National Children’s Rally for Unity and Rights
With the aim to promote unity among children from different religions, races and communities and to voice against increasing wave of child abuse, Sri Lanka La-Kri-Vi Movement will hold a National Children’s Rally on October 27 at the Vihara Maha Devi Park open Air Theatre, Colombo 7.
With the motto ‘a new world through children’, the Sri Lanka LaKri-Vi Movement (Lanka Kriyakari Weerayo) nearly 4,000 children from all over the country are to participate in a walk from Fatima Church premises, Dean’s Road, Colombo 10 to the Vihara Maha Devi Park and participate at the rally starting at 9.45 a.m.
“The purpose of the Rally is manifold; It is primarily to enable the children from different parts of the country to come together to experience a sense of togetherness and strengthen their sense of belonging.
It is also to highlight the alarming rise in incidence of child abuse and to draw the attention of the authorities and the public,” said Rev. Fr. Joe Cooray OMI, National Director, La-Kri-Vi. The annual theme of the Movement is “Entertainment and the World of Children”.
“Our Movement has as its members children of all communities and faiths. Presently, there are over 8,000 member-children in over 300 local units throughout the Island, under the guidance of over 400 young promoters,” Fr. Coorey said.
The peace walk starts at 8.30 a.m. from the Fatima Church premises to the Rally Venue and the official opening with the hoisting of flags at 9.45 a.m. and the main session of the rally is from 1.30-4.30 p.m.
Sri Lanka La-Kri-Vi Movement is a children’s movement in Sri Lanka pioneered by the Roman Catholic Church.
Started in 1954, La-Kr-Vi aims to enable children to develop themselves to be responsible citizens, accepting and respecting the cultural and religious traditions and customs of our people and thereby to build up a world where consumerism, accumulation of wealth, communal conflicts, religious disharmony and disoriented education will be eradicated or minimized, a world in which children will refuse values which enslave and learn a set of values which will enhance growth, freedom and mutual support.