Ten children from around the globe, including two Chinese, have been selected as the "universal dream kids" for their bravery, environmental awareness and hunger for education.

The selection is part of a global campaign launched by the Xinhua news agency and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations on November 20, 1989.

The 10 include Maria Luisa Oliveira Eleoy, a 14-year-old girl from Brazil who dreams of being the Rio Samba "Carnival Queen;" Ayesha Halim, a 13-year-old girl from Afghanistan who wants to become a doctor for the sake of the country's female patients; and 12-year-old Ulija from Russia, dedicated to the art of ballet.

Also selected as dream kids are 13-year-old Chen Jian'an from Indonesia and 17-year-old Heshani Madushika Hewavitharana from Sri Lanka, two survivors of the 2004 Indonesia tsunami, and 14-year-old Mohammed Ahmed, a Somalian refugee now living in Kenya.

They are joined by Jordan Hartman, an 11-year-old boy from Australia who takes a keen interest in environmental protection, and Karmo, a 12-year-old girl living in the Chatila refugee camp in Lebanon whose biggest dream is to return to school after dropping out for economic reasons.

Two Chinese children were also among the list -- Liu Danyang, an 11-year-old deaf boy who is also an award-winning painter of environment-themed works, and He Siqi, a 14-year-old girl of the Naxi ethnic group in Yunnan Province who devotes time to publicizing the traditional culture of her people.

Organizers of "universal dream kids" said the 10 children were selected on the basis of their unique experiences and recommendations from local child-related organizations.

"Their experiences showcased the pains brought by wars, the calls to love, the cravings for knowledge, the concerns over the environment and the enthusiasm toward ethnic cultures," said a statement from the organizers.

Xinhua and the UNICEF have launched a global media campaign for children's rights in the run-up to November 20 and 24-hour global live multimedia coverage on the day, dubbed the "Global News Day for Children." It will be the first time that global media report at the same time on the same topic.

(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2009)