Daily Star - Sidon Youth Perform For Children Rights

By Mohammed Zaatari
Daily Star staff

BEIRUT: A video clip promoting children’s rights was filmed at the citadel of the southern coastal city of Sidon Monday, with tourists expressing awe at the talent demonstrated by the young singers and dancers.
Ahmad Tabikh, the general director of Media Summit Group, specialized in producing children’s video clips, told The Daily Star the colorful clip aimed to promote children’s rights. He added that the clip’s main concept revolved around colors, with each color representing one of the rights of children.
“The white color resembles peace, red represents love, yellow hope and the green color resembles the child’s right to enjoy life and nature,” he added.
Tabikh was speaking as Arab and foreign tourists, gathering in the outer courtyard of the Sidon citadel, watched while a group of children performed. The kids, dressed in bright colors, put on a dance show aimed at delivering a message to the whole world to promote child care.
The event, organized by the Social Solidarity Association (SSA), which houses more than 300 orphans in Lebanon, strives to draw attention to the suffering of children who seek peace, and to the violations of children’s rights in Palestine, Iraq and the rest of the world.
“Where is peace for us, we children, where are our rights?” asked Najah Bdeii, a child participating in the show.
“I will draw my right and paint my drawings in all colors,” chanted the 24 children participating in the event.
Visitors at the fortress photographed the children as the youngsters explained to them the aim of their performance, and the meanings of their songs designed to reach all people.
Stephanie, an Italian tourist, said she was “watching a magnificent show, performed by sweet children, that … promotes children’s rights and urges for peace in the whole world.” The Italian national added that Lebanon was a unique country with its people, and especially its children.
“Look at the children, they’re like angels, I wish I can return back to childhood to join them in their peace dance directed toward kids in the whole world,” said Fatima, a Malaysian tourist. “All of us have to replace the suffering and tears of children with an endless smile. We shouldn’t forget that children’s rights are being violated and this should no longer take place.”