Posts Tagged ‘Children’s rights’
International Women’s Day 2018
This year’s celebration https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ presents the theme:
In Spain it will offer a General Feminist Strike. Spanish women are planning to down tools to mark International Women’s day on Thursday to prove that «if we stop, the world stops«.
From this blog we wish them the best of luck.
X. Allué (Editor)
Rights of the Children/Derechos de los Niños, desprotegidos en España
1 de cada 3 niños y niñas viven bajo el umbral de la pobreza en nuestro país, alrededor de 2,5 millones de seres humanos que viven en el estado español. Y eso es conocido y denunciado por las Naciones Unidas, que reconviene al estado español por sus deficiencias, a la cola de los paises supuestamente desarrollados, por detrás de Bulgaria o Rumania.
Éste és el texto original en inglés, publicado a principios de febrero:
A brief with the recommendations:
General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44 (6)
Legislation 5. The Committee reiterates its previous recommendations that the State party ensure that legislation and administrative regulations in all Autonomous Communities conform fully to the principles and provisions of the Convention and its Optional Protocols (CRC/C/ESP/CO/3-4, para. 10). It also recommends that the State party ensure the alignment of regional legislation with the national legal frameworks related to children’s rights, ensuring their homogeneous implementation and adequate and sufficient human, technical and financial resources.
Comprehensive policy and strategy 6. Noting the final evaluation of the Second National Strategic Plan for Children and Adolescents 2013–2016, the Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Expedite the development of a comprehensive policy and a harmonized strategy for the full implementation of the Convention; (b) Ensure that such policy and strategy are child rights-based and become an integral component of national and regional development planning, encompassing the different regional contexts; (c) Include specific time-bound and measurable goals and targets in the harmonized strategy to monitor progress in the enjoyment of all rights by all children and link it to national, regional and municipal strategies and budgets to ensure the appropriate allocation of financial, human and technical resources for its implementation.
Coordination 7. While noting the role of the three existing mechanisms to promote coordination in the implementation of sectoral policies, at the interministerial, autonomous communities, and technical working levels, the Committee recommends that the State party ensure the necessary human, technical and financial resources for their effective operation. It reiterates its recommendation that the State party continue strengthening its coordination systems within the central administration and between the Autonomous Communities in the implementation of policies for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child (CRC/C/ESP/CO/3-4, para. 12).
Allocation of resources 8. The Committee is seriously concerned that the level of investment in children by the State party has been inadequate to offset the negative impact of the severe economic and CRC/C/ESP/CO/5-6 3 social crisis that began in 2008 and that has led to increased poverty and social inequality. It is concerned about: (a) The negative impact of cuts in public investment on the implementation of the Convention, particularly for children in disadvantaged or marginalized situations, including children from low-income families and Roma children, mainly in the areas of education, health, housing and social protection; (b) The absence of consistent budgetary analysis at the national level and in various regions or autonomous communities for the correct identification, tracking and protection of resources for the implementation of children’s rights; (c) The fact that Act 26/2015 explicitly stipulates that the measures included in the Act cannot entail an increase in resources.
El gobierno del estado, con varios años en el poder, está fallando a nuestros niños. Y no lo decimos nosotros que hace tiempo que lo notamos y lo anotamos, lo dice el Comité de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas. No se le pone remedio ni, por lo que parece, tienen intenciones de hacerlo, mientras dilapidan recursos en inexplicables inversiones que sólo benefician a unos pocos que, por cierto, no lo necesitan.
Los que nos dedicamos a la defensa de los derechos de los niños y los que trabajamos a diario en su atención mèdica, social, educativa o familiar, tenemos el deber de denunciarlo y llevarlo a la atención de la gente. Y a la de sus representantes legales o políticos que puedan estar en condiciones de reconocerlo y actuar.
X. Allué (Editor)
Thomas Coram, philanthropist and a friend of children
One of my daughters moved with her family to London recently, and close to their place, there is a statue in memory of Thomas Coram. They sent me a picture so I got a chance to learn something about this very special person.
Thomas Coram (1668 – 1751) was a philanthropist whose greatest achievement, the Foundling Hospital in 1739, was just one of many projects he pursued throughout his life. He did not receive a proper education, worked different jobs around seaports, as his father is believed to have been a master mariner. Crossed the Atlantic and settled in Boston, Massachusetts working as a shipwright. He made a small fortune in merchant trade between America and Britain.
