Publications

Las ciudades del mundo a menudo son consideradas como centros privilegiados y de riqueza pero también acogen a cientos de millones de niños para quienes la pobreza y la exclusión son una realidad cotidiana. Algunos de estos niños viven en la calle; muchos más viven en casas peligrosas e insana que a veces carecen de las necesidades más básicas, como el agua potable y el saneamiento. Estos niños urbanos raras veces tienen acceso a servicios adecuados como alfabetización o espacios seguros para jugar. El imperativo de la supervivencia económica puede suponer no sólo que los padres sean incapaces de dedicar tiempo suficiente para el cuidado de los niños, sino que también los niños se vean obligados a tabajar, a menudo en condiciones peligrosas. Esto no debería ser así: este Digest examina el potencial del buen gobierno urbano fundado en los principios de uno derechos humanos que promuevan un cambio positivo para y con la infancia.

The cities of the world are often regarded as hubs of wealth and privilege, but they are also home to hundreds of millions of children for whom poverty and exclusion are a daily reality. Some of these children live on the street; many more live in dangerous, insanitary housing which often lacks the most basic amenities, including clean water and satisfactory sanitation. These urban children rarely have access to adequate services, including schooling, or to safe areas for play and recreation. The imperative of economic survival can mean not only that parents are unable to dedicate sufficient time to childcare, but also that children themselves are forced to work, often in hazardous conditions. Yet all this need not be the case: this Digest examines the potential of good urban governance founded upon human rights principles to promote positive change for and with children. The key to eradicating urban poverty and exclusion lies in the development of child-friendly cities where children’s rights are made a priority in budgeting, planning and resource allocation and where children’s voices inform the democratic process.

Le città del mondo sono spesso considerate luoghi in cui abbonda la ricchezza e il privilegio. Esse ospitano però centinaia di milioni di bambini per i quali la povertà e l'esclusione sono una realtà quotidiana. Alcuni di questi bambini vivono nelle strade; molti altri vivono in alloggi pericolosi e insalubri che spesso sono privi dei più basilari servizi igienici, come una fonte di acqua pulita. I bambini urbani hanno raramente accesso a strutture adeguate, come scuole o luoghi sicuri dove giocare. L'imperativo della sopravvivenza economica può significare non solo che i genitori non sono in grado di dedicare loro il tempo sufficiente, ma anche che gli stessi bambini sono costretti a lavorare, spesso in condizioni pericolose. Eppure tutto questo sarebbe evitabile: questo Digest prende in esame le potenzialità di un buon governo, fondato sui princìpi dei diritti umani, nel promuovere un cambiamento positivo per e con i bambini. La povertà e l'esclusione urbana possono essere eliminate in città che siano amiche dei bambini, dove i diritti dell’infanzia siano una priorità nella pianificazione di bilancio, nella progettazione e nell'attribuzione delle risorse, e dove i bambini possano far sentire la loro voce nel processo democratico.

In India, as in other countries, the rise in the number of street and working children is associated with the phenomenon of rapid urban growth, especially of sprawling slums and shanty towns. The predicament of the urban child "in difficult circumstances" is inextricable from these conditions of urban poverty in which he and she is brought up. The first point of any enquiry into childhood in India's slums and squatter settlements, therefore, has to be the entire living context of poor urban children: physical, environmental, socio-economic, and familial. Unless the child's family is made the target of understanding and improvement, there is not likely to be sustained amelioration of the children's current plight or future prospects.

In order to establish fully the connection between urban children in especially difficult circumstances and the problems their families are encountering, it is also necessary to address the effects of social change on families and individuals. This ranges from understanding the deterioration of family ties in different environments, to identifying changes in expectations, personal roles and atttitudes familiar in many countries. The 'Urban Child' project, furthermore, while not strictly undertaking a comparative analysis, has sought to identify and highlight common problems such as overcrowding, pollution, the growing presence of drugs and AIDS, urban violence, internal and external migration, and the lack of a sense of belonging.