- Written by: Tobias Troll
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations 1989, CRC) is a binding international contract in the framework of the United Nations, and thus obliges legally the ratifying nations – indeed all UN members besides the United States and Somalia – to implement its provisions. This is a mayor milestone to recognise children, i.e. everyone under the age of 18, as citizens with human rights, and consequently responsibilities. Through this convention, children are conceived as subjects of society – like all human beings – and not anymore as mere objects of protection (Verhellen 2000).
- Written by: Illario Esposito
Ms. Illario Esposito, member of the Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth and Trainer in Human Rights Education, first showed a video about the Advisory Council on Youth for the Council of Europe dealing with human rights (see www.coe.int/enter). She explained that In terms of human rights education, the Council of Europe speaks about all the issues that young people are facing today.
- Written by: Bogdan Pammer
Mr. Bogdan Pammer, Youth Director of UPF – Europe, spoke on the issue of how the UPF youth committees around Europe are dealing with these issues. He first quoted the so-called Böckenförde-dictum: “The liberal secular state lives on premises that it cannot itself guarantee”.