Help us celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Convention on The Rights of the Child
photo source:https://montessori-esf.org
The Convention was adopted and opened for signature on 20th November 1989, a milestone in the recognition of the universal needs and rights of the child. Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) is taking this opportunity to add its voice to the wide support for the Convention, as a recognition of the foundational work Maria Montessori did in supporting the rights of the child. Ahead of her time, Montessori called for the foundation of “a Ministry of Childhood” at the Montessori International Congress in 1936 and for a “social party of the child”. Montessori viewed the child as a capable citizen, whose rights should be taken into account within the wider society, knowing through her work that children were capable of making a much greater contribution to the world.
AMI is supporting the Convention through its humanitarian division, Educateurs sans Frontières (EsF), the division of AMI which works with individuals, families, communities, organisations, and governments to further the rights, education, and welfare of children worldwide. In July 2019, a number of EsF ambassadors came together in Mexico at the EsF Assembly and produced a statement in support of the 30th anniversary of 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 recognise 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:
- access to equitable, inclusive, quality education that respects and celebrates diversity of cultures and languages; (Arts. 28/29)
- a standard of living adequate for their physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development (Art.27)
- the right to express their opinion ( Art.12)
- the right to remain with their parents and family (Art. 9)