Children are the living
messages
we send
to a time we will not see.
-John W. Whitehead
Children are the world's most valuable resource
and its
best hope for the future.
-John Fitzgerald Kennedy
The child must know that he
is a miracle,
that
since the beginning of the world there hasn't been,
and until
the end of the world there will not be,
another
child like him.
-Pablo Casals
These wonderful quotes remind us of
the most precious gifts we could ever get in our lives – our children.
Each child is unique and he/she deserves to be treated with full respect and an
enormous amount of love and understanding. Starting with the family, which
should provide his/her safe base, continuing with the local community and all
the way up to the global level, where the whole mankind should unite in one of
the most important goals – to create a world which would fit the child and suit
his/her needs.
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We should all act in the best
interest of children, while promoting children's rights and protecting them
from violence and any other kind of abuse. We should always make sure that each
child is listened to and fully respected. As full-fledged right holders,
children should have the effective access to justice and adequate treatment equally
as any adult. And the justice system should be adapted to the child so that the
child does not feel threatened by it, but protected.
All children should grow up
in a child-friendly environment which guarantees their normal physical,
cognitive, social and emotional development. Children should have the access to
a quality education which will provide them opportunities to achieve real
learning outcomes and reach their potential. Education should be child-centered
and based on the principles of democratic participation, inclusiveness and
protection.
These are just some of the basic
issues related to the topic – how to create a child-friendly world. You will be
given some useful links for your own in-depth research.
Although we live in 21st century
and the new millenium, the sad fact is that not all children enjoy the same
rights and not all of them are treated in a proper way. There are still some
parts of the world where you can encounter child slavery and child labour. Here
is the story of Kailash Satyarthi from India and his brave attempt to make his
country a better place for all children:
http://freedocumentaries.org/documentary/pbs-the-new-heroes-kailash-satyarthi-child-slavery-in-india
Find out more about the concept of
child-friendly schools and listen to Dr. Cream Wright talking about the basic
principles of the CFS model:
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What Makes a Child-Friendly
Learning Environment:
Here is the link to investigate the
topic of child-friendly justice, along with a short introductory video:
Child friendly
version of A World Fit for Children:
Child-friendly
cities or communities:
Principles of
child-friendly housing:
These are just the
basic hints to motivate your own research of the topic and our class discussion
on the blog. Think about your own experience and your local community. What can
we all do to make this world better suited for all children? Remember Kailash
Satyarthi's words: 'If not now, then when? If not you, then who?'
"Don't
walk in front of me; I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead.
Walk beside me and be my friend"
Attributed to Albert Camus
