The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: A socio-legal perspective

Thoko Kaime

Description

The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child is Africa’s pre-eminent document on children’s rights. In this book, Thoko Kaime appropriately locates the Charter at the centre of debates on the promotion and protection of children’s rights. He critically examines the role of law in society as he undertakes a socio-legal examination of the Charter. His analysis of the international mechanisms alongside local cultural processes and observations challenges orthodox views on how best to achieve the realisation of children’s rights within African communities. Raising the cultural legitimacy of children’s rights will require a combination of international, national and local strategies. This book makes the case for such an approach and provides a useful framework for conducting this work.“It is encouraging to see a scholar who appreciates that rights, even children’s rights, cannot take life if confined to documentation, no matter how august, but to be meaningful, must take root in the social life of communities. It is great to see one who grapples with how this may be achieved.”- John Eekelaar, Professor of Law, Pembroke College, University of Oxford.About the editor:Thoko Kaime Thoko Kaime, is Senior Teaching Fellow in the School of Law. He also serves as Lecturer in international and environmental law in the School of Law at the University of Leicester.

Sujets

• Economie
• développement
• Politics
• Relations internationales
• Développement
• Géopolitique

Informations

• Publié par: PULP (Pretoria University Law Press)
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780981442044
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE
RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE CHILD
A socio-legal perspective

Thoko Kaime

2 0 0 9

The African Charter ont heRight s andWelf areof the Child
A socio-legalperspect ive

Publishe dby:
Pr e t or iaUnive r sit yLaw Pre ss(PULP)
The Pret or i aUni ver si t yLaw Press (PULP)i sa publi sherat the Facult yof Law,
Uni ver si t yof Pret or i a,Sout hAf r i ca.PULP endeavours to publi shand make
avai l abl ei nnovat i ve,hi gh-qual i t yschol a r l yt ext son law in Afr i ca.PULP also
publ i shesa seri esof coll e ct i onsof legal document sr el at edt opubl i cl awi n
Af r i ca,as wel las text booksf r omAf ri cancount r i esot hert hanSout hAf r i ca.
Thi sbook was peerr evi ew edpr i ort opubl i cat i on.

For mor ei nf or m at i onon PULP, see ww w . pul p. up. ac. za

Pr int e dand bound by:

ABC Press
Cape Town

To order ,cont act :
PULP
Facul t yof Law
Uni ver si t yof Pret or i a
Sout hAf r i ca
0002
Tel :[phone]
Fax: [phone]
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Cove r :
Yol andaBooyzen, Centr ef orHum anRi ght s

Phot ogr aph:
Gus Waschefor t

ISBN: 978-0-9814420-4-4

© 2009

The fi nanci alassi st anceof the Norw egi anCent r ef o rHum anRi ght si sgr at ef ul l y
acknow l edged

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TABLE OFCONTENTS

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

DEDICATION

TABLE OF CASES AND OTHER LEGAL
INSTRUMENTS

LIST OF TABLES

INTRODUCTION
1 Background
2 Focusof the book
3 General approach of the book
4 Signi f i canceof the book
5 Scopeof the book
6 Lim i t at i onsof the study

THE BIRTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RIGHTS
AND WELFARE OF THE CHILD
1 In t r o d u c t i o n
2 Thest r uct ur albasi sof chil dr en’ tr i ght sat
i nt er nat i onall aw
3 Univer salr i ght sand the str uggl ef orcont ext
4 Document saf f ect i ngt her i ght sand wel f ar eof
t heAf r i canchi l d
5 Lit er at ur eon the ri ght sand wel f ar eof the
Af r i canchi l d
6 Eme r gi n gq u e st i o n s

vi

vi i

vi i i

i x

xi i

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1
4
4
5
7
8

11

11
11

16
20

24

28

THE AFRICAN CHILDREN’S CHARTER:BEYOND31
RELATIVISM AND UNIVERSALISM
1 In t r o d u c t i o n31
2 Theconcept of cult ur eand it sr el evancef or32
chi l dr en’ sr i ght s
3 Cult ur all egi t i m acyand it s r el evancef or36
chi l dr en’ sr i ght si nAf r i ca
4 Cult ur alr el at ivi smand the univer sal i t yof40
hum anr i ght s:The debate and it sr el evancef or
chi l dr en’ sr i ght s
4. 1Cul t ur alr el at i vi smand the rel evanceof 42
cul t ur alcont ext
4. 2Uni ver sal i smand human ri ght s45
4. 3Medi at i ngbet w eenuni ver sal i smand rel at i vi sm49
5 Thei m pl i cat i onsof the debate for the prot ect i on53
and prom ot i onof chil dr en’ sr i ght si nAf r i ca

