision, law or policy that might affect infancy must take into account what’s best for them. 3. The right of living, sustenance and growth. 4. Assistance: children have the right to be assisted in dissimilar situations and the right of being listened to.

The Cuban Government guarantees the achievement of the main rights of children and young people, by giving them the possibility of developing their personalities, aptitudes, and capacities in a free and creatively way, as well as the enjoyment of a happy life, as it is stated on the Cuban Republic’s Constitution.

It is a great social achievement to witness how the Cuban family has been set free from the discrimination against women, inferior distinctions among children, illiteracy, and malnutrition, lack of medical assistance or lack of clothing. So, there are plenty of evidences showing Cuba as one of the countries in the world that do respect life and freedom above all.

Kindergartens, student camps, sports facilities and schools are available for children in Cuba each day. Our students receive free education and teaching materials. In addition, the Cuban Government jealously supports assistance for motherhood and childhood, and there are special projects of the Ministry of Education and Public Health aimed at the scientific rehabilitation of children with physical, mental and social sufferings.

Cultural institutions foster a wide programming for infants taking into account the specific characteristics of every age, while fans association among children is improved. These are some of the benefits we can enjoy from our Socialism; however, we are still working on a better future for our children, so we tirelessly make our best effort to reach it.

So, it is important to respect the rights of children in every home, since family is the basic unit of society. In short, we must ensure that those small smiles stay alive forever, so after all, their happiness is only and exclusively on our hands. (By Lizandra Amat Consuegra)