2.2. Right to Dignity - Children's Rights Education
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"Education is the armament of peace." (Maria Montessori, 1949)

Focus 2.2. Analysis: Right to Dignity 

Vocabulary

Dignity means being respected for who you are and what you believe in.
Indivisibility of rights means that human rights are inherent to the dignity of every human being; respect for all rights is required for their full enjoyment.
Interdependence means that each right within the Convention contributes to the realization of the child's dignity, and the fulfilment of one right depends wholly, or in part, on the fulfilment of other rights.
Rights are entitlements that nobody can take away.

Universality means that the rights contained in the Convention are universal to all children; every child is entitled to these rights.
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Purpose - Protection of Dignity

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In this sub-unit, children analyze the Convention's principles of universality, indivisibility and interdependence in contributing to each child's liberty, equality, and dignity.  They also determine why was it important to create the Convention based on the knowledge they obtained regarding the status of the child prior to the adoption of the Convention by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989.

Child Asks: What does it mean to have dignity, and did children lead a dignified life prior to the Convention?
Children's Rights Education: Provides the means for children to analyze the ways in which the Convention's rights were created to protect the dignity of every child. 
Child Answers: 
The Convention was created to protect the dignity of all children.
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Classroom Learning Activities

1. Understanding Universality, Indivisibility, and Interdependence:
Children work to understand the 3 principles and how they relate to promoting the dignity of each child. This can be done through role playing once the terms have been accurately defined. 
  • How do the terms relate to liberty, equality, and dignity? 
  • Did children have rights that dignified them prior to the Convention? Did they have freedom and equality?

Relevant Convention Articles

Preamble
The States Parties to the present Convention,
Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world;
Bearing in mind that the peoples of the United Nations have, in the Charter, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.
Article 1
For the purposes of the present Convention, a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.
Article 2
1. States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.
2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members.
Article 3
1. 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.
2. States Parties undertake to ensure the child such protection and care as is necessary for his or her well-being, taking into account the rights and duties of his or her parents, legal guardians, or other individuals legally responsible for him or her, and, to this end, shall take all appropriate legislative and administrative measures.
3. States Parties shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform with the standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of safety, health, in the number and suitability of their staff, as well as competent supervision.

Online Resources and References

Humanium Help the Children - Children's Rights History
Humanium Help the Children - Understanding Children's Rights
Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies - Breaking the Cycle of Humiliation
Teaching Tolerance - A Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center: Treating people with Dignity
Dignity - Little Things Make a Big Difference 
A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education -
A joint presentation of HREA, Soka Gakkai International, and the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.

This movie demonstrates the power of an effective children's rights education that empowers children with knowledge of their rights, values in rights, and behaviours from rights. The result is children who embody values of non-discrimination and equality as they act to uphold these rights for all children. www.path-t-dignity.org

Important Links

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Art Work

All art in this website has been created by Lesley Friedmann, and each image is protected under international copyright law. 
Lesley welcomes commissions
lesley@childrensrightseducation.com



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© Lesley Friedmann and Katherine Covell, 2012. All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission of the copyright owners.
Citation Format: Friedmann, L & Covell, K. (2012). Children's Rights Education. www.childrensrightseducation.com
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