RIYADH — In view of the pivotal role being played the media in raising awareness in the community on family and childhood issues, a forum with the theme "Media, the Friend of Childhood", will be inaugurated by Minister of Education and the Chairman of the National Committee of Childhood Dr. Ahmed Al-Issa at the Ministry of Education's headquarters in Riyadh. With the participation of more than 20 national and international experts, the three-day forum is organized by the National Committee for Childhood, an affiliate of the Ministry of Education, in partnership with Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD), Arab Gulf Development Program (AGFUND), and UNICEF in Arab Gulf Countries. Secretary-General for the National Committee of Childhood Dr. Wafaa Al-Salih said, "The forum comes after intensive studies dealing with the current situation of media and its impact on Arab children in general and Saudi children in particular." Stating that committee is very keen to discuss all hypothetical and practical issues related to childhood during various activities and platforms, Al-Salih said the forum aims to create the optimal environment for the child in pace with today's rapid development that. "The forum will deal with the professional principles and guidelines targeting the issues related to childhood," she added. Al-Salih pointed out that the forum targets media peoples including writers, reporters and presenters at national media institutions, civil society institutions, especially those with experience in covering child and family issues. The forum aims at providing participants with solid background about the professional principles related to the rights of child and to enable the activation of their role in supporting, promoting and protecting the rights of the child, she added. The forum will include three main topics. The first is about the charters and agreements on children's rights and the status of their application. The second topic will discuss the professional guidelines on how the Arab media should deal with the child issues and rights, while the third topic will be dedicated to enabling the children in the morals of media and displaying children's actual experiences in media and education. An accompanying exhibition will show the efforts of all parties interested in childhood issues at the forum. The forum will discuss in its different sessions issues related to the child's right, the mechanisms of monitoring, analyzing and dealing with them. The participants will debate the best ways to transfer these issues to officials and society, taking into consideration the engagement of child in local, regional and global issues. In addition, it will also discuss the effects of various media channels, including social media on children's life and behavior.