«While living in Rotherhithe and regularly traveling into London to engage in his business interests (a journey of about 4 miles (6.4 km)), Coram was frequently shocked by the sight of infants exposed in the streets, often in a dying state. He began to agitate for the foundation of a foundling hospital. This institution was to be a children’s home for children and orphans who could not be properly cared for.» (Wikipedia)
His dedication to children set up a model that has lasted for centuries. «He was radical in his thought and methods. He triumphed over the prejudices of a society which tolerated child poverty and destitution as a necessary evil, argued for the education of girls, and spoke up for native Americans and poor sailors left stranded in London. Along the way, he invented new forms of charity and fundraising, incidentally making Handel’s Messiah famous, and helping Hogarth reinvent portrait painting.«(http://www.coram.org.uk/)
The Coram Foundation works intensively to foster children’s rights http://www.coram.org.uk/story-childrens-rights.
(Click on the links to know more about Thomas Coram)
X. Allué (Editor)
(Note: Thomas Corman commandeered a merchant ship during the Spanish Succession War, helping the Archiduke side, and thus Catalonia…)
Universal Children’s Day, 20 November
United Nations Universal Children’s Day was established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20th each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.
November 20th is an important date as it is the date in 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Since 1990, Universal Children’s Day also marks the anniversary of the date that the UN General Assembly adopted both the declaration and the convention on children’s rights.
Mothers and fathers, teachers, nurses and doctors, government leaders and civil society activists, religious and community elders, corporate moguls and media professionals, as well as young people and children themselves, can play an important part in making Universal Children’s Day relevant for their societies, communities and nations.
Universal Children’s Day offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for Children.
To celebrate this year’s Universal Children’s Day, UNICEF has invited children from around the world taking over key roles in media, politics, business, sport and entertainment to voice their support for millions of their peers who are unschooled, unprotected and uprooted on 20th November.
(November 20th may commemorate some other historical events such as the «physical » end of Spain’s Franco dictatorship, or the assassination of an honest pediatrician, Santiago Brouard in 1984, as mentioned occasionally in this blog (https://pedsocial.wordpress.com/?s=20N). But, then again, those are grown-ups things to remember.
We want children to campaign in their schools and communities to help save children’s lives, fight for their rights and fulfill their potential, as Justin Forsyth UNICEF Deputy Executive Director said.
It’s a fun day, with a serious message:
- Iconic Children’s Takeovers of roles in Politics, Media, Entertainment, Music, Sports and Business
- School Activations
- Global Survey of over 10,000 children on issues that matter most to them
- Les Mills Move the World Gyms Activation
- Music Video by Kids United
- UN HQ Children’s Takeover with UN-SG
- And much more!
Xavier Allué (Editor)
20-N Dia mundial de los derechos del niño 2011
El vigésimo dia del mes de noviembre coincide con quizá demasiados acontecimientos. Este año, como sabéis, hay elecciones al Parlamento español.
Para los españoles y durante bastante tiempo ha representado, con la muerte del dictador Franco en 1975, el final de la dictadura y el comienzo del proceso de normalización democrática. Coincidía además con el aniversario de la también muerte–ésta en 1936–del referente político del que fué Partido Único durante la dictadura. Otro luctuoso suceso fué el asesinato del pediatra vasco Santiago Brouard en 1984. Además se celebra el aniversario de la Revolución Mexicana. Pero a los efectos de este blog, recordamos ese día como el Dia Universal de la Infancia o, como quiere UNICEF, el Dia Mundial de los Derechos del Niño desde que en 1954 la Organización de las Naciones Unidas así lo decidió.
Cada año nos hemos hecho eco del acontecimiento: El recuerdo anual a los derechos del niño-20 aniversario de la declaración de la ONU en 2009 y
20-N, derechos de los niños y “Los cuatrocientos golpes” en 2010.
Este año UNICEF lo dedicó principalmente a la situación de los adolescentes , pero las circunstancias de la actualidad nos llevan a considerar la Crisis en el cuerno de África (ver éste video ) como el peor problema que afecta aniños en este momento. Y eso sin olvidar Haití y otros muchos lugares porque se trata de niños, sin importar dónde se encuentran.
X. Allué (Editor)
Una ley de derechos y oportunidades para la infancia y adolescencia
En junio pasado se publicó la nueva Ley de derechos y oportunidades para la infancia y la adolescencia del gobierno de Cataluña. Esta ley substituye la de 2006 y tiene bastantes cualidades al contemplar de forma comprensiva la casi totalidad de aspectos a proteger en la infancia.
El texto en catalán está bien traducido en el BOE como enlazamos más arriba y bien puede servir de referencia en otros ámbitos. Se apoya en el nuevo Código Civil catalán y es de notar la cita de las oportunidades como «…los nuevos caminos que es necesario abrir…» para los menores.
Y de especial interés son los artículos dedicados a los malos tratos que incluyen todas las situaciones contemplables que, en una disposición con rango de ley, facilitan los ejercicios de protección.
X. Allué (Editor)
Pediatria social-Social Pediatrics 