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Integrating Children's Rights in Barangay Disaster ... - INEE Toolkit

Integrating Children's Rights in Barangay Disaster ... - INEE Toolkit

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A DISCUSSION2-2-3REFERENCE2-2-3DISCUSSION PAPERMOBILIZINGCOMMUNITYPARTICIPATIONIN PROMOTINGCHILDHILD’S RIGHTSPROGRAMMINGTHROUGH GOODGOVERNANCEPrepared by the Balay Research and Development ProgramMarch 2006It is a widely accepted view that promot<strong>in</strong>g the rights of children and secur<strong>in</strong>g a bright future for thesal<strong>in</strong>lahi is everybody’s concern. This renders the adage “it takes a community to raise a child” not only avalue-laden slogan for effective child-rear<strong>in</strong>g and advocacy. It also affirms the <strong>in</strong>st<strong>in</strong>ctive tendency of thehuman specie to nurture the seeds of its future generation – a paramount requirement for susta<strong>in</strong>abledevelopment where the human aspirations for peace, security, and well be<strong>in</strong>g are <strong>in</strong>tertw<strong>in</strong>ed.This understand<strong>in</strong>g is fundamental. Many societies of different cultures and faiths all over the world havebeen actually rais<strong>in</strong>g their young based on pr<strong>in</strong>ciples and practices that promote peace and solidarity. Yetit took the <strong>in</strong>ternational community a very long time to collectively grasp and appreciate its significance.Throughout history, countless children have been sacrificed <strong>in</strong> the altar of exploitative economic growth,discrim<strong>in</strong>ation, and mal-distribution of resources. Generations of young people have been thrown <strong>in</strong>to theheap of “collateral damage” <strong>in</strong> wars declared by adults on each other. After two devastat<strong>in</strong>g world warsand a series of civil strife <strong>in</strong> different cont<strong>in</strong>ents, it was only with the passage of UN Convention on the<strong>Rights</strong> of the Child (UNCRC) <strong>in</strong> 1989 that the well-be<strong>in</strong>g of children has been considered as a commonagenda of humanity. 1Child Protection <strong>in</strong> the Philipp<strong>in</strong>esThe formal and comprehensive recognition of the centrality of children <strong>in</strong> the Philipp<strong>in</strong>e society was firstembodied <strong>in</strong> the Child and Youth Welfare Code. Promulgated on June 10, 1974 under Presidential Decree603, the Code provides the <strong>in</strong>itial guidel<strong>in</strong>es for a child rights-oriented community response and governance<strong>in</strong> the country.It has the follow<strong>in</strong>g core contents:1. Underscores importance of children as one of the most important assets of the nation.2. Aims to promote child welfare and enhancement of opportunities for useful and happy life.3. Def<strong>in</strong>es rights of children as well as rights and duties of parents.1 The UNCRC went <strong>in</strong>to force <strong>in</strong> 1990. It has been ratified by 191countries, with the exception of the USA and Somalia.85

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