November 20 marks the International Children’s Rights Day, a pivotal occasion to reflect on the importance of protecting, guaranteeing, and promoting the fundamental rights of children around the world. At the Rafa Nadal Foundation, we are committed every day to supporting childhood, protecting their rights, and fostering opportunities for them to grow and thrive in a safe space, inclusive, and opportunity-filled environment.
The Rafa Nadal Foundation’s Commitment: Safe Spaces
At the Rafa Nadal Foundation, we believe in every child and adolescent’s right to enjoy sports in a secure, nurturing, and joyful environment. We recognize that sports are more than physical activity; they are a powerful tool to enhance well-being, build confidence, and support the holistic development of every child.
For this reason, we have implemented a Child Protection System, prioritizing children’s well-being in all our programs and activities. This system is part of our Safe Spaces program, which ensures that all sports and educational activities take place in environments where children feel respected, heard, and protected.
Our approach goes beyond risk prevention; we aim to empower children to understand their rights, actively participate in decisions that affect them, and develop essential social and emotional skills for their future.
Special Activities to Celebrate Children’s Rights Day
Children’s Rights Day reminds us that the rights of children must be upheld every day of the year. With this in mind, our Rafa Nadal Foundation Centers (CFRN) organized special activities during the week to honor these rights and reinforce our daily commitment to childhood. Here’s an overview of the initiatives carried out in Madrid, Palma, and Valencia:
Rafa Nadal Foundation Center Madrid: Sports Activities with Fundación Fútbol Más
At the Rafa Nadal Foundation Center in Madrid, we collaborated with Fundación Fútbol Más, an organization that shares our mission of supporting children in vulnerable situations through sports.
During this special day, children participated in team-building dynamics that encouraged values such as teamwork, respect, and resilience. The day was filled with joy, learning, and opportunities for children to experience the transformative power of sports in building a brighter future.
Rafa Nadal Foundation Center Palma: Children’s Rights Every Day
At the Rafa Nadal Foundation Center in Palma, celebrating Children’s Rights goes beyond November 20. We work daily with children to help them understand that “every day is Children’s Day.”
Through various activities, we focused on key rights, including:
- The right to protection: We ensure a safe space where children can grow and thrive without fear.
- The right to be heard and express opinions: We foster an environment where children can freely express themselves with respect.
- The right to leisure, play, and culture: We provide opportunities for children to enjoy sports, creativity, and learning.
As part of November’s monthly programming, we focused on artistic expression and interpretation to develop creativity, self-confidence, and communication skills. Through theater, music, and art workshops, children explored their emotions, strengthened group cohesion, and deepened connections with one another.
Rafa Nadal Foundation Center Valencia: The Culture of Kindness
The guiding theme at the Rafa Nadal Foundation Center in Valencia this year is “The Culture of Kindness”, emphasizing values such as:
- Care, welcome, empathy, communication, resolution, and accompaniment.
Through sports and educational activities, we worked on these six key values, teaching children how to build relationships based on respect and empathy.
During Children and Adolescents Week, we celebrated their right to play and engage in sports through several activities, including:
- Sports Orientation Activity with the Valencian Orientation Federation:
- For yoSports Orientation Activity with the Federation of Sports Orientation of the Valencian Community (FEDOCV) where we connected children’s rights with the sport of orientation. Children and adolescents (NNA) used a map of the sports complex to locate checkpoints associated with 16 fundamental rights, such as the right to learn, to be treated with care, to play, and to live in a safe environment. They could only progress if they correctly identified the right linked to each checkpoint.
- At the end of the activity, we reflected together on the rights covered, emphasizing values like kindness, respect for others’ opinions, teamwork, and assertive communication. It was a dynamic, educational, and enriching activity that highlighted the importance of ensuring a caring and respectful environment for all children.
- Children’s Rights Workshop:
Children created figures representing themselves, each designed to reflect a fundamental right they value in their lives. This creative exercise helped them visualize the importance of these rights and their connection to everyday life.
Sports as a Tool to Uphold Children’s Rights
At the Rafa Nadal Foundation, we firmly believe that sports are a powerful vehicle to promote and safeguard children’s rights. Through sports, children develop social skills, learn values such as respect and teamwork, and find a space where they feel free, safe, and happy.
Our activities at the CFRNs aim not only to support children’s physical development but also to nurture their emotional, social, and cultural well-being. We know that every child has the right to a full and enriching life, and sports are a key tool to help them achieve that goal.
Our Ongoing Commitment
International Children’s Rights Day reminds us that protecting childhood is not a one-day effort but a daily commitment. At the Rafa Nadal Foundation, we work tirelessly to ensure that every child and adolescent can grow in an environment where their rights are respected and promoted.
Through initiatives like the ones shared here, we continue to build safe spaces and provide opportunities for every child and adolescent to reach their full potential and enjoy a future full of possibilities.
On this Children’s Rights Day—and every day—we reaffirm our commitment to protecting, listening to, and accompanying children.
