Children rights

Human Rights Begin with Children's Rights

In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it is stated that every member of the human race is entitled to dignity and to fundamental rights that are equal and inalienable. The right to "dignity" implies that every person has the right to be respected and is of worth simply because he or she is human. Children are also human beings! They are also entitled to fundamental human rights, and have the right to dignity, and to be valued as human beings.

Why do Children have Rights?

All children have the RIGHT to have their basic needs met, not only for survival and protection but also to be able to develop to their full potential, to participate as members of society (according to their age and development), and to grow up to be caring and responsible citizens.

What do Childrens Rights Include?

Survival: Children first and foremost
right to have a life - to have their basic physical needs met for food, shelter, safety, and health care.

Protection: Children also need to be

protected from injury and harm, not only physical but also emotional.

Development: Children need all the

things that will help them to grow and develop. They need friends and family, love and laughter. They need fresh air and safe places to play. They need stories and music, schools and libraries and all that stimulates the mind. They need to practice their culture and religion and to develop a sense of awe and wonder.

Participation: Children need to share in the life of their family, school, community and
nation, to take responsibilities and to have a voice.

Principles in understanding children's rights

Children's rights equal children's needs: Children's needs must be individually

and developmentally understood, looking at the whole child. All rights and needs apply to every child without any discrimination by race, culture, religion, gender, class, ability or age.

Developmental rights at the appropriate stage: Children as they grow and

develop, need to complete the developmental tasks that are their priority at each stage of their lives. They need special help to try to make it up. For example, a child who is deaf still needs to learn a language before he or she is five, whether it is spoken or sign language. This is the best time for the brain to build all the connections needed for language. If this "window of opportunity" is missed, the child has the right to special or remedial care to catch up on his or her development.

Rights are reciprocal: What children should learn is that rights are part of a pattern of
human relationships. Everyone has rights, and we need respect to these, and to negotiate when rights conflict. For example the child has a right to have a voice but he or she also has to listen to others! As the UN Convention states in the Preamble: children have the right to be brought up in a spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity.

Age and capacity: Children have the right to have

their decisions taken into account, according to their age and maturity but they should not be burdened with responsibilities that are beyond their capability. For example, they have the right and duty to participate and share in family and school chores, and other group responsibilities according to their capacity. Children, whose rights have been respected and protected, grow into adults who respect the rights of others.

Street children
All Street Children are Children
All Street Children Have Rights Home & family Food & shelter Health care Protection Education to be raised as responsible members of society.

Why are children living & working on our streets?

 Most of them are there from NO CHOICE OF THEIR OWN. They are often from very poor homes where their needs for food, clothing and shelter are not met.

How do children survive on the streets?

They survive by begging, washing cars, parking cars etc.

What do they need?

They need EDUCATION, RE-HABILITATION and if possible RE-UNIFICATION with their families. They need to regain confidence in adults and in themselves, so that they can form relationships and lead constructive lives with hope for the future.

Why children need extra protection from violence?

Children are vulnerable.
They are physically weaker than adults and it is easier for an adult to hurt a child than someone his/her own size. Young children are dependent and cannot run away from a violent home easily. They often cannot find help or are easily frightened into silence about violence. It is also easy to bribe or threaten children, as they are inexperienced and easy to deceive.

Physical hurts are worse for young children

Children are more vulnerable than adults to being physically hurt by violence, as they are still growing and developing. For example, damage to growing bones (especially the spine) can lead to life-long suffering. Young children's bones break more easily, their brains are damaged more easily (by being shaken by an adult, for example), and internal injuries may be more severe. Their nerves are immature and MORE sensitive to pain than adults' are.

Emotional hurts do more damage to young children

Children have not learnt to cope with strong emotions. Their emotions usually flare up intensely and then subside quickly, and are less "grounded". A reminder of the trigger the hurt or fright that upset the child -often brings the emotions back with just as much intensity as the first time.

Parents, caregivers and educators need to encourage the attitudes, qualities and skills that make for resilient children:
Self-confidence Competence ('I can do it!') Assertiveness Decision-making skills not being afraid of making mistakes and therefore being able to learn from mistakes;

 Problem-solving skills Knowing and respecting their rights and the rights of others (equitable rights across age, gender, race, class, culture and ability) Social development and a feeling of belonging and being important to the family and group.

How can you contribute?

When you see a child begging Do NOT give the child money. This encourages him or her to stay on the street.

When you see a sick childTry to get immediate medical attention.

When you see a lost childContact an organization that will help the child find out who are the people concerned with his living. If you are not in any of these situations, your generous donations can always prove helpful or you could just click on the website www.nick2015.com and see how you can contribute to todays society.