Protecting the Rights of Children: Recommendations for Addressing Religious Institutions that Threaten Human Rights
By: Special Rapporteur Joseph Bonner - Court Magazine
The right of all children to access justice and effective remedies is a universally acknowledged principle enshrined in international human rights laws. The protection and well-being of our future generation should be a top priority for societies around the world. However, there exists a disturbing reality where mainstream and cult-like religious institutions pose significant threats to the basic human rights of children.
Religious Institutions Accused and Suspected of Violating the Rights of A Child
1. Christianity
a. Roman Catholic Church
b. Eastern Orthodox Church
c. Protestantism
d. Anglicanism
e. Baptists
f. Methodism
g. Lutheranism
h. Presbyterianism
i. Pentecostalism
j. Evangelicalism
k. Adventism
l. Quakerism
m. Mennonitism
n. Episcopal Church
o. Church of the Nazarene
p. Reformed Church in America
q. Congregationalism
r. Church of God in Christ
s. United Church of Christ
t. Seventh-day Adventist Church
u. Salvation Army
v. Assemblies of God
w. Disciples of Christ
x. United Methodist Church
y. Latter-day Saints (Mormonism)
z. Christian Science
aa. Eastern Catholic Churches
ab. New Apostolic Church
ac. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
ad. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
ae. United Methodist Church
af. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
ag. Southern Baptist Convention
ah. Assemblies of God
ai. Missionary Church
aj. Episcopal Church
ak. Evangelical Covenant Church
al. Mennonite Church USA
am. Assemblies of God USA
an. Hundreds of cult Christian churches
am.Baptist World Alliance
ao. Lutheran World Federation
ap. Redeemed Christian Church of God
aq. United Pentecostal Church International
ar. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
2. Islam
3. Hinduism
4. Buddhism
5. Sikhism
6. Judaism
7. Bahá'í Faith
8. Jainism
9. Shinto
10. Cao Dai
11. Tenrikyo
12. Zoroastrianism
13. Animism
14. African Traditional Religions
15. Spiritism
16. Native American Tribal Religions
17. Rastafari
18. Santeria
19. Taoism
20. Scientology
21. Wicca
22. Satanism
23. Unitarian Universalism
24. Eckankar
25. Asatru
26. Paganism
27. Druidry
28. Falun Gong
29. Hare Krishna
30. Church of Christ, Scientist
31. Baha'i Faith
32. Ravidassia
33. Caodaism
34. Rongcheng Taoism
35. Deism
36. Candomble
37. Hindu Unitarian Universalist
38. Kardec Spiritist
39. Universal Life
40. Supai Buddhism
41. Sant Mat
42. Falun Gong
43. Yazidism44. Vodou
45. Shamanism
46. Tenrikyo
47. Unitarian Universalism
48. New Age spirituality
49. Shakers
50. Hundreds of other religious minority organizations including tribal religious leaders from the Amazon, India, Papua New Guinea. Thailand, Philippines, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia and the like.
These institutions, which claim to propagate peace, morality, and spirituality, but who often manipulate and exploit innocent young lives. They perpetuate practices that infringe upon the fundamental rights of children, including but not limited to forced labor, physical and sexual abuse, human trafficking, mental indoctrination designed to divide state citizens, and denial of modern medical treatment and basic education or employ community extortion for private basic education and medical treatment. It is imperative that we confront this issue head-on and take concrete steps to ensure the safety and well-being of children worldwide.
This article goes beyond merely highlighting the problem at hand. It seeks to provide actionable recommendations aimed at addressing this grave injustice. Our focus lies in the eradication of these detrimental institutions, the establishment of an international United Nations (U.N.) task force to monitor and tackle child rights violations, and the strategic utilization of their vast assets to alleviate poverty, a crucial factor impeding the progress of children everywhere.
By outlining these recommendations, we aim to rally support and evoke the necessary international response to bring about change. It is our moral duty to fight for the rights of children and to create a future where every child can grow up in a safe, nurturing, and just environment. Together, we can dismantle the barriers that deny children their fundamental rights and pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.
I. Recommendation: Elimination of Religious Institutions Threatening Human Rights
International human rights standards, such as the CRC and the UDHR, provide a foundation for children's rights and state accountability. These standards highlight the need for religious institutions to respect children's rights to protection, education, freedom of thought, religion, and expression. Additionally, they emphasize the responsibility of states to prevent abuse or violation of children's rights, even within religious contexts.
1. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): This United Nations treaty sets out the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of children. It underscores the right to protection from all forms of abuse, exploitation, and neglect. It also emphasizes the right to education, healthcare, and freedom of thought, religion, and expression.
2. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): This declaration, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, establishes the fundamental rights and freedoms to which all individuals are entitled. It recognizes the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and expression, ensuring that these rights should not be interfered with by state or religious institutions.
3. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): This treaty outlines the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and expression. It prohibits any coercion that would impair the individual's freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief.
4. International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR): This treaty recognizes the right to education, health, and the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. It obliges states to take appropriate measures to ensure the realization of these rights for all individuals, including children.
When religious institutions carry out actions or teachings that infringe upon children's human rights, these laws emphasize the accountability of states in protecting children from such abuses. States have a responsibility to regulate and intervene in situations where children's rights are violated, regardless of whether the violation is perpetrated by individuals, organizations, or religious institutions.
In order to address the issue of threatening religious institutions and their impact on children's rights, it is important to undertake a thorough assessment and identification process. This has already been achieved by establishment of independent national and international bodies that specialize in examining religious institutions and ideologies that pose a risk to children's rights. By utilizing the work and effort of these institutions and the monitoring framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), such as regular reporting, governments will be able to identify institutions that are in violation of human rights laws standards designed to protect our children.
To further safeguard the well-being and rights of children, it is crucial to implement present legislation to urge state intervention. Governments are empowered to intervene in cases where religious institutions pose substantial risks to children. This intervention is already supported by current legislation that specifically targets institutions that perpetuate or condone severe violations of children's rights. By taking these steps, it becomes possible to address the issue of threatening religious institutions and ensure the protection of children's rights.
II. Recommendation: Establishment of an International Task Force
The United Nations plays a crucial role in safeguarding human rights and advocating for their universal protection. To address the global threat posed by certain religious institutions and ensure the rights of children are protected, international cooperation is essential. This can be achieved through the formation of an International U.N. Task Force, composed of military experts guided by child rights and religious affairs specialists. The U.N. task force will gather and analyze information, monitor situations, and identify religious institutions that violate children's rights, leading to the shutdown of their public operations. States are encouraged to actively cooperate with the task force by sharing relevant data and information about institutions within their jurisdiction. Furthermore, the task force will provide guidance and manpower support to governments, helping them implement strategies to eliminate religious institutions that pose a threat to children's rights. To effectively protect these rights, it is crucial that successful practices are shared between states dealing with religious institutions.
1. Information Gathering and Analysis: The U.N. task force will have experts in child rights and religious affairs who will gather and analyze information from various sources, including governments, civil society organizations, and individuals. They will identify religious institutions that violate children's rights and determine the severity of the violations.
For example, if reports emerge about a religious institution promoting child marriage or subjecting children to physical abuse, the task force will investigate the situation, verify the allegations, and compile evidence to present to member states.
2. Monitoring and Reporting: The U.N task force will act as a monitoring body, keeping a close eye on situations involving religious institutions and their impact on children's rights. They will provide relevant member states with the support needed to shut down all operations of those religious institutions.
For instance, if the task force discovers a religious institution that uses child labor, they will continuously monitor the institution's operations, document any violations, and share this information with concerned states.
3. Shutdown of Public Operations: Once the task force identifies religious institutions that consistently and gravely violate children's rights, it will work towards shutting down their public operations. This can be achieved through legal procedures, and cooperation with member states and U.N. task force deployment to close or demolish religious buildings and schools.
For instance, if a religious institution is found to engage in systematic child exploitation, the task force will cooperate with states to shut down religious buildings, schools, functions and operations by any means necessary to ensure the fundamental rights of children are no longer violated.
4. Cooperation and Support: The task force will encourage member states to actively cooperate by sharing relevant data and information about religious institutions operating within their jurisdiction. Moreover, it will provide guidance and manpower support to governments, assisting them in implementing strategies and policies to eliminate religious institutions that pose a threat to children's rights.
For example, the task force will collaborate with national child protection agencies to assist in investigations, provide expert advice, and support government efforts in shutting down these institutions.
5. Sharing Successful