The amended version of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child appears to be more
inclusive and applicable to all children in the Australian community, as it takes into consideration the growing
number of secular children today. The amended text provides a more inclusive language by using gender-neutral
pronouns, emphasizing the child's right to a nationality, and ensuring the protection of children from practices
fostering racial, religious, and any other form of discrimination.
Both versions of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child emphasize the
importance of the rights and freedoms of children without any discrimination based on race, color, sex, language,
religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. However, the
amended version demonstrates a higher degree of awareness and sensitivity towards the diverse backgrounds and beliefs
of children in the Australian community. This inclusivity is crucial for promoting social cohesion, tolerance, and
understanding among all children and ensuring that laws and regulations are applied equitably and justly.
In the context of secular governance and freedom of thought in religion, the
amended version of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child scores higher when it comes to applicability and
consideration for all children in the Australian community. It reinforces the importance of promoting tolerance,
understanding, and respect for diversity in modern societies while ensuring that the rights and freedoms of all
children, including those from secular backgrounds, are protected and nurtured.
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have, in the Charter, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas the United Nations has, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,proclaimed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,
Whereas the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection,before as well as after birth,
Whereas the need for such special safeguards has been stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924, and recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the statutes of specialized agencies and international organizations concerned with the welfare of children,
Whereas mankind owes to the child the best it has to give,
Now therefore,
The General Assembly
Proclaims this Declaration of the Rights of the Child to the end that they may have a happy childhood and enjoy for their own good and for the good of society the rights and freedoms herein set forth, and calls upon parents, upon men and women as individuals, and upon voluntary organizations, local authorities and national Governments to recognize these rights and strive for their observance by legislative and other measures progressively taken in accordance with the following principles:
Principle 1
The child shall enjoy all the rights set forth in
this Declaration. Every child, without any exception whatsoever, shall be entitled to these rights, without
distinction or discrimination on account of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,
national or social origin, property, birth or other status, whether of themselves or of their family.
Principle 2
The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall
be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable them to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a
healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose,
the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.
Principle 3
The child shall be entitled from their birth to a name and a nationality.
Principle 4
The child shall enjoy the benefits of social
security. They shall be entitled to grow and
develop in health; to this end, special care and protection shall be provided both the child and their mother, including
adequate pre-natal and post-natal care. The child shall have the right to adequate nutrition, housing,
recreation and medical services.
Principle 5
The child who is physically, mentally or socially
handicapped shall be given the special treatment, education and care required by
their particular condition.
Principle 6
The child, for the full and harmonious development of their personality, needs love and understanding. They shall, wherever possible, grow up in the care and under the responsibility of their parents, and, in any case, in an atmosphere of affection and of moral and material security; a child of tender years shall not, save in exceptional circumstances, be separated from their mother. Society and the public authorities shall have the duty to extend particular care to children without a family and to those without adequate means of support. Payment of State and other assistance towards the maintenance of children of large families is desirable.
Principle 7
The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. They shall be given an education which will promote their general culture and enable them, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop their abilities, their individual judgement, and their sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society.
The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for their education and guidance; that responsibility lies in the first place with their parents.
The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavour to promote the enjoyment of this right.
Principle 8
The child shall in all circumstances be among the
first to receive protection and relief.
Principle 9
The child shall be protected against all forms of
neglect, cruelty and exploitation. They shall not
be the subject of traffic, in any form.
The child shall not be admitted to employment before an appropriate minimum age; they shall in no case be caused or permitted to engage in any occupation or employment which would prejudice their health or education, or interfere with their physical, mental or moral development.
Principle 10
The child shall be protected from practices which
may foster racial, religious and any other form of discrimination. They shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship
among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, and in full consciousness that their energy and talents should be devoted to the service of all humanity.
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have, in the Charter, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas the United Nations has, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,
Whereas the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth,
Whereas the need for such special safeguards has been stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924, and recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the statutes of specialized agencies and international organizations concerned with the welfare of children,
Whereas mankind owes to the child the best it has to give,
Now therefore,
The General Assembly
Proclaims this Declaration of the Rights of the Child to the end that he may have a happy childhood and enjoy for his own good and for the good of society the rights and freedoms herein set forth, and calls upon parents, upon men and women as individuals, and upon voluntary organizations, local authorities and national Governments to recognize these rights and strive for their observance by legislative and other measures progressively taken in accordance with the following principles:
Principle 1
The child shall enjoy all the rights set forth in this Declaration. Every child, without any exception whatsoever, shall be entitled to these rights, without distinction or discrimination on account of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, whether of himself or of his family.
Principle 2
The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.
Principle 3
The child shall be entitled from his birth to a name and a nationality.
Principle 4
The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He shall be entitled to grow and develop in health; to this end, special care and protection shall be provided both to him and to his mother, including adequate pre-natal and post-natal care. The child shall have the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services.
Principle 5
The child who is physically, mentally or socially handicapped shall be given the special treatment, education and care required by his particular condition.
Principle 6
The child, for the full and harmonious development of his personality, needs love and understanding. He shall, wherever possible, grow up in the care and under the responsibility of his parents, and, in any case, in an atmosphere of affection and of moral and material security; a child of tender years shall not, save in exceptional circumstances, be separated from his mother. Society and the public authorities shall have the duty to extend particular care to children without a family and to those without adequate means of support. Payment of State and other assistance towards the maintenance of children of large families is desirable.
Principle 7
The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. He shall be given an education which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgement, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society.
The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance; that responsibility lies in the first place with his parents.
The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavour to promote the enjoyment of this right.
Principle 8
The child shall in all circumstances be among the first to receive protection and relief.
Principle 9
The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. He shall not be the subject of traffic, in any form.
The child shall not be admitted to employment before an appropriate minimum age; he shall in no case be caused or permitted to engage in any occupation or employment which would prejudice his health or education, or interfere with his physical, mental or moral development.
Principle 10
The child shall be protected from practices which may foster racial, religious and any other form of discrimination. He shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men.
The inability of a child to thrive in a God based rape culture can never be the product of a fault with the child.
There is no future for children or humanity in a society that repeatedly forgets how to protect its children and its most vulnerable by constantly hijacking the rights of the child to appease and to account for the failures of the only infallible man on the planet who along with his clerics consistently gets the rights of children as wrong as it is possible to be.
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Look for these other respected FAQyMe Gene-affiliated, secular social-inclusion sites
Clergy Abuse Action - repurposed || Molested Catholics by the Million || Captain Obvious - My Broken Society || A first in Secular Australia for Children - It's not Rocket Science || The Blue Print - It's OH so Obvious - repurposed || The GCAC - The Global Clergy Abuse Crisis - repurposed || TFYQA Think for Yourself, Question Authority || XT3 Molested Catholic courtesy of George Pell and babbling Benny || Defending the Human Rights of Catholic Adults and Children Trauma in Religion || The FAQyMe Gene - The FAQ Why Me Gene blog