President Maithripala Sirisena, in his World Children’s Day message reminisces a popular saying that says that the film of childhood cannot be screened once again. He says that the International Children’s Day invites adults to view children in heartfelt emotions and fond memories of our own childhood.

President further says that they have freed today’s children from most economical and societal challenges experienced in the past.

However, president believes that today’s children have lost freedom enjoyed by now-adults in their childhood and that it is everyone’s responsibility to restore this freedom.

The complete message of President Sirisena for the International Children’s Day is as follows:

“It is a popular saying that the film of childhood cannot be screened once again. The childhood, which enriches an individual with wisdom that could be used during the entire lifetime, is also the most cherished period of life which blossoms a human being and colour it with a shining golden hue.

As adults it is a great opportunity bestowed upon us to peep into the world of children, which is vividly decorated with picturesque colours and divine tunes. It is my belief that the International Children’s Day invites us to look at the children with heartfelt emotions and fond memories of our childhood which cannot be relived and remains only in our memories.

We have been able to free the children from most of the economical and societal challenges which hindered us during our childhood. By providing education and health services to every rural village without any discrimination, we have been able to reach the satisfactory levels of social development similar to those of developed countries. Acting against child labour and ensuring every child’s right to education, we have been able to ensure the fulfillment of the requirements of all International agreements and conventions.

However, there is one legacy of our childhood that is lost to the children today. That is the freedom of childhood that we have enjoyed.

It is our responsibility and duty as adults to find out the ways to give back the childhood freedom and the vivid, colourful abstract world which was stolen from today’s child due to the highly competitive education, urbanization and the transformation of lifestyles.

I am confident that the International Children’s Day programmes organized this year under the theme, “March with courage Provide strength to children” will remind us of that responsibility. While declaring my fullest commitment to the aim of the International Children’s Day to ensure a secure world for the children, I wish the programmes organized to mark International Children’s Day every success.”