Children's happiness is the ideal of all

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- On Nov. 20 in Uganda, still early in the morning, Xinhua journalist Tian Ye drove some 400 km to see Denis Opaka, a 14 year-old boy who lost his parents amid the flames of war and now struggling to sustain the family with his little brother and sister in a remote village.

There are many stories as sad as Opaka's but, without the pens and cameras of the media, bumping hundreds of miles along rough roads, their bitterness and aspirations would not be seen by the outside world.

On this day, Universal Children's Day, journalists worldwide are telling such stories, for on this day, it's the children that matter most.

IT'S KIDS'HOLIDAY TODAY

On this special day, in its early morning, the hearts of the world are beating in time with the pulses of children.

It's the third time Opaka and his siblings met Tian Ye. Circling around their big brother, they were laughing and jumping, little hands holding the gifts.

Knowing these kids would move into a new house built with cement walls and sheet-iron roof, which was financed by a philanthropic agency, was now under construction, Tian Ye smiled.

"Do you know today is Universal Children's Day?" Tian Ye asked.

Looking puzzled, Opaka murmured: "All kids will have gifts?", yet staring afar with his twinkling eyes.

The camera may be one of the most important inventions of human civilization, for it can faithfully record and replay our undertakings.

Through cameras, we can see in an elementary school in Togo, a western African nation, kids are singing and dancing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.

We can hear graceful music performed in concert themed "Keeping children away from violence" at the music hall of Russia's Gnesin Institute of Music in Moscow, whose entire income will be donated to a local orphanage.

We can enjoy cakes with Miyuki Hatoyama, wife of the Japanese prime minister, as well as with kids from many parts of the world, rejoicing in the 20th birthday of that important document for children.

These recorded videos or soundtracks may have different characters and contents, but they are identical in nature and purpose. Perhaps Miyuki Hatoyama said it best: "Many of our kids are suffering or dead due to sickness, hunger or shortage of drinking water. It's the adults' responsibility to end their bitterness."