In the 21st century, it is common knowledge that every person in the world has the same rights, and we are all equally entitled to enjoy them without
discrimination. All these rights are interrelated, interdependent and indivisible. Children have the same general human rights as adults, as well as special
rights that take into account their special needs.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly articulates through the definition of rights the conditions that must be met for children to develop their
“human” potential at each stage of development and to the full extent of their capacities.
Children build their independence starting from the stage of receiving full care from adults in the family, then in kindergarten and school. As they travel this path, they ask many questions and make important judgments. Usually these questions and opinions relate to the immediate, familiar environment, which can be different and changing for each child. Regardless of this diversity, we want to ensure that all children have an equal opportunity to develop.
The slogan “equal opportunities for every child” is commonly associated with providing access to education for children with disabilities. Against this background, the trend of inclusive education is developing, removing architectural barriers in kindergartens and schools to which all children are invited. However, the diversity of people in the world, their needs and the conditions in which they live creates the need for a broader view of equal opportunities for every child. Moreover, the pace of civilizational change is very rapid. We tend to want to wait to address the issue of diversity and equal opportunity until children appear to understand more and better, usually until adolescence, although social research shows that it is children’s earliest experiences that significantly influence their future development. The course of their development, in turn, determines the lifelong contributions they will make to society, or the costs they will pay.
31All of us, we require a world in which every child gets an equal chance to succeed in life, and this world will be creating by today’ children. That’s why we at project GAINKids point out that a Preschooler can be a “partner” in the conversation about human diversity, and as they learn about it, they will become increasingly aware of how to provide equal opportunities for all.
By speaking to children in the language of our story-books, we want to convey that: it’s not about who their parents are, but who they are, to draw their attention not to what others are doing, but to what they themselves can do, to let them learn that gender, skin color, clothes, hair length, age, and health conditions don’t matter because what matters most is friendship and talent.