The ENOC Chair and Polish Ombudsman for Children, Mr Marek Michalak participated on 1-2 June 2012 in the International Seminar dedicated to Janusz Korczak in Geneva. The meeting was devoted to the Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The seminar was organized, in a row of 4 consecutive seminars dedicated to Janusz Koczak, by the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva Mr. Remigiusz A. Henczel and International Korczak Association and its President, Batia Gilad. This year the seminar was part of the Year of Janusz Korczak. The meeting gathered many supporters of the ideas of an Old Doctor active in the framework of different associations and NGOs in the whole world. Representatives from 15 countries across Europe, Africa and Israel have participated in the meeting. Honorary guests of the meeting were Mr. Thomas Hammarberg, former Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, who in his speech underlined the significance of Korczak’s ideas for the creation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Mr. Marek Michalak, ENOC Chair, who made an introductory speech about Korczak as the first non-constitutional Ombudsman for Children and shared his experience from the daily work as ENOC Chair and Ombudsman for Children. Ms. Maria Herczog – former Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, was a guest of the panel dedicated to the role of the school and Korczak’s ideas in the life of the child. Also Ms. Agnes Lux - representative of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights in Hungary and ENOC Member was participating in the seminar. The two-day seminar gathered many children from different countries. They were working together with adults during thematic workshops. They created special posters connected with respect of children’s rights at home, at school or among their peers. The organizers prepared discussion panels devoted to Korczak, his life and literary pieces, also his ideas and their influence on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. A representative of the Dutch Korczak Association, Mr. Joop Berding, informed during his speech about the establishment of the institution of the Ombudsman for Children in the Netherlands which has already become an ENOC Member and the first Annual Report of the Ombudsman envisaging the situation of children in the Netherlands. Avi Tsur from Israeli Korczak Education Institute presented an interesting speech about Korczak’s life enriched with unique photos from the life of Korczak. Ms. Sophie Graillat from French Korczak Association was talking about the difficult procedure of taking decisions considering the wellbeing of the child and presented a series of questions that each professional dealing with children’s matters should ask himself before taking such decisions that often have great impact on child’s life. Adu Adjei from African Diaspora and the Council of Switzerland was presenting the role of contemporary social care in each state and the role it plays in the happy upbringing and education of each child.
The Polish Jewish Pioneer on Children's Human Rights, Janusz Korczak (1878-1942) and the "best interests" of the child as enshrined by the CRC
Countries
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