Role of children's literature in spreading awareness of human rights especially that of children's rights?

Abstract

This article is a study on the methods adopted by the legislative and executive bodies in Egypt to activate the articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to peruse spreading the awareness of the necessity of bringing up children on the believe in the rights of this convention. The spirit of this convention must flow in all the aspects of the society so that its rights would become an essential component of the nation's identity and part of the people's daily culture. That is because the social attitudes do not change suddenly even if there are laws and regulations that adopt such change but the society must absorb this change and believe in the basic philosophy of the convention and understand the importance of the rights stated in it. The study is based on the idea that if the inappropriate aspects and beliefs of the society are changed and the work on respecting, accepting and implementing the laws that were issued and are still being issued is achieved. From the main role of the cultural aspects it appears that literature is the most important one. In this field of literature, the study reviewed fifteen novels and stories published in Egypt and are directed to children and youths. The stories revolve around characters, topics and phenomena that can make the child understand his rights and duties. Moreover the study explained the effect of the contributions of Egypt's First Lady, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, on enhancing the different human and children rights especially through the projects of Reading for All, Family Library and Suzanne Mubarak Women's International Peace Movement.