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4

5

6

CHILDHOOD AND CHILDREN’S RIGHTS:FOCUSING59
ON THE BENEFICIARIESOF THE AFRICAN
CHILDREN’ SCHARTER
1 In t r o d u c t i o n59
2 Ther i ght sand wel f ar eof the chil d60
3 Theconcept of chil dhood65
3. 1The changing natur eof chil dhood70
3. 2The concept i onof chil dhoodw i t hi nAf r i can73
com m uni t i es
4 Ther el at i onshi pbet w eenchi l dhoodand78
chi l dr en’ sr i ght s
4. 1The im ageof chil dhoodunder l yi ngt he79
i nt er nat i onall awof chil dr en’ sr i ght s
4. 2Chi l dr en’ sr i ght sand the domi nanti m ageof 80
chi l dhood
4. 3Ob st acl esi nt heexpor tof the domi nant83
concep t i onsof chil dhood
4. 4Chi l dhoodand the Afr i canChi l dr en’ sChar t er86
4. 5Consol i dat i ngt henew im ageof chil dhoodi n90
f avourof the ri ght sand wel f ar eof the
Af r i canchi l d
5 Concludi ngr em ar ks92

CORE CONCEPTS OF THE AFRICAN CHILDREN’S93
CHARTER: CONTEXT AND CONTESTS
1 In t r o d u c t i o n93
2 Thegener alpr i nci pl esand cult ur alcont ext :95
The basis for an ethnogr aphi cappr oach
3 Non-discr i m i nat i on:Concept s,cont extand98
cont est s
3. 1Maybe not good but just if i abl e:Anal ysi ngt he101
p r o- di st i nct i onnar r at i ves
3. 2It is notpar tof our cult ur e:An inqui r yi nt o1 06
non-di scr i m i nat i ondi scour se
4 Besti nt er est s:Tr aci ngt hecont our sof a110
shadow -l essconcept
4. 1Lost in tr ansl at i on? Concept ual i si ngbest 113
i nt er est s
4. 2The chil d ’ sb esti nt er est si nf am i l yd eci si on115
m aki ng
5 Survi valand developm entand the119
i nt er r el at ednessof chil dr en’ sr i ght s
5. 1Chi l dr en’ ssur vi valand developm ent :122
Par t ner shi psand resour cenet w or ks
6 Part i ci pat i on:A bri efi nt r oduct i on130
6. 1Adap t at i onand resi st ance:A tal eof 134
r udenessand fr eedom
7 Concludi ngr em ar ks:Chi l dr en’ sr i ght si ncul t ur al138
pr act i ce

CULTURAL LEGITIMACY AND THE141
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RIGHTSAND WELFARE
OF THE AFRICAN CHILD: INSTITUTIONSAND
PROCESS
1 In t r o d u c t i o n141

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2
3

4

5

6

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The for m alpr ot ect i onof chil dr en’ sr i ght s142
The scope and eff i cacyof the legal prot ect i on144
of chil dr en’ sr i ght sand the prospect sf or
cul t ur all egi t i m acy
Fr omt hel egalt ot hel ocal :Local inst i t ut i ons148
and the cult ur all egi t i m acyof chil dr en’ sr i ght s
4. 1Key local inst i t ut i onsi nLom w ecount r y148
4. 2The clan 149
4. 3The chief ’ scour t150
4. 4Theb om aor the diof f i ce151st r i ctcom m i ssi oner ’ s
4. 5The church 152
Local inst i t ut i onsand the potent i alf or153
chi l dr en’ sr i ght spr ot ect i on
Incor por at i ngl ocali nst i t ut i onsi nt he160
i m pl em ent at i onof chil dr en’ sr i ght s:Pr ocess
and prospect s
Concl udi ngr em ar ks162

