Janusz Korczak

Poland and the Convention on the Rightsof the Child – the legacy of Janusz Korczak

Kacper Dąbrowski, 11 yearsold, Primary School no. 2 in Sochaczew, 4th grade Drawingsof the winnersof an art contest organized by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairsin cooperation with the Ministry of National Education – All equal – Human Rightsin the Child’sEyes

There are nochildren, only people Janusz Korczak

Contribution of Poland tothe Convention on the Rightsof the Child.

November 20th, 2014 marksthe 25th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nationsof the Convention on the Rightsof the Child – international human rightscore document enjoying a nearly universal recognition.

In 1979, during the celebration of the International Year of the Child, it was Poland that proposed the draft text and initiated the negotiationsthat led tothe adoption of the Convention.

The Convention on the Rightsof the Child isone of Poland’smajor achievements in the area of International Human RightsLaw.

Malika Mitchell of the Eisenstein Day Care Center in Brooklyn presented the petition signed by 1000 children supporting the Convention on the Rightsof the Child tothe UN Under-Secretary-General, Jan Martenson, Goodwill Ambassador Audrey Hepburn, JamesP. Grant, UNICEF Executive Director, and Professor Adam Łopatka, Chairman/ Rapporteur of the Working Group on a draft Convention on the Rightsof the Child © UNICEF/N YHQ-3864/Ruby Mera

There are nochildren, only people

Why did the concept of the Convention on the Rightsof the Child come from Poland?

Although Poland in the 1970’swaswell hidden behind the Iron Curtain, Polish children were not less(or more) happy then their peersfrom other parts of the world. They had their joysand sorrows, their problemsand challenges.

Zuzanna Maćkowiak, 9 yearsold, Culture Centre in Rydzyna, 3rd grade Drawingsof the winnersof an art contest organized by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education – All equal – Human Rightsin the Child’sEyes

“(…) the Delegation of Poland actively participated in the processof drafting the Declaration of the Rightsof the Child which wasadopted by the United Nationsin 1959. There wasthusan international tradition of Polish engagement for the improvement of the situation of children all over the world. This tradition hasitsfoundation in the sensitivity of Polish society tothe suffering and misery of children.

During World War I and even more soduring the World War II, children in Poland experienced suffering that ishard todescribe. It wascaused by wartime operationstaking place on Polish territory.

Asa result, many children starved, were deprived of basic health care and accesstoeducation, and were forced toperform difficult and excessive work.

During World War II, children and their parents were massively displaced from their homesand many were taken from their homesin order toundergo Nazi indoctrination. Children of Jewish and Gypsy origin were victimsof extermination. Few remember today that the German Nazi authoritieseven set up a concentration camp for children in Poland where thousandsof Children lost their lives. These past eventswere a stimulusfor the Polish authorities totake action toimprove the situation of children, which aswe know – very often wasand istragic.”

Professor Adam Łopatka, Chairman/Rapporteur of the Working Group on a draft Convention on the Rightsof the Child.

There are nochildren, only people

The Korczak model of childhood and the Convention on the Rightsof the Child

Janusz Korczak with children in the front of the Orphans’ Home

“Children are not the people of tomorrow, but people of today. They are entitled tobe taken seriously. They have a right tobe treated by adultswith (…) respect, asequals.

They should be allowed togrow intowhoever they were meant tobe - the unknown person inside each of them isthe hope for the future.”

Janusz Korczak

ThomasHammarberg – the former Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe at the seminar “Children’srightsin the concept of Janusz Korczak” May 8th 2012, Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York.

“The importance of respecting children and their opinion wasthe main message of the Polish writer, doctor and educationist, Janusz Korczak, whose teachingscame to inspire the Drafting of the Convention” ThomasHammarberg, the former Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe

Professor Adam Łopatka, Chairman/Rapporteur of the Working Group on a draft Convention on the Rightsof the Child: “In the yearsbetween the twoWorld Wars, a contemporary concept of childhood wasdeveloped. At itscore isthe conviction that the child isan autonomousperson whohashisor her own needs, interestsand rights; and that he or she isnot only an object of care and concern but alsoa subject whose interestsand rightsshould be respected. According tothat concept, the child, at a certain stage of hisor her development, iscapable of formulating and expressing his/her own opinions which ought tobe taken intoconsideration. The main exponent of thisnew concept of childhood wasDr. Janusz Korczak – a doctor of medicine, a writer, a philosopher and an educator. He confirmed the loyalty tohisvision of childhood in his own life. Although he had the opportunity tosave hislife, he decided toremain instead with the children he wastaking care of until the very end – and died with them in a gaschamber in the German Nazi concentration camp of Treblinka in 1942. When the Polish Government put forward the first draft of the Convention on the Rightsof the Child (…), it wished to promote Dr. Korczak’sconcept of childhood throughout the world”.

