Staatssecretaris heeft grote bewondering voor winnaar Kindervredesprijs
Staatssecretaris Veldhuijzen van Zanten opende op woensdag 19 september de ceremonie van de Internationale Kindervredesprijs 2012 in de Ridderzaal. De Kindervredesprijs wordt elk jaar uitgereikt aan een kind dat zich op een bijzondere wijze heeft ingezet voor kinderrechten. De 13-jarige Kesz uit de Filipijnen is dit jaar de winnaar. Hij ontving de prijs uit handen van Nobel Vredesprijswinnaar Desmond Tutu.
Welcome honored guests, welcome ladies and gentlemen, children and parents and people who have been allowed to be here this afternoon.
Indeed on behalf of the Dutch government I welcome you in the Hall of Knights. The Hall of Knights is our most important and most traditional hall available. Yesterday the Queen sat on the throne in the middle here, surrounded by all the Members of Parliament and the Government to talk about what we’re going to do in the coming parliamentary year. It’s a beautiful occasion and it’s an extremely responsible occasion.
I’m very happy to be able to offer this setting for an occasion that in itself might be smaller, but in spirit might grow out to be tremendously big. Because in our midst we have children who have from depths of despair managed within their own soul to find courage and to find energy and to find love and to find faith. And they have not only managed to improve their own personal situation, but they’ve managed to inspire others, not just children but grownups as we are here together.
In that sense I would very much like to compliment Kids Rights for organizing the Children’s Peace Prize. It’s only thirteen years old, but it’s become a very important tradition, bringing people together over all kinds of differences and setting a foundation for children in countries where life is more difficult, to reach their peers and to reach grownups. And hopefully we who are here to applaud them will also be able to help them in that cause as well.
There are three young people who have been nominated for the Prize. Three young people who have struggled, who’ve had very, very difficult starts in life.
I would like to tell you that each one of them might have ended up quite differently. As State Secretary for Youth one of my great problems are the Dutch children who get little opportunities, some of them end up on the streets seek refuge in drugs, drop out of school and all their chances of becoming a valuable member of society are ruined. We try to help them as much as possible and even in a rich country like Holland that is not always successful.
So think how difficult it must be in countries with less wealth, with less infrastructure and with parents who are having to struggle themselves.
How much more courage is needed ? That is how important this afternoon is!
Thank heaven that this afternoon we have in our midst someone who from the depths of despair has managed to retain kindness, courage and love from a well of profound faith and who, archbishop Tutu, I’m talking to you…
We are honored that you are here and these are not empty words.
I’m giving you the compliments of all the people I have spoken to, of the Ministry of Health, because they would have loved to be here and probably from all the people in Holland who are not here this afternoon. Thank you for helping us to bring this occasion to the setting it deserves, because we are talking about young people who have managed to pay an extraordinary contribution to a better society.
So welcome everyone and I wish you a very, very inspirational afternoon.
Thank you!