We often hear about Human Rights in the news and how these rights have either been upheld or violated. It may be a surprise to some of us that children have their own set of rights as well. If you have a child, or deal with children, you need to know about this particular set of rights. Republikha will be focusing on a few of these rights (as they are quite a lot!) and sharing our insights with you along the way.

Before we begin, we first need to be aware that a “child” is any individual under the age of 18. Some of our teenagers out there may have violent reactions to that (sorry guys!) but it is true. Another facet of children’s rights that is so significant, is that children themselves cannot uphold these rights on their own. They will need adults around them (that means YOU if you are 18 or older) to uphold the rights that they need to enjoy. For example, children have the right to a name of their own. Certainly none of us were able to give ourselves a name when we were born, right? Another example is that children must have access to quality education – and definitely, this needs to be provided by adults.

More about the rights of a child

We feel that not only is it important for all of us to become aware of what rights children have, but also to discuss these with the children we have meaningful relationships with. Better yet, if you have an opportunity to talk to ANY child about these rights, whether you are close to them or not, is definitely an important conversation to have.

It is vital to note as well, that when we discuss these rights with children, it must be made known to them that they too play a part as the recipients of these rights. Children also have RESPONSIBILITIES  they should uphold. For example, they should enjoy access to quality education but they must also be good students, learn as much as they are capable of learning and they should also share their knowledge with others. And while they have the right to congregate and express themselves, they should ensure that they remain respectful to public property and uphold the safety of others around them. While they have the right to congregate and express themselves, they should ensure that they remain respectful to public property and uphold the safety of others around them. And just as they have the right to safety and protection from harm, they should also not bully each other (oh, my precious grade school memories! Haha!)

As you can see, adults should be very involved in the lives of children. Similarly, as adults protect their rights children must take it as an opportunity to behave and live responsibly.

Think of one child in your life today. They don’t have to be of pre-school age. They may be a teenager, or a “tweener”. The child could be your sibling, a cousin, a neighbor, or a streetchild. Whoever that child is, think of him or her today and understand how relevant you are in that child’s life. There may be no other adult who will be brave enough, or care enough to tell them these things.

Our children need us! Let’s not wait for someone else to do these things for them.  Take that step today!

Do you have any insights, comments or experiences to share? Email us at info@republikha.org . We’d love to hear from you!