These are the children of the world. Every year, they gather in Turkey to celebrate their day: April 23st Children’s Day. It was Atatürk’s idea, the founder of Turkey, to celebrate a day for kids. They are our future. They will live in this world when we’re gone. And we are responsible for them. We need to leave a better world for them to live better. Not wars, not famines, not hunger. They deserve a better world. Don’t they?
I took these pictures in Antalya on April 19th, 2006. Children from 60 countries came to Antalya to show their folk dances. They were in their folkloric costumes. They were flowers. They had hope. They had laughter. All I need to do is to take their pictures. Unfortunately I couldn’t see the whole show. I missed most of it.
The kids from Moldova, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Japan, Hungary and Ozbekhistan were the ones I could see, touch and share a smile with. Their joy broke my heart. What could I say to them? How could I explain the wars? The killings? Why rich countries don’t help the poor? Why we have to feed ourselves with these genetically modified foods? Or unhealty biscuits, fries, drinks, sugary foods...
Do they deserve that ugly food? Do we have to make rich international food companies richer by buying their junk food? I have answers for all these questions in my heart but I know all I can do is to change my attitude towards the world. Towards children. Towards nature. So let me leave you with the beautiful smiles from the children of the world!
