A world fit for children is a world fit for everyone

Gabriela Azurduy Arrieta (13) once said, in 2002, voicing a message to world leaders crafted by 400 children to address the UN General Assembly for the very first time, ‘a world fit for children … is a world fit for everyone’.

The year 2024 marked a century of struggle and significant advances for children’s rights. By adopting the Geneva Declaration in 1924, the international community set a historic milestone: the foundations of an international movement for the defence of children’s rights, an unprecedented commitment to improving the living conditions and well-being of children around the world. This publication is intended to pay tribute to the pioneering spirit of a century-old social movement that is too little known in the collective memory. It is the result and follow-up to a lecture given by Dr Philip Veerman at the invitation of OKAJU on 23 February 2023 at the Mënscherechtshaus in Luxembourg, under the auspices of the Luxembourg Commission for UNESCO.

Today, 100 years after the Geneva Declaration and 35 years since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), we are unfortunately still facing the risk of regression in the field of children’s rights and protection. Global crises, particularly violence, conflict, the advent of the digital world and growing social inequalities, are placing a heavy burden on children. The pandemic has exacerbated existing injustices and plunged many children into precarious situations. Added to this are conservative, retrograde and backward-looking discourses, as well as social norms, mentalities and ideologies that repress rights, questioning human rights in general and children’s rights in particular.

The memory of the historic children’s rights movement should inspire, encourage and compel us to continue our commitment to the fight for children’s rights in order to better protect their well-being in this time of uncertainty and change. The achievements of the past show us what we can accomplish when we act together for children’s rights. At the same time, they urge us to remain vigilant and to work tirelessly for a future in which all children can fully enjoy their rights.

This publication aims to highlight the importance of children’s rights and to encourage reflection and debate on possible courses of action for the future. With its wide range of perspectives, this publication is intended as a modest contribution to the current international dialogue on children’s rights. It is aimed at all those who are committed to children’s rights: policy-makers and public authorities, professionals, parents, young human rights defenders and all actors in civil society. May this book also inspire younger generations to become defenders of children’s rights!

The fight for children’s rights has gone through a century of change, upheaval and reinvention. Yet when we look at the everyday reality of children today, we are struck by a persistent fact: although their rights are formally recognised, they still struggle to be fully respected. This contradiction, when we think about it, raises questions about how we perceive children and their rights.

This book does not simply retrace history. It asks a question: are we ready to make room for children? Not just to listen to them from time to time, but to grant them real legitimacy, to see them as partners in building the world around them. After all, perhaps by listening to their voices, we will finally hear more clearly what is wrong with our societies and what we need to improve for the benefit of all. ‘A world fit for children is a world fit for everyone,’ as 13-year-old Gabriela Azurduy Arrieta said in 2002, delivering a message written by 400 children to world leaders during their first address to the United Nations General Assembly. ’A world fit for children […] is a world fit for everyone.’

The challenges remain immense. When a child grows up in poverty, when they have to flee conflict, when they are deprived of a quality education, when they suffer violence, all of this reminds us that children’s rights are not yet universally respected. But beyond the visible emergencies, a more insidious challenge looms: that of rethinking our relationship with children. It is not up to them to adapt to the adult world, but up to us to create an environment that fully respects their right to be heard.

It is easy to fall into the trap of rhetoric that promises solutions and sets out principles. But the truth is more complex and requires us to immerse ourselves in everyday practices. How do we make room for their voices in our schools, our families and our institutions? And how can we encourage genuine participation at all levels, far from the symbols and false representations of childhood as a stage to be passed through? The lack of listening and the subtle form of voice hierarchisation are still too prevalent. How can we overcome the childism that are so deeply rooted in our mindsets? Certainly, our societies must become more aware of the social domination of children by adults.

The aim of this book is not to give a history lesson, but the articles invite us to reflect on this fundamental question: are we ready to offer children not only protection and security, but also the place they deserve to participate in building the world around them?

We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the authors for their respective contributions, their shared knowledge and insights, and their commitment to children’s rights. OKAJU is also grateful to all those who participated in the realisation of this publication project.
Children’s rights are non-negotiable. Together, we can ensure that they continue to play a central role in our society and that children grow up in a safe, healthy and fulfilling environment.

Only by continuing to work hand in hand, in line with the Geneva Declaration and the achievements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, can we build a better future for and with children.