Bishop Anthony Randazzo today launched a Rights of the Child Framework as an initiative of Safeguarding Awareness Month. The Diocese of Broken Bay dedicates September to Safeguarding and has chosen as a theme for 2020, “Promoting Rights of the Child”.
It has been 30 years since Australia ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which identified the particular rights that apply to children, rights that governments commit to upholding and protecting. These include the right to be educated, to grow in a healthy environment, to have a safe and loving home, to be clothed and fed, to be listened to and to be treated fairly.
The Framework details these rights and extends to include the spiritual rights of the child. It outlines the commitment of the Diocese of Broken Bay to the child’s human and spiritual rights and aims to empower the leadership and culture of the Diocese to understand and practice these rights.
Bishop Randazzo made it a priority to express the spiritual rights alongside the natural rights identified by the United Nations.
“In the community of the Church, these human rights of the child are grounded in the truth that each child is made in the image and likeness of God, with unique beauty and dignity”, said Bishop Randazzo. “Each child is known and loved by God.”
The Diocesan entities of Chancery and Parish, Catholic Schools Office and CatholicCare will utilise the Framework as a platform for developing child-related programs relevant to each agency. This approach will ensure the needs of children are addressed and programs are implemented with the best interest for the child. It is hoped programs will be meaningful and relevant to a child’s own life story including their families, carers, friends and wider communities.
All members of the Diocese are encouraged to reference the Framework, along with the National Principles of a Child Safe Organisation and the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards when considering the development and implementation of child related programs, associated resources and applicable policies and processes.
“The Framework is one of the many ways in which we are living out our commitment to forming communities of safety and care, especially for our children,” said Bishop Anthony.
The Framework and supporting resources for children and young people are available from the Diocesan webpage
www.bbcatholic.org.au/safeguarding/rights-of-the-child.
If you require further information about the Framework, please email the Office for Safeguarding
safeguarding@bbcatholic.org.au
View the video from Bishop Randazzo here
Download the Framework here
Download the poster here