Rights Corner – let's know the rights of children
A special corner, called the Rights Corner and featuring a shelf of books that promote rights awareness, has now been set up at Hafnarfjörður Library. There you can find books related to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The books are for readers of all ages. The Rights Corner is part of an initiative to promote Hafnarfjörður as a child-friendly community.
Increased visibility and rights education at Hafnarfjörður Library
A special corner, called the Rights Corner and featuring a shelf of books that promote rights awareness, has now been set up at Hafnarfjörður Library. There you can find books related to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The books are for readers of all ages. The Rights Corner is part of an initiative to promote Hafnarfjörður as a child-friendly community.
„The library cares about the welfare of children and therefore believes it is important that the community recognises and protects their rights. These selected books provide insight into the various topics covered by the Convention on the Rights of the Child.“ says Þórunn Þórarinsdóttir, project manager for the child-friendly municipality at Hafnarfjörður municipality.
Examples of books in the Rights Corner are;
- Be Invisible by Kristín Helga Gunnarsdóttir
- The Comet by Tove Jansson
- Barbalaw's School by Tibson/Taylor
- Loðmundur - Grandma's Liquorice by Pierre Bailly
- The Dream Thief by Gunnar Helgason
Hugrún Margrét, Head of the Children's and Young People's Department at Hafnarfjörður Library, says that the book list in the Rights Corner is by no means exhaustive, even though there are quite a few. „After all, the treasure chest of literature is both deep and rich. A large number of children's books point to the plight of children. It is so important that they are able to see themselves in this predicament. They even see that their own situation is not unique.“
Þórunn and Hugrún at the Rights Corner
Realism in Nordic children's books
Hugrún gives an example and mentions the realism of Nordic children's books. „Like Ronja the Robber's Daughter. Ronja and her father wrestle. She is the only girl with her mother in a large group of men. She leaves the area because the adults say she is not allowed to have a friend.“ Hugrún also mentions the invisible child in the Moomins. „Ninna becomes invisible because she is treated so badly. She becomes afraid of existing. Then, when she finds her strength, she starts to be seen again. “For more examples. All the books in the Rights Corner are available to borrow. Þórunn and Hugrún are asking borrowers for suggestions for titles that would be a good fit for the shelf. „It creates discussion and broadens all of our horizons.'.
Hafnarfjörður will become a child-friendly community
A Child-Friendly Municipality is a project that supports the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in all governance and activities of the municipality. The project is based on the international UNICEF initiative, the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative, which has been implemented in thousands of municipalities around the world since 1996. The implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child within the municipality, along with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, is part of Hafnarfjörður's comprehensive strategy, which is in force until 2035. The strategy emphasises that the standards of the Convention on the Rights of the Child are used in services for children and young people. The implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child involves the municipality's commitment to use the Convention as a guiding principle in its work, and for its five core principles to run like a red thread through the administration and activities of the municipality. Child-friendly local authorities promote the active participation of children in matters that concern them, and they consult with children and young people in a targeted manner to improve their services. Child-friendly local authorities are based on five core elements, all of which are linked to children's rights.
- Knowledge of children's rights
- In the best interests of the child
- Equality – with due regard to the rights of the child
- Children's participation
- A more child-friendly approach
All about a child-friendly municipality and the town of Hafnarfjörður