Child protection society holds seminar on reading promotion
Bid to secure stable life for kids
KUWAIT CITY, April 5, (KUNA): A group of eminent literary, legal, and media celebrities gathered at a seminar on Tuesday evening under invitation from Kuwait national child protection society to discuss issues relating to child literature and culture.
The seminar, themed “promotion of reading is a child right,” with chairperson of the society Dr Seham Al-Freih presenting legal explanations of the issues discussed.
She highlighted the interrelation between literature and law, noting that the society’s child-related activities affirm the need of children leading a stable and secure life.
“The society did its utmost to secure the issuance of child rights act No. 21 for 2015; it worked out nearly 160 articles of the law that are based on the Kuwaiti laws and traditions, and the relevant international conventions,” she pointed out. “As a result of lobbing efforts among the competent state departments, the National Assembly (parliament) debated and approved the law,” Dr Al-Freih added. Legal experts from Kuwait International Law School offered rich contributions to the discussion.
In her speech, Sa’diya Mefreh, a Kuwaiti poet and chair of the seminar, highlighted the significance of child literature in building coherent and prosperous society.
“Despite negative international reports on child reading, Kuwait national child protection society continues delivering its noble message in promotion of reading and culture, and supporting writers of child literature,” she added. The novelists Mona Al-Shaf’ie, Hoda Al-Shawa, Monira Al-Eidan, Heba Mandani and Amal Al-Randi reviewed their respective experiment in writing for children on the local daily newspapers such as Al-Watan.
Meanwhile, Dr. Tarek Bakri - editor-in-chief of KUNA AlSaghir (KUNA Junior) magazine, said his writings for children were first carried by Al-Anbaa daily, and then by Saad, Bara’em Al-Eman, Awlad and Banat, Ajyalona, and now KUNA Al-Saghir magazines.
He appreciated the support offered to KUNA Al-Saghir by KUNA’s Deputy Director General Abdulhamid Malak and KUNA Chief Editor Saad Al-Ali. Dr. AlBakri attributed the increase of the publication of the magazine to 40,000 copies to the backing by KUNA leaders. The speakers at the seminar also included Secretary-General of Kuwait Writers Association Talal Al-Romeidhi, chairperson of child committee of Kuwait Lawyers Association Mona Al-Hazza’ and head of the legal advice dept. of Ministry of Information Manal Al-Baghdadi.