JOHANNESBURG – Conflict-affected children will be commemorating the 40th  anniversary of the Soweto Uprising with a series of events to mark the Day  of the African Child on June 16 – the date established to mark the 1976  massacre and draw attention to the situation of children in the continent.

This year’s theme for the day is “Conflict and Crisis in Africa: Protecting all Children’s Rights.”

Four decades after hundreds of schoolchildren were killed by the South  African authorities for demanding the right to be taught in their own language, young people from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and  Central African Republic (CAR) are coming together to help draw attention
to the plight of conflict-affected boys and girls across Africa.

The events, which include a football match, workshops on the Day of the African Child, and a stage play to teach children about their rights, will be co-ordinated by War Child – the only specialist charity devoted to
children affected by conflict.