[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 23, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND CHILDREN'S DAY IN TURKEY

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                           HON. VIRGINIA FOXX

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 23, 2008

  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, April 23rd of every year is celebrated in 
Turkey as National Sovereignty and Children's Day. The genesis of these 
celebrations is this date in 1920. On April 23, 1920 during Turkey's 
War of Independence, the Grand National Assembly met in Ankara to lay 
the foundation for modern parliamentary democracy in the form of an 
emerging liberal and secular Republic.
  Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and later the first President of 
the Republic of Turkey, designated April 23 as National Sovereignty and 
Children's Day, in recognition of the importance of children to the 
country's future. This was the first time that a world leader 
designated a day for children.
  In Turkey this day is recognized as an official public holiday. 
Schools participate in week-long ceremonies marked by performances by 
children in large stadiums that draw the attention of the entire 
nation. On this day children also send their own ``representatives'' to 
replace state officials and high ranking bureaucrats in their offices. 
The President, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Ministers, and 
provincial governors all turn over their positions to children's 
representatives. This symbolic gesture is intended to show children 
that they are the future leaders of Turkey and to remind current 
leaders that they are serving these children and the nation that they 
will inherit. These children, in turn, sign executive orders relating 
to educational and environmental policies. Children also replace the 
parliamentarians in the Grand National Assembly and hold a special 
session to discuss children's issues.
  It is inspiring to know that this tradition of celebrating children's 
day has been adopted internationally. World Children's Day was the idea 
of two classmates, Funda Karagozler and Engin Ustundag (9 and 11 years 
old) from Ataturk School in New York. In April 1986, in response to an 
assignment to comment on the nationally celebrated Children's Day in 
Turkey, these two friends wrote a letter addressed to the ``Kids of the 
World'', inviting them to come together with the common objective of 
peace and friendship.
  The school principal was so impressed with the letter that she sent 
it to UNICEF, a United Nations body dedicated to children's issues. 
Through UNICEF's assistance, a copy of the letter was sent to the 
permanent missions of the United Nations. The response was 
overwhelming. Everyone wanted to participate. On April 27, 1986, the UN 
General Assembly was opened to children for the first celebration of 
World Children's Day. Later that same year, the World Children's Day 
Foundation (WCDF) was established to oversee World Children's Day 
activities. In addition to the annual celebration in New York, WCDF 
sponsored programs and community service projects in 140 countries 
around the world.
  The program's goals were: (1) To equip children to make a difference 
in their own lives and the future of their communities and nations; (2) 
To bring children of different nationalities, races, religions, and 
socio-economic backgrounds together and to show them that, in spite of 
these factors, all people have much in common; (3) To establish the 
Fourth Sunday in April as the internationally celebrated World 
Children's Day to recognize the capability and potential of children 
everywhere to shape the future.
  More than 5,300 children from 140 countries have participated in 
World Children's Day celebrations in the UN General Assembly. About 
four million children have participated in WCDF community service 
projects around the world. These projects have touched millions of 
lives worldwide.
  I stand to commemorate this important date dedicated to the children 
of the world and remember its origins in Turkey in 1920.

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