CONCLUDING ANALYSIS
1 In t r o d u c t i o n
2 Cult ur e,r i ght s,t heAf r i canChi l dr en’ sChar t er
and the omni pr esenceof change
3 Cult ur all egi t i m acyand the Afr i canChi l dr en’ s
Char t er
4 Cult ur alappr opr i ati onand the Afr i can
Chi l dr en’ sChar t er
5 TheAf r i canChi l dr en’ sChar t eri npr act i ce
5. 1Di ssem i nat i on
5. 2Col l abor at i on
5. 3Par t i ci pat i on
5. 4Innovat i on
6 Concludi ngr em ar ks

APPENDIX A
Af r i canChar t eron the Right sand Welf ar eof
t heAf r i canChi l d

APPENDIX B
Convent i onon the Right sof the Chil d

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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166

172

176

177
177
180
182
184
185

187

207

231

PREFACE

Tw om ai nr easonsencour agedm et ow r i t et hi sbook. The fi r sti st he
absence of a compr ehensi veanal ysi son the ri ght sand wel f ar eof the
Af r i canchi l dbased on the pri nci pl esexpounded in Afr i ca’ sow n
i nst r um enton the subject .The second is the Afr i ca nChi l dr en’ s
Char t er ’ si nsi st encet hatt hevi r tues ofAf r i cancul t ur alher i t age,
hi st or i calbackgr oundand the values oft heAf r i canci vi l i zat i onshoul d
i nspi r eand charact er i set heconcept of the ri ght sand wel f ar eof the
chi l d.Thi sf ocuson Afr i canval uesand cult ur alhe r i t agem akest he
Char t eran appropr i at est ar t i ngpl acef orany discu ssi onon the
cul t ur all egi t i m acyof chil dr en’ sr i ght sw i t hi nAf r i cancom m uni t i es.

Thoko Kaim e
School of Ori ent aland Afr i canSt udi es
London

Novem ber2009

vi

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Dur i ngt hepr epar at i onof thi sbook, I have been mo vedand blessed
by the generosi t yand kindness ofm anypeopl eand I wi sht oexpr ess
m ygr at i t udet oal lof them .In par t i cul ar ,I wi sht ot hankt hepeopl e
of Magombo and Ndalam avi l l agesf orw el com i ngm ei nt ot hei rhom es
and shari ngw i t hm et hei rw onder f uli nsi ght s onchi l dhood.My account
of our conversat i onscan never do just i cet ot hew i sdom st hatyou
i m par t edt om e.God bless you all .

Many thanks also to Prof essorFar edaBanda. She hasbeen my
t eacher ,m ym ent or ,m ym ot herand my fr i end.Ma, I could bri ngyou
f l ow er sf ora season, and another and another but I sti l lcoul dnever
t hankyou enough.

Thi sbook woul dnot have reache dt hi sst agew i t houtt hest eady
st r eamof emai l sand rem i nder sof rem i nder sf r omPhi l i ppeCul l et .I
am im possi bl e,but youar ea tr uef r i end.Thanks am i l l i onf oryour
suppor t .

I also woul dl i ket oacknow l e dget hoset hatt aughtm et he
i m por t anceof thi nki ngt hathum anbei ngsshoul denj oy human ri ght s:
Pr of essorFr ansVi l j oen,Pr of essorJul i aSl ot h-Ni el sen,Tshepo
Madl i ngozi ,Modecai Msisha, Temw aNyi r endaand Ralp hKasam bar a.
Thanks for maki ngm et hel aw yert hatI am.

Thanks also to Mum, Dad, Su, Nduge, Uzeni, Flo and Eli zaf ort he
t ext s,car ds,cal l s,f i sh,r awgr o undnut s(and the regul arr equest sf or
updat es onIpod pri ces-Iget the hint ,Uze). It never real l ydi df eell i ke
a mi l l i onm i l es.

Most im por t ant l y,I w