A RENEWED CHILD APPROACH
International Network
A renewed child approach
20 If children receive rights (which they are entitled to) in a passive way, they are simply the "object" of rights. In order for the child to become a right-holder, we think that we have namely:
- To support child resilience,
- To encourage child participation, solidarity and responsibility,
- To support children to find their roots and landmarks.
Upholding children's resilience so that they can blossom fully and enjoy their rights
21 Each child has within him/her the potential to stand up and rise positively above the numerous and sometimes very hard challenges and threats that they will be facing during their life. This attitude is what we call resilience.
Resilience, like intelligence and the ability to solve problems, is a tool that each child needs to develop progressively throughout his/her life.
Whenever his/her rights are threatened, a child can gain a lot if he/she is resilient: in fighting for them, he/she increases his/her chances to have them recognized. He/she may feel blessed even if his/her environment remains very difficult.
22 His/her education and adults' attitudes must support resilience. How? Basically, believing in it, recognizing and applauding its progressive manifestations. Clearly, adults can also create favourable conditions that facilitate the exercise of resilience, namely:
• The insertion in a truly perceived caring environment (family - community) which will bring out the vital energies of the child, his/her self-esteem, and a feeling of security;
• Identification to a well-defined cultural context, which structures the child identity not only from a cultural point of view, strictly speaking, but also sociologically and psychologically...;
• Education within the family, at school and within the community;
• Developing multiple interests in different areas (sports, arts, vocational training, etc.) and the ability to admire;
• An even very modestly self-sufficient family;
• A family and a community developing mutual-aid services, and that practice solidarity. Such behaviour creates a sense of altruism within the child.
Child resilience must be used and reinforced. It may be weak at the beginning. However, we should develop it as it can become one of the greatest richness from early childhood to adulthood. We want to spread out this approach so that children can truly become right-holders.
Tree Basic Principles in Building Resilience and Promoting Child Rights 1. A contextual, community-based approach; 2. Sustain and strengthen the family; 3. Support social workers' capabilities to strengthen the social network sustaining children.Asia Position Paper p. 11 |
Encouraging child participation, solidarity and responsibility so that they become protagonists of their life
23 Article 12 of the Convention grants " the child who is capable of forming his/her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age of maturity." [17]
In addition, Articles 13 to 15 recognize children the fundamental freedoms of thought, conscience and religion [18], and the right to association. All these provisions have thus favoured the development of child participation.
In some regions, children themselves explain the Convention to their peers.
"In all Latin American countries, exercising the right to participation becomes a key factor of transformation of child-dominating cultures inherited from the past and still present in society."[19]
Children's and adolescents' participation brings about an evolution in adults' traditional behaviours often characterized by an authoritarian approach and sometimes violence. At the same time, it encourages a more respectful dialogue between generations.
The development of child participation can also be seen in Africa and Asia:
An initiative launched by African children Some children declared themselves "junior journalists" and conducted investigations into violations of children's rights in their town. They realized radio broadcasts on the antennas of their elders in order to ask adults and the authorities to review their position, grant adequate protection or facilitate certain administrative formalities. Africa Position Paper,p.5 |
"In Southern India, children (who participate in Bice projects) have understood the implications of working and acting together. They take part in all their extracurricular activities like debates, street theatres telling the public where they came from while discovering their artistic capabilities and gaining confidence. There are now numerous children's clubs in Nepal through which children advocate for their issues in various forums at village, district or national level. Children play a crucial role in supporting their community and speak for other voiceless children." [20]
Children discover that they can influence decisions affecting them because they can understand, express themselves and act accordingly. At the same time, they learn constraints inherent to dialogue, that they do not always get what they want and that they have to learn how to respect the democratic debate by the majority while continuing to work.
Experience finally shows us that every child development project requires the active participation of children and their community from its conception, throughout its implementation, and for its evaluation.
Allowing children to find their roots and landmarks so that their life acquires a meaning
24 Roots The cultural milieu where a child is born not only determines a whole set of behaviours, but it also influences the emotional dimension, the relationships between individuals, as well as psychology and ways of reasoning.
A child can effectively adapt to his/her new environment as long as the transition does not deny the past, is gradual and that his/her parents or other persons contributing to his / her education carry it out positively.
But if a crucial uprooting and an integration attempt into a very different culture happen abruptly, denying what has been experienced so far, and if this change takes place before the child has sufficiently integrated into his/her previous situation, he/she will be completely lost, incapable to enjoy his/her new environment. This approach may be very dangerous for him/her and, to a certain extent, for the society where he/she lives.
Migrant children
"The shock of immigration rests on the precariousness in which children are obliged to survive in destination countries (often not very welcoming), generally perceived as richer and more "democratic" than their place of origin. On one hand children's rights are evoked and at the same time children are pushed to be assimilated to the destination culture in order to become "like the others". This results in a negative image of his/her parents and of his /her own culture, he/she is confronted to inequality of treatment and discriminatory attitudes. Indifference, which generates uncertainties and great insecurity for the future, can be seen, among others, in the deteriorating reception conditions, in the existence of closed retention centres, in the obstacles posed by administrative procedures or in the deficiencies of protection policies for exiled children." [21]
On the other hand, enhancing his/her cultural resources and the values upon which the child has built his/her first identity provides him/her with a solid foundation, stimulates self-confidence and a positive perception of his/her heritage as well as the desire to get to know a new culture and to assimilate it. Such attitude encourages his/her creativity and gives way to his/her to active participation.
25 Landmarks The child can then acquire new landmarks on the values and the meaning of life. We know that games, "the philosophy for children", altruistic activities, team sports, different artistic expressions, constructive humour, with its benevolent and laughing distance when facing life experiences, can make sense to children.
The child also needs landmarks from his/her past whose knowledge roots him/her in a history and collective memory that constitute his/her sense of belonging, give sense to his/her present, and facilitate his/her projection in the future.
We also know that the values inherited from philosophical and cultural traditions, such as the religious dimension received in his/her early childhood from his/her family and the traditions, can play a crucial role in the upbringing of a child throughout his/her life.
If, when the child's culture includes a religious dimension, he/she holds on it as a richness whilst retaining the possibility of critical examination, it will represent for him/her a deep source of life.
If the religious dimension of culture is not respected, society denies many children the opportunity to enjoy one of the greatest experiences in life: to have a spiritual awakening or, for a believer, a personal relationship with God.
Freedom of thought, conscience and religion "States Parties shall respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion". 2. States Parties shall respect the rights and duties of the parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.Article 14 § 1 and 2 of the Convention |
[17] On the right of the child to be heard, see the recommendations of the Day of General Discussion of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, 43rd session, 29 September 2006, available on the webpage of the Committee: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/discussion.htm.
[18] Regarding these rights, the Convention specifies (Art. 14 §2) the duty of parents or legal guardians of the child, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.
[19] Latin America Position Paper, p 8.
[20] Asia Position Paper, p 9.
[21] Europe-CIS Position Paper, p. 12.
