On 20th of November we celebrate 30th anniversary of the day on which the United Nation’s Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959.
Recognising both the vulnerability of children and the opinions and potential of every individual to contribute to the world is something that sits at the heart of the Montessori approach.
Maria Montessori championed the rights of the child throughout her life and on a global scale. She understood that childhood and education would influence the leaders and citizens of the future. In 1947 she wrote to all governments saying: “childhood has shown me that all humanity is one” and “the child is the forgotten citizen, and yet, if statesmen and educationalists once came to realise the terrific force that is in childhood . . . I feel they would give it priority above everything else. All problems of humanity depend on man himself; if man is disregarded in his construction, the problems will never be solved.”
Let’s not forget that this is a daily job. Let us spread the principles to children and adults.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the work Maria Montessori contributed, the Association Montessori Internationale is producing the Montessori Book for Children’s Rights, an Educateurs sans Frontières with contributions from children around the world.
Read the statement of AMI’s humanitarian division, Educateurs sans Frontières (EsF) in support to the Convention:
We, participants of Educateurs sans Frontières, strive to promote the rights of the child throughout the world, irrespective of race, religion, political and social beliefs and in particular Article 30 of the Convention. We recognize and will support the capacity of
each and every child to grow to their full potential. We draw our inspiration and commitment from the work of Maria Montessori, and from the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We recognize that many children still suffer deprivation, discrimination and exclusion and as a consequence lack the opportunities to grow to their full potential.
In co-celebration with the 30th anniversary of the Convention, and in recognition of its ratification by nearly every country in the world, we commit to promoting the rights of ALL children as articulated in the Convention within the communities in which we work; we commit to creating environments in which all children with whom we work will have the possibility of participating and developing their own understanding of their rights, in part through making available to them child friendly versions of the Convention. In support of Articles 2 and 42 of the Convention we commit to reminding Governments and other decision makers of their responsibilities to ending discrimination from any cause. With a particular focus on those children living in situations of disadvantage, we commit to
advocating for those provisions in the Convention which will impact them most positively, such as:
- аccess to equitable, inclusive, quality education that respects and celebrates diversity of cultures and languages; (Arts. 28/29)
- a standard of living adequate for their development (Art.27)
- access to health care services, ( Art. 24)
- the right to remain with their parents and family (Art. 9)
