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, 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 interest of the child will be the paramount consideration. UN 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child, Principle 2.
In a 'Kindersentrum' (a Children's Centre) in Cologne Germany, on a stair landing there were two murals. Both were done as a project by the 'drop in' children On the one side of the entrance the mural depicted 'The Adult-centred City'. On the other, 'The Child-centred City'. The differences were extreme.
The 'Adult-centred City' was clearly a place where money ruled city design. Crammed, grey, dull, filled with places of industry and commerce, boxy looking living spaces, streets filled with cars, buses, taxis and trains. And people, people, people - packed and in a hurry.
The 'Child-centred City' was spread widely. Lots of open spaces right in the city centre Trees, grass flowers, amusements parks and colourful places to be. Expansive schools. Walkways . A city clear of major traffic. Friendly small industries on the outer boundaries.
It was fun, It was a statement, through the eyes of the children of adults blindness to the children's world, their needs and lives, right in the heart of laws, by-laws and local management, traffic control, provision. It was a practical example of the U.N Rights of Children in operation.
The South African Constitution has a principle also called 'in the best interests of the child'. Simple, when making law.... any law... when drawing up budgets of provision, when planning city, town or village,when considering anything to do with the lives of people.. the best interests of the child have to be paramount.
Did I say "simple"?
It took a service delivery protest that turned violent, to get speed-humps put on a road through Orange Farm recently this past week. It took a toddler to get killed on that road for the residents to say "We are glad for the speed-humps. It's a pity that we had to fight for them"
Speed-humps are but a start. It's the mindset that has to change for out cities, by-laws, laws and spending to be child-centred.... of paramount consideration.
If the statement made by the kids that lived in the streets of Cologne are guidelines for us in our villages and townships, then they wanted trees to climb and give shade, child -centred recreation spaces and facilities, cycle and pedestrian paths, road crossing pedestrian bridges, evening and night-time facilities for adolescents and the young, proper sporting facilities ..... even refuse removal, running water and lighting in the streets is a child-centred need. Organised activities, child protection, circles of care and access to computers. ( in a digital age,.... no access to computers!).Children's Centres and Isibindi Safeparks.
The Children's Centre in Cologne asked the children and the children spoke... in murals, they spoke... I wonder who listened..
In South Africa the children must speak too. and we must listen.
Let not the child in our midst be a little person lost amidst a forest of adult motives and a forest of adult agendas laws and money. The child in our midst must be the child at the centre of our thinking and our listening ... of paramount consideration
Please.
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