National Child Day
"I Have the Right to be Heard!"
Article 12 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Children as active participants in society
The Canadian Child Care Federation has chosen "the right to be heard" as its theme for National Child Day 2006. As supporting documentation, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has also selected Article 12 as their "Day of General Discussion" in September ( Geneva). CCCF is preparing a research paper under this theme and will be submitting it to the United Nations for consideration.
"This theme focuses on the child’s right to express views in various settings, such as the family, school, associations and politics, and to become an active participant in decision-making processes in these settings. It will consider children both as individuals and as a specific group that is important to society. It will also seek to identify the current situation related to this broader aspect of child involvement in society, the main obstacles in ensuring children actively participate, and ways to move forward. The influence of social movements in advancing the right of the child to be heard will be taken into account. The case will be made that honouring a child's right to be heard is an important step in encouraging citizenship and active participation in democratic processes as they get older." (Adapted from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child).
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The Fall 2006 issue of Interaction (vol. 20, no. 3) examines Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the child’s right to be heard. Features include a paper submitted to the UN’s day of discussion, a column by child rights advocate Landon Pearson, and an interview with international children’s rights consultant Gerrison Lansdown. Click here to read these feature articles online or visit the E-Store to order a hard copy of the full issue. |
Read To Speak, Participate and Decide: The Child's Right to be Heard, a paper prepared and submitted by CCCF to the UN General Day of Discussion on "The Child's Right to be Heard."
Read Resource Sheet #81, Supporting and Encouraging Children's Right to be Heard, for practical information on how to respect a child's right to be heard.
Press release:
(November 13, 2006) CCCF Celebrates National Child Day with the Theme "I Have the Right to Be Heard"
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