To educate a person to love people. (One of the goals of Israeli education) Advice for good love: Don't love those from far away, Take yourself one from nearby The way a sensible house will take local stones for its building. (From "Advice for Good Love" by Yehuda Amichai )

Introduction

To give rights to young peop le, as well as to adults, is to love, respect and listen to others. These right s should be granted by virtue of the fact that children are people. Children, young people and adults must know what their rights ar e, why they are important and how they can be realized. In order to integrate this way of life, we have chosen to cultivate processes that realize

those children's rights,

which symbolize fundamental values that

every society must co nsider when creating and building its social order. The principle

that all people are equal does not refer only to nationality and gender, but also and especially to children. C hildren have the right to be treated with respect by s ociety and - whether they are girls or boys - as equal s with feelings, ideas and wills of their own. Every child and adult has the right to safeguard his/her honor, the honor of others and, especially, their freedom. Children and teenagers who are raised possess ing rights will be mo re responsible for others, and will become conscientious and involved citizens. In Israel, children's rights are anchored in a series of conventions and international agreements, in C irculars of the Director General of the Ministry of Education, and in th e Students' Rights Law. The most important int ernational document on the subject is the Convention on the Rights of the Child, signed by the State of Israel on the 3 rd of July 1990, and in force in Israel since its ratification by the government in August 1991.

The Convention' s standards are the mandatory yardstick for verification of the laws of the State. Children's rights a re a guideline for actualiz ing the concern th at a child

shoul d receive w hatever he/she require s (emotionally, intellectually, physically and socially) to assure optimal conditions f or complete, stable development. T o assure children's rights, we must

relate to their social, cultural, emotional and cogni tive needs as worthwhile and promote equal gender opportunity in educational institutions and all of society. We believe that proper education leads to the integration of children's rights into human rights. It is the duty of the st ate and society to realize children's rights for them through educ ational processes encouraging the fulfillment of the duties and responsibilities of children and adults. " My right, your right, our right " is the source of love, courtesy and proper conduct to be found in every humane society. It is the responsibility of adults and young people to protect our right s. It is our right

to receive supportive treatment from thos e around us, and our duty to support others - just as on the road one does not take the right of way, but give s it. A s adult s, we must give rights to young people, so they may res pect the rights of all others.

Transitions

The transition from a protective

outlook to one which includes the child in p rocesses affecting his/her life ( for example, education) is quite new and requires changing one's view about the r ights due children from the "adult world". T he protective outlook see s the child a s a helpless minor whose survival must be ensured by imposing duties on parents and the state to supply

the child's needs to a predefined level. In the new, participatory outlook, the child is perceived as a future autonomous adult, whose abilities are in con tinuous development toward

maturation. He/she should therefore be granted his/her rights, which are s imilar to those of adults.

Th e difference lies in

the extent of the rights granted, and the special conditions arising from the fact that the possessor of these rights is still a child. I n Israel, an organized legislative system was established when the Students' Rights Law came into effect in 2000, detailing students' rights which are supported by the Law of Human Dignity and Liberty. About a year ago, a Special Committee of the Minis try of Justice completed its ree xamination of the status of child ren and student s in Israel. The Committee was ask ed to reexamine the entire body of legislation regulating to the relationship between society and the child, in light of the government's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. According to the Committee' recommendations, every student is entitled to a quality education on an equal basis, a s detailed in the Equal Education Law. S chool s must include students in decisions pertaining to their lives. Teachers and principals are required to consult more and more with students, even concerning the punishment of a student – he/she has the right to be heard. A b ooklet about students' rights was distributed this year to primary school students. It focuses on the basic values upon which all educational relations hips

must be ba sed in educational institutions and in the family. The rights booklet expresses the legitimate rights of everyone – young or old –

together with areas of responsibility towards him/herself and the society in which he/she lives. The booklet w as published in Arabic and Hebrew, as well as in Braille, in order to integrate egalitarian civic culture for all Israeli children. A byaw, added in 2000, systematiz ed the right of children to be heard, and their power to take part in proce sses affecting their lives. Human r ights as a whole It is important that we view human rights as a whole, and concentrate on education about stude nts' rights as young people possessing rights. We must bear in mind that the teacher, the parent and the student are responsible for each other's rights. As educa tors, we must adhere to a pedagogical outlook that educates the young generation as possessors of rights and personal, social and even national responsibility – in their maturation /maturity. The rights and areas of responsibility as adult citizens, and of children as young citizens, are the bricks and mortar of educational processes using cul tural dialogues between all partners in the education of children and youth. One o f the strongest motives for discussing the status of the child comes from the understan ding that we are moving from protecting the child to educati onal processes that prevent injur ing the dignity of young people, to the understanding that they are equals – although younger. Young people must be loved, listened to, given an opportunity for discussion and deliberation. Their opinions must be taken into co nsideration, they must be allowed to explain things and events that concern them. We must be with them, not against them or alongside them. We must create a social and environmental climate promoting emotional well-being and the feeling of security of girls and boys. A dults must learn to love children as they are, to give them a place in our awareness as rational, thinking individuals, feeling and knowledgeable. To learn to love children means to listen, to respect, to relate to their words seriously. T he principle of equality forbids us to entertain any considerations of religion, nationality, race, origin, gender and so forth. The right to equality and its flipside, the prohibition of discrimination, are recognized in many international documents dealing with human rights. T he Proclamation of Inde pendence of t he State of Israel states that "it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex". Fair procedures will bring children and youths to responsibility on the personal and social level and the following conditions for their exist ence. Accessible and availab le information – giving them information

pertaining to or influencing the student and his/her parents. For example, information about

students' rights, understandable by every age group and in every language. Second, the knowledge

that they will be partners in procedures affect ing their lives in school, at home and in the community,

and that the edu cational institution will be a place of education-experience that will cultivate their personality, their trust and c onfidence. We will support them through personal warmth and concern for their emotional welfare, that is, attention to emotional intelligence through interpersonal communication. W e must develop instructional strateg ies in the spirit of accepting differences, to adjusting to those who have different needs. We must know how to listen to what is unsaid. Only

when children feel that their opinion is important to both adults and their peers, will they acquire the ability and desire to listen and respect the words of others. This is so in Israeli culture and the world 's culture s – to know how to give and take fairness and respect for every person, everywhere. Latent here is th e value of human dignity and liberty - the real basis of a dialogue with students. Most students' rights are found in the Di rector General's circulars. The realization of right s is the taking of responsibility by the education system to promise studen ts to move from protecting their rights to recognizing their place as citizens possessing rights. Our responsibility for the freedom of the child is actually the responsibility for the responsibility of the young citizen. T he young citizen lives in a circle of responsibility created b y encounters with attentive adults. The borders of the circle serve as a sort of support, enabling him/her to expand th e dialogue and his/her freedom, that is,

"mastering". The c ircle is one of clarity, control, atten tion and discipline. W ithin it, the c hild can be happy and smile. H ence, our responsibility is the responsibility for his/her smile! A Poem about Children's Rights This poem was printed on a calendar for 2002, displayed in the United Nations Building in New York. There shall be peace on earth, but not until All children daily eat their fill, Go warmly clad against the winter wind And learn their lessons with a tranquil mind. And then, released from hunger, fear and need Regardless of their color, race or creed Look upward smiling to their skies, Their faith in life reflected in their eyes. Dorothy Roigt Suggestions for rights to be featured in animated f ilms I and all other children, without exception, have personal and social rights. I have the right to freedom of expression (from Article 13 of the Convention) It is m y right to seek, receive and impart information or idea s and to express my opinion, thoughts and desires through various media: orally, in writing, in the form of art... on the condition that I do not harm others. I have the right to privacy (from Article 16 o f the Convention) It is my right to be protected from injury to my honor and reputation, t hat personal information about me will not be imparted without my permission, that I and my personal possessions may not be touched, and that my property will not be damaged. I have the right to learn how to

live a responsible life in society

(from Article 29 of the Convention ) It is my right to choose my friends and acquaintances in the spirit of tolerance, peace and gender equality. I have the right to participate in lif e in society even though I have a mental or physical disability

(from Article 23 of the Convention) It is my right to enjoy and live my life among friends, to play and take part in social activities

despite the fact that I am disabled. I have the right to an education (from Article 28 of the Convention) It is my right to learn in school, to progress, develop and realize my talents and abilities to the ir fullest extent. I have the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of h ealth

(from Article 24 of the Convention) It is my right to receive medical treatment at any time. It is my right to be protected

(from Article 19 of the Convention) It is my right to be respected in society, to be prote cted from physical and mental

v iolence, injury, abuse, neglect, negligence, cruelty, exploitation and sexual abuse. It is my right to have access to information (from Article 17 of the Convention) I t is my right to have access to sources of information that will enrich my knowledge, such as newspapers, books, television, the Internet, films, etc. It is my right to have varied information from different sources. It is my rig ht to be told by communications media about the children's rights all over the world. It is my right to criticize and to protest against violations of children's rights. It is my r ight to have cultural and religious freedom

(from Article 30 of the Convention) It is my right to observe my own religion and to speak in my mother tongue. It is my right to enjoy rest and leisure

(from Article 31 of the Convention) It is my right to choose activities I will enjoy during my leisure time: playing, reading, films, society, groups, etc..... It is m y right to be treated fairly in the work place and be protected against exploitation (from Article 32 of the Convention) It is my righ t to be protected from economic exploitation, and from work that is dangerous or can harm my health or my mental, physical, spiritual, moral or social development. Youths have the same rights as all workers. Labor laws in

Israel protect young girls and boys who work, and ensure proper working conditions. The " Eshkolit " State school in Rishon LeZion produced a clip. The text was w ritten by fifth grade students: If only all children's rights were respected If only I could live in peace and serenity If only I could discover

a sympathetic ear in everyone If only I could be accepted for what I am If only I could aspire, fly and dream.