UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

It is the 20th anniversary of the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child, the first legally binding international convention to affirm human rights for children. Today the convention has been ratified by every country except the United States. Not all signatories live up to the convention's requirements, unfortunately, but it is certain that the Convention has helped make the world a better place for children.

What many people do not know is that the Convention came directly from work done by Eglantyne Jebb, the founder of Save the Children. She wrote the first draft in 1923, and it was accepted by the League of Nations in 1924. The statement of acceptance read:

"Formulated by the Save the Children International Union, Geneva, 1923, and adopted by the Fifth Assembly of the League of Nations, 1924.

By the present declaration of the Rights of the Child, commonly known as the declaration of Geneva, men and women of all nations, recognizing that mankind owes to the Child the best that it has to give, declare and accept it as their duty that beyond and above all considerations of race, nationality or creed:

(i) THE CHILD must be given the means requisite for its normal development, both materially and spiritually.

(ii)THE CHILD that is hungry must be fed; the child that is sick must be nursed; the child that is backward must be helped; the delinquent child must be reclaimed; and the orphan and waif must be sheltered and succoured.

(iii)THE CHILD must be the first to receive relief in times of distress.

(iv)THE CHILD must be put in a position to earn a livelihood, and must be protected against every form of exploitation.

(v)THE CHILD must be brought up in the consciousness that its talents must be devoted to the service of its fellow-men.”

The 5 paragraphs later became 7 paragraphs, and in 1959 this was the basis for the United Nations "Declaration on the Rights of the Child". It became the Convention on its 30th anniversary, in 1989.

Some years ago I wrote a short biography on Eglantyne, analyzing her leadership skills. You may want to check the biography out, here.

Couldn't resist creating another blurb book ...

smile

During a vacation trip to Cambodia in 1994, we fell in love with the country and its people. But we were especially touched by the impact on children in areas still controlled by the Khmer Rouge, almost twenty years after "Year Zero". Education and health care were rudimentary.

In 1999 we were lucky enough to find a way to help, via a school building and teacher training program started by Save the Children. From the early pilots, this is now a vibrant program covering hundreds of schools and thousands of children.

We have been inspired by ordinary people who, despite the difficulties of their own situation, work so very hard for the welfare and education of the children in their communities. Education is truly the key, and in every country we have visited it is treasured. It is a pity that in our "developed" world we seem to value education so lightly.

Perhaps a different kind of leadership, where ordinary people do extraordinary things for their children?