There are nochildren, only people

Janusz Korczak – a life devoted tochildren

Korczak with children and educatorsin the front of the Orphans’ Home

Korczak with hischildren walking tothe Umschlagplatz “The Champion of Children. The Story of Janusz Korczak”, Tomek Bogacki

Poster of the seminar organized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York, Greg Palka

Janusz Korczak (whose initial name wasHenryk Goldszmit), a Pole of Jewish origin, wasborn in 1878 or in 1879 in an assimilated Jewish family in Poland. He earned a medical doctor diploma in 1905 at the Berson and Bauman Children’s Hospital in Warsaw. Asa physician he wasdrafted in the Russian army and participated in the Russo-Japanese war.

He witnessed the Russian Revolution, World War I, then the regaining of independence by hismotherland – Poland in 1918. Taking part in the Russo-Japanese war made him aware that the onestosuffer most during armed conflictsbetween adults, were children. Children were tocarry “the side effects” of the changesof history…

He opened orphanagesfor Polish and Jewish children (Nasz Dom, Our Home –and Dom Sierot, The Orphans’ Home).

He worked there asan educator and pediatrician.

Janusz Korczak developed hispedagogical concepts, pursued his writing career, conducted “The Old Doctor’sTalks” in the Polish Radio, worked asa teacher at the National Teacher Training Institute.

For hisoutstanding jobhe wasawarded the Officer’sCrossof the Order of Polonia Restituta. He wasalsohonored with the Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature. In 1940 hisOrphanage wasresettled to the Warsaw Ghetto. Despite having the possibility of escaping from the ghettoand saving hisown life, he refused toleave the children.

On August 5th 1942, together with the children and the educators of hisorphanage he wasdeported from the Umschlagplatz tothe concentration camp in Treblinka, where he wasmurdered in the gaschamber.

The Inauguration of the Year of Janusz Korczak – MsAnna Komorowska, the First Lady of Poland and Mr Marek Michalak, the Ombudsman for Children, Poland

Irena Sendler, helped tosave over 2500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghettoduring World War II. She wasgranted the title of RighteousAmong the Nations, and wasnominated tothe Nobel Peace Prize.

“None of my most dramatic war experiences, such astorturesat the Pawiak prison, and in the GestapoHeadquartersin Aleja Szucha, nor the sight of young people dying in the Armia Krajowa (Polish underground army) hospital , where I wasa nurse during the Warsaw Uprising, made quite the same horrific impression on me asthe sight of the procession of Korczak with the children walking calmly tomeet their death.”

Irena Sendler

There are nochildren, only people

The core valuesof the Convention

Alicja Wojnarowska, 7 yearsold Primary School no. 5 in Dębica, 1st grade Drawingsof the winnersof an art contest organized by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairsin cooperation with the Ministry of National Education – All equal – Human Rightsin the Child’sEyes

“Yearsof work make it increasingly obvious[tome] that children deserve respect, confidence and kindness, that good isderived from them in the cheerful atmosphere of mild sensations, merry laughter, strenuousfirst effortsand surprises, pure, clear, lovable joys. Such work islively, fruitful and attractive.”

Janusz Korczak

The Convention on the Rightsof the Child treatsa child asa citizen, asa subject of the law, not itsobject. It recognizes that human rightsare vested in every child, without distinction of any kind, such asrace, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

It placesthe child’swell-being asa priority for the parents, care giversand state authorities.

The realization of children’srightsinvolvesthe imposition of legal obligationson parentsand caretakers(i. a. the duty of education and support), and on the state authoritiestoassist parentsand caregivers. Therefore, the Convention requiresthe authoritiestomaintain, for the proper development of children, such institutionsasschools, kindergartens, community centers, playgrounds, libraries, clubs, health centers, hospitals, and others. The Convention obligatesstate authoritiestofirmly oppose all formsof violence against children.

“Children are sick of being called “the future”. They want toenjoy their childhoods, free of violence now.”

Professor PauloSergioPinheiro– Commissioner and Rapporteur on Children at the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rightsof the Organization of American States.

Nikola Bielawska, 10 yearsold Primary School in Pasym, 3rd grade Drawingsof the winnersof an art contest organized by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairsin cooperation with the Ministry of National Education – All equal – Human Rightsin the Child’sEyes

“There appear tobe twolives, one seriousand respectable and another indulgently tolerated, lessvaluable. We say: a future person, a future worker, a future citizen. That children will be, that they will really begin tobe seriousonly in the future.” Janusz Korczak

Ombudsman for Children, Poland, Marek Michalak

The Convention obligesStatesPartiestotake all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measurestoprotect children from all formsof physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, aswell asperform a preventive actionsin thisregard.

“The Convention on the Rightsof the Child referstomany difficult issues, that have been covered by the activity of the Ombudsman for Children: child’s labor, violence against children, sexual harassment, the right tohave contact with both parents, even if the parentsdonot live together.”

Mr Marek Michalak, the Ombudsman for Children, Poland

There are nochildren, only people

The Convention on the Rightsof the Child In 1979 Poland introduced tothe United NationsCommission on Human Rightsa draft of the Convention.

Professor Adam Łopatka, Chairman/Rapporteur of the Working Group on a draft Convention on the Rightsof the Child: For over 11 yearsof negotiationsof the Convention, Poland was the leader of the process. On every stage of the processPoland introduced all decisionsand resolutionstothe United Nations organs(…). Membersof the Working Group on a draft Convention on the Rightsof the Child operated in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect for different opinions.

Children and dignitariesapplauded after the warm remarksmade by the UN Secretary-General, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, about the Convention of the Rightsof the Child. Children from all around the world presented petitionsfrom their countries- © UNICEF/N YHQ-3864/Ruby Mera

“Politiciansand legislatorsmake substandard rulesand decisionsabout children. But who would bother toask children for their opinion or consent? Whoislikely totake note of any advice or approval from such a naïve being?

What can a child possibly have tosay!”

Janusz Korczak Children at the ceremony of the adoption of the Convention on the Rightsof the Child

Maria Jaczyńska, 11 yearsold Primary School in Józefów, 4th grade Drawingsof the winnersof an art contest organized by the PolishMinistry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education – All equal – Human Rightsin the Child’sEyes

Professor Adam Łopatka, Chairman/Rapporteur of the Working Group on a draft Convention on the Rightsof the Child: “SometimesI wasasked half seriously and even half derisively whether children – the beneficiariesof the Convention participated in the work on the draft Convention and if sowhat were their proposals. (…) a group of Swedish children entered the hall where the Working Group washolding itsmeeting and submitted a petition written on a poster one meter wide and several meterslong signed by approximately twelve thousand children. The petition contained support for the Convention and especially for Sweden’s proposal that children should not be called up for service in the armed forcesor involved in armed conflicts.”

There are nochildren, only people

Celebration

Audrey Hepburn – UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, the UN Secretary-General, and Joseph N. Garba, the President of the forty-fourth session of the United NationsGeneral Assembly

Professor Adam Łopatka, Chairman/ Rapporteur of the Working Group on a draft Convention on the Rightsof the Child: “An hour after the Convention wasadopted by the United NationsGeneral Assembly, thousandsof children from all over the world gathered at UN Headquartersin New York in celebration. Officialssuch asthe United NationsSecretary-General, the Executive Director of UNICEF, ambassadorsand other representativesof organizationsworking in the field of culture and science participated in the ceremony. The children gathered there were obviously delighted tojoin in the celebrationsmarking a historic moment.”

Children at the ceremony of the adoption of the Convention on the Rightsof the Child

Ceremony of the adoption of the Convention on the Rightsof the Child: Professor Adam Łopatka – Chairman of the Working Group, Audrey Hepburn – UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, BobMcGrath – “Sesame Street” actor, JamesP. Grant – UNICEF Executive Director

Children at the ceremony of the adoption of the Convention on the Rightsof the Child

There are nochildren, only people

All equal human rightsin the child’seyes Drawingsof the winnersof an art contest organized by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education

Maciej Kocik, 10 yearsold “Nasza Szkoła” Non-public Primary School in Opole, 4th grade

Zofia Kręgielczak, 11 yearsold Primary School no. 2 in Gostyń, 5th grade

Agata Baran, 10 yearsold Primary School no. 8 in Żary, 3rd grade

Marek Mioduszewski, 8 yearsold Primary School no. 14 in Gdańsk, 1st grade

JakubRutkowski, 7 yearsold Primary School in Pasym, 1st grade

Anna Orlińska, 9 yearsold Primary School no. 2 in Sochaczew, 4th grade

There are nochildren, only people