Human and Children's Rights: International Declarations and Historical Perspectives Have the Needs and Wants of Children Been Ignored Historically?

Learning Outcomes for This Unit Outline the major tenants of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Outline the major tenants of the Rights of the Child. Examine the History of the emergence of Children’s Human Rights. (CHR). Recognize the structural differences between Human Rights and Democracy

Pedagogical Approaches to the Historical Background Interactive (to get students or teachers involved and interested in the topic) Dynamic (interactive) Lecture (to provide accurate knowledge). Provide internet links to the UDHCR and CHR

How to Involve Participants Ask, how they think children were related to in the past? When they think were the first laws written protecting children, etc. Both Manal and I felt that the original power points were too long for a one semester course (14 lectures of 1.5 hours each). Need to do background and history 30 minutes and then present the conventions in another 45 minutes.

Teacher-Empowered Course There is a wealth of material on this topic. You can pick and choose what you feel is best for your purposes. Emphasize historical development. Emphasize different educational approaches that began relating to children in new ways.

How I will teach the course Explain that historically children were treated as objects—property of their father--- That they should be seen and not heard. French Revolution’s Human Right’s Declaration of 1789 –Human rights were the rights of man: excluded women and children! Since I teach teachers, I will move to different educators that began to relate to children in a different way

Janusz Korczak Ellen Key Call for own rights for children. A child has to be respected as an own individual. It´s not the result of parental expectations. Testing of educational models like „child courts“ in orphanage. Basis for all: to have respect for the child. (Deported to Treblinka and killed togehter with 192 children in 1942) 1902: Proclamation of the 20th century as the Century of the Child.

Alexander S. Neill 1924 : Founding of Summerhill-residential school in Leiston, as the first democratic school of the world. Eglantyne Jebb Founder of the „Save the Children Fund“. (V. d. background was the unhappiness of many children of the postwar period.) 1923: First publishing of Declaration of the Child Right´s in the magazine „The World‘s Children“. Transmission of the document to the League of Nations in Geneva: „I am sure of the importance of claiming special rights for children. Now we we have to work for the public admission of these rights.“

1924: Adoption of „Children‘s Charter“ by the League of Nations in Geneva (Declaration of Geneva). Without legal engagement Lost all legitimacy through the breakup of the League of Nations in : Founding of UNESCO (Right to Education). 1946: Founding of UNICEF, to support the child victims of the 2nd World War. 1948: Universal Declaration of Human Right´s (Art. 25: Right to families of standard living support; Art. 26: Right to Education) With the founding of the UN Declaration of 1924 is formally waived. 4. International conventions and national stay/responsibility

1959: On 20th September the general assembly of the United Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of a ch ild. 1979: International Year of the Child of UNESCO. 1989: Declaration of UN- Child Convention at the Day of the Child. Binding international law of nations, to advocate active for the welfare of a child.

Understanding the Convention of Children’s Rights: Interactive Ask what rights they think children should have in the 21 st Century. List of the board (and organize them according to the four statures of CHR). Let’s try—what rights do you think should children have???

Different Rights Right to Survive Right to be Safe Right to Belong Right to Develop

I. The history of Children‘s Rights – a general view 5. The rights to children according to the UN-Convention „In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.“ (Art. 3 par. 1) Right to: non-violental education Prevention of exploitation Education Development of the individual Protection of family Care Food Participation Expression of Opinion Protection of physical, mental, sexual violence Freedom Name + citizienship Despite of many international efforts it´s still not clear how the claimed or the specified rights can become real and can be controlled.

2. Concrete problem areas/ Sections of breach of children right´s : Abuse of children Genital mutilation Child soliders Child labour Poverty of children Trade with children (Prostitution and Pornography)

Background: Convention for the Rights of the Child Children’s rights are violated throughout the world every day… –Between 15 and 20 million children are working as slaves –An estimated 2 million children worldwide are sexually exploited every year –300,000 children around the world are actively participating in more than 20 armed conflicts

Background: Convention for the Rights of the Child Children’s rights are violated throughout the world every day… –An estimated 25 million children and adolescents are uprooted from their homes; they make up nearly half of the refugee population worldwide –There are an estimated 100 million children living on the streets

The Convention on the Rights of the Child  Recognizes each one of these practices as a violation of human rights  Obliges each government to work toward eliminating these practices within their own nation and throughout the world.

Convention  A convention:  A specific type of international law  An agreement or contract among nations  Created within an international organization: - The United Nations  Participating Countries need to: Sign Ratify Monitor and Enforce the treaty

Understanding the Convention on the Rights of the Child The CRC is a treaty that lays out the rights of children and the standards to which all governments must aspire in order to promote these rights. 11 March 2013

Discussing the Convention on the Rights of the Child  What rights does the CRC provide children?  Are there any rights that you think should be added to the CRC?  If so many countries have signed the CRC, why are children’s rights still being violated?  If you were in the United Nations, what would be your most important goal for children’s rights?

Resources Resources Full Text of the CRC UNICEF UN High Commission on Human Rights

Theoretical Material Required Readings: 1. Mama, R. S. (2010). Needs, rights, and the human family: The practicality of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Child Welfare, 89 (5), Melton, G. B. (1991). Preserving the dignity of children around the world: The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Child Abuse & Neglect, 15 (4), Recommended Readings: 1. Hart, S. N, Lee, Y., & Wernham, M. (2012). A new age for child protection - General Comment 13: Why it is important, how it was constructed, and what it intends? Child Abuse & Neglect, 35 (12), Svevo-Cianci, K. A., Herczog, M., Krappmann, L., & Cook, P. (2011). The new UN CRC General Comment 13: "The right of the child to freedom from all forms of violence" - changing how the world conceptualizes child protection. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35 (12),