Leading Lankan authors and personalities join over 200 world-renowned writers to highlight children’

Romesh Gunesekera, 

Elmo Jayawardena, Vimukthi Jayasundara, Thyagaraja Arasanayagam, Russel Arnold, Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala and Chhimi Ten-dufla join writers from around the world including Chimamanda Adichie and Paulo Coelho to pen ‘Tiny Stories’ highlighting the world they want for children  

Twenty leading Sri Lankan authors, film directors, journalists and sports personalities have joined over 200 prominent international writers and poets in penning ‘tiny stories’ of around seven lines each, to draw attention to the injustice many of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged children are facing. 

The short story series, which marks the anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on the 20th November, kicks off UNICEF’s global commemoration of its 70th year working to bring help and hope to every child. In Sri Lanka, UNICEF has supported children since the 1950s, opening an official country office in 1973. 

Each ‘tiny story’, written on the theme ‘what I want for every child’, will be shared by its author on their own social media, accompanied by the hashtag #ForEveryChild. The concept, introduced by the First Lady of Finland, Jenni Haukio, has gained global momentum with writers joining from Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Australia. The Sri Lankan participants include multiple award-winning authors, a record-breaking explorer, a leading film-maker, a former Sri Lankan International Cricketer, and leading journalists.

The campaign comes at a time when there are increasing threats to child rights globally. Over 50 million children have been uprooted from their homes due to conflict, poverty and climate change and millions more are facing unspeakable violence in their communities. Worldwide, around 263 million children are out of school and last year nearly six million children under five died from mostly preventable diseases. 

“The breadth and diversity of Sri Lankan’s supporting this initiative is testament to the importance we must continue to place on the rights of children globally and here in Sri Lanka.” Commented Tim Sutton, UNICEF Sri Lanka Representative, adding “Sri Lanka has made real strides in key areas including health and education since the country adopted the UNCRC in 1991. Yet we must continue to address vital areas such child poverty and violence against children, to ensure that every Sri Lankan child not only has the chance to survive, but to thrive.”   

The ‘Tiny Story’ initiative will run until 20th November - the anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF Sri Lanka will be reposting a number of tiny stories on Facebook and Twitter