- Ellen Key (1849-1926) 1910 "Barnabalk" (Childrens Code)
- Janusz Korczak (1878-1942) 1919 "A Magna Charta Liberalis"
- Eglantyne Jebb (1876-1928) 1923 "The Geneva declaration"
Ellen Key - "Barna-balken" - The children's code (Ten commandments)
- The right of all children to healthy parents, raised for their calling.
- The right of all children is to protect both soul and body against blows and toil, against hunger and dirt.
- The right of all children to a continuous, physical and spiritual development throughout their entire growing up period through full participation in comprehensive health and medical care, a degree-free acquisition of nature and culture, a vocational education based on aptitude -- not status.
- The right of all children to disinheritance is their reference to the happiness-creating necessity of fully using their fully developed powers.
- But will this children's code be written - and even more so lived out - before adults begin to become like children, in other words, spiritual instead of money-mad? Certainly, legislation for the full human rights of the child cannot be brought about before the transformations that today's "social preservationists" call "social subversion" have taken place.
- The future will judge the level of culture of the present as the present has judged those ages when newborn children were exposed and the infants of conquered cities were beaten against the walls.
- Yes, the judgment on our time must be stricter. For these ancient peoples did not know what they were doing when they let children's blood flow away like water. But our time allows millions of children to be exploited, starved, abused, neglected, school-sick, degenerate, criminal, and yet knows the consequences -- for the race as for society -- of all this happening. And why? Because people still do not want to count on the value of life instead of the value of gold.
- One "Children's Day" a year is like a cup of water to an army of thirsty people.
- Every day of the year should first and foremost be the children's, so that the years of childhood can be lived under the conditions that are indispensable for healthy and strong, happy and good people to grow up.
- The state that first puts this demand into action will become the foremost cultural country of the future, its "pedagogical province," according to Goethe's program.
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| Ellen Key - "Barna-balken" - The children's code - 1910. |
Janusz Korczak (Henryk Goldszmit):
He wrote in How to Love a child: “I call for a Magna Charta Libertatis concerning the Rights of the Child. I came upon three basic rights of a child, but perhaps there are more of them.
- The right of a child to his/her own death
- The right of a child to the present day
- The right of a child to be what he/she is
More rights of a child, according to Janusz Korczak:
Eglantyne Jebb
The child has the right to love.“Love the child, not just your own”
The child has the right to respect “Respect for the mysteries and the ups and downs of that difficult task of growing up.”
The child has the right to optimal conditions in which to grow and develop.
“We undertake to eliminate hunger, overcrowded conditions, neglect and exploitation.
Suffering bred of poverty spreads like lice - sadism, crime, and brutality are nurtured on it.”
The child has the right to live in the present.
“Children are not the people of tomorrow. They are people today.”
The child has the right to be himself or herself.
“A child is not a lottery ticket, marked to win first prize.”
The child has the right to make mistakes.
“There are no more fools among children than among adults.”
The child has the right to fail.
“We renounce the deceptive longing for perfect children.”
The child has the right to optimal conditions in which to grow and develop.
“We undertake to eliminate hunger, overcrowded conditions, neglect and exploitation.
Suffering bred of poverty spreads like lice - sadism, crime, and brutality are nurtured on it.”
The child has the right to live in the present.
“Children are not the people of tomorrow. They are people today.”
The child has the right to be himself or herself.
“A child is not a lottery ticket, marked to win first prize.”
The child has the right to make mistakes.
“There are no more fools among children than among adults.”
The child has the right to fail.
“We renounce the deceptive longing for perfect children.”
The child has the right to criticize “Children are not permitted to notice our faults and shortcomings. We appear before them in the adult garb of perfection.”
The child has the right to be taken seriously.
“You will never understand children if you belittle their qualities.
Who asks the child for her opinion or consent?”
The child has the right to be appreciated for what he is.
“The market value of the very young is small.
Only in the sight of God is the apple blossom worth as much as the apple.”
The child has the right to protection
“We undertake to protect the child from all forms of violence and abuse.”
The child has the right to respect for his secrets.
“If a child trusts you with his secret, be grateful, for his confidence is the highest prize.”
The child has the right to “a lie, a deception, a theft.”
“He does not have the right to lie, deceive, or steal.”
The child has the right to respect for his belongings.
“No matter how insignificant or valueless – they are not just bits of rubbish!”
The child has the right to education
“One is struck by the fact that everywhere military spending is greater than that for education.”
The child has the right to a future on this planet.
“We plunder mountains, cut down trees and destroy animals”
The child has the right to forgiveness.
“More often than not we are their harsh judges, rather than their counsellors and consolers.”
The child has the right to protest an injustice“We must end absolute authority. Always listen and try and see things through the eyes of the child.”
The child has the right to happiness“Let children drink in the joy of the morning. Show them love, kindness and understanding - set an example.”
The child has the right to respect for his grief.
“Even though it be for the loss of a pebble.”
The child has the right to a Children’s Court where he can judge and be judged by his peers
“We are the sole judges of children’s actions, movements, thoughts and plans. I know that a Children’s Court is essential. I hope that in fifty years there will not be a single school, or institution without one.”
The child has the right to be defended in the juvenile justice court system.
“The delinquent child is still a child, who has not given up yet, but does not know who he is. A punitive sentence could adversely influence his future sense of himself and his behaviour. Because it is society that has failed him and made him behave this way.”
The child has the right to commune with God.
‘Do allow children to find him in quiet contemplation - in their souls’
The child has the right to die prematurely“A mother’s deep love for her child must give him the right to a premature death. Not every bush grows into a tree.”
(Above from the book The King of Children by Betty Lifton)
The child has the right to be taken seriously.
“You will never understand children if you belittle their qualities.
Who asks the child for her opinion or consent?”
The child has the right to be appreciated for what he is.
“The market value of the very young is small.
Only in the sight of God is the apple blossom worth as much as the apple.”
The child has the right to protection
“We undertake to protect the child from all forms of violence and abuse.”
The child has the right to respect for his secrets.
“If a child trusts you with his secret, be grateful, for his confidence is the highest prize.”
The child has the right to “a lie, a deception, a theft.”
“He does not have the right to lie, deceive, or steal.”
The child has the right to respect for his belongings.
“No matter how insignificant or valueless – they are not just bits of rubbish!”
The child has the right to education
“One is struck by the fact that everywhere military spending is greater than that for education.”
The child has the right to a future on this planet.
“We plunder mountains, cut down trees and destroy animals”
The child has the right to forgiveness.
“More often than not we are their harsh judges, rather than their counsellors and consolers.”
The child has the right to protest an injustice“We must end absolute authority. Always listen and try and see things through the eyes of the child.”
The child has the right to happiness“Let children drink in the joy of the morning. Show them love, kindness and understanding - set an example.”
The child has the right to respect for his grief.
“Even though it be for the loss of a pebble.”
The child has the right to a Children’s Court where he can judge and be judged by his peers
“We are the sole judges of children’s actions, movements, thoughts and plans. I know that a Children’s Court is essential. I hope that in fifty years there will not be a single school, or institution without one.”
The child has the right to be defended in the juvenile justice court system.
“The delinquent child is still a child, who has not given up yet, but does not know who he is. A punitive sentence could adversely influence his future sense of himself and his behaviour. Because it is society that has failed him and made him behave this way.”
The child has the right to commune with God.
‘Do allow children to find him in quiet contemplation - in their souls’
The child has the right to die prematurely“A mother’s deep love for her child must give him the right to a premature death. Not every bush grows into a tree.”
(Above from the book The King of Children by Betty Lifton)
The fundamental needs of children were summarised in five points.
Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1924)[edit]
The text of the document, as published by the International Save the Children Union in Geneva on 23 February 1923, is as follows:
Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1924)[edit]
The text of the document, as published by the International Save the Children Union in Geneva on 23 February 1923, is as follows:
- The child must be given the means requisite for its normal development, both materially and spiritually.
- The child that is hungry must be fed, the child that is sick must be nursed, the child that is backward must be helped, the delinquent child must be reclaimed, and the orphan and the waif must be sheltered and succoured.
- The child must be the first to receive relief in times of distress.
- The child must be put in a position to earn a livelihood, and must be protected against every form of exploitation.
- The child must be brought up in the consciousness that its talents must be devoted to the service of its fellow men.
This text was endorsed by the League of Nations General Assembly on 26 November 1924
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| Eglantyne Jebb |
The child has the right to love.
…Love the calla, not just your own.
The child has the right to respect.
"Let us demand respect for shining eyes, smooth fore-
heads, youthful effort and confidence, Why should
dulled eyes, a wrinkled brow, untidy gray hair, or tired
resignation command greater respect?'
The child has the right to optimal conditions
in which to
grow and develop
We demand: do away with hunger, cold, dampness, stench,
overcrowding. overoonuaun
The child has the right to live in the present.
Children are not people of tomorrow; they are people today.
The child has the right to be himself or herself.
'A child is not a lottery ticket, marked to win the main prize.
The child has the right to make mistakes.
"There are no more fools among children than among adults.
The child has the right to fail.
We renounce the deceptive longing for perfect children.'
The child has the right to be taken seriously.
Who asks the child for his opinion and consent?'
The child has the right to be appreciated for what he is.
"The child, being small, has little market value.'
One of the most significant words of Korczak” “Children are not future people, because they are people already... Children are people whose souls contain the seeds of all those thoughts and emotions that we possess. As these seeds develop, their growth must be gently directed.”
