ABNA24 - The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults has issued a powerful statement calling on international organizations to break their silence in the face of US-Zionist military attacks on schools and educational centers.
the appeal comes as the 63rd Bologna International Book Fair is set to open in Italy in late April, with the Iranian institute formally requesting the secretariats of both the Bologna literary event and the Bratislava Illustration Biennial to take a stand against the ongoing aggression.
A Cry for the Children
The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults—an institution that has dedicated six decades to nurturing the intellectual, cultural, and artistic growth of Iranian children—issued the statement with a heart heavy with grief and deep concern for the future of the nation's youth.
"Today, as Iranian children and adolescents face serious threats and military attacks, we cannot remain silent in the face of this suffering and anxiety," the statement reads.
"Children, adolescents, and students are not only among the most vulnerable groups in any military conflict, but they also represent the symbols of future, hope, and peace. The US-Zionist regime's attacks on schools, educational centers, and residential areas where children live and study constitute a flagrant violation of all international laws and human rights norms—an inseparable component of the crime being committed against the very future of humanity."
A Clear Violation of International Law
The Iranian institute emphasized that children in war are not perpetrators but innocent victims who must be protected from all forms of violence, abuse, and exploitation under any circumstances.
"International conventions have clearly stipulated that children's rights—including the right to education, the right to security, and the right to a healthy life—must be seriously observed both in normal conditions and in times of crisis," the statement added.
The institute stressed that the global community, particularly specialized bodies for children's rights, bears responsibility for ensuring the safety and well-being of children in every corner of the world.
A Call to Action
The statement called on international institutions entrusted with children's rights to break their complicit silence and take decisive, practical action:
"We call upon them to:
- Issue immediate condemnatory statements protecting children from all forms of violence
- Conduct independent and impartial investigations into the situation of children in conflict zones
- Ensure that attacks on schools and educational centers cease immediately
- Actively support the reconstruction of destroyed educational infrastructure, fulfilling their role in preserving the future of children"
The Universal Right to Peace
The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults underscored that the peace and security of children are guarantees for the future of any healthy, developed society.
"We believe that no human being can remain indifferent to the violation of children's rights," the statement concluded. "We wish peace and security for all the children of the world."
A Pattern of Targeting Education
The Iranian institute's appeal comes amid mounting evidence of the US-Zionist regime's systematic targeting of educational facilities across West Asia. Human rights organizations have documented numerous instances of schools, universities, and educational centers being bombed or razed, in what critics describe as a deliberate campaign to destroy the intellectual infrastructure of nations resisting foreign domination.
The timing of the appeal—coinciding with major international literary and artistic events—is seen as a strategic effort to bring the plight of children in conflict zones to the forefront of global cultural discourse. By addressing the secretariats of prestigious international festivals, the Iranian institute is leveraging the platform of art and literature to amplify a message of humanitarian urgency.
A Moral Responsibility
Observers note that the institute's statement carries particular weight given its six-decade history of serving Iranian children across all cultural, artistic, and educational domains. The appeal represents not merely a political position but a moral obligation rooted in the fundamental principles of child protection that the institute has championed throughout its existence.
As international bodies convene for cultural gatherings celebrating children's literature and art, the Iranian institute's message serves as a stark reminder: while the world celebrates the creativity and imagination of children, thousands of children in Gaza, Lebanon, and elsewhere are being denied the most basic right to life, education, and a future free from the terror of US-Zionist bombs.
The question posed by the Iranian institution hangs heavy over the proceedings of these international festivals: Will the global community finally break its silence, or will it continue to look away as the future of an entire generation is systematically destroyed?
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