While tragic discoveries earlier this year at the sites of former residential schools shed light on the plight of thousands of First Nations children, International Child Rights Day this year marks a milestone. unique opportunity to raise awareness of children’s rights, especially those of First Nations and Inuit toddlers, because unfortunately, we are not all equal when it comes to enforcing these rights.
We believe that First Nations and Inuit children should be rooted in their culture and language and have the opportunity to develop to their full potential, physically, psychologically, emotionally, culturally and spiritually, as individuals and as individuals. as members of their families, communities and nations.
More generally, we have a duty to transform this day into concrete actions, for the well-being of all children. To achieve this, we must work together to ensure that each child develops to their full potential.
The importance of prevention and benevolence
As stated in the report of the Special Commission on Children’s Rights and Youth Protection, prevention and caring are the keys to a more just society for children.
Prevention consists of eliminating or reducing the risk factors that favor the appearance of a problem, while strengthening individual and collective capacities to cope with stress and adversity. Toddlers are vulnerable and they depend not only on their parents, but also on society as a whole.
In the case of benevolence, it is about putting in place individual, family, community, economic and social conditions conducive to healthy parent-child relationships so that, from birth, as many children as possible can. grow up in a family free from all forms of violence and neglect.
We believe that individual public policies cannot be enough. It is the sum of policies, consistent with each other and updated in an integrated vision taking into account the continuum of child development, which is most likely to ensure equal opportunities for toddlers in Quebec. We must act together, in a concerted manner, by pooling the capacities and missions of various actors who support toddlers.
If we really want to remedy the inequalities that exist between the First Nations and the Inuit and the Quebec population, let’s join forces and work together to build a society where every child, regardless of nationality or origin, has a place to grow, learn, come true and become an adult.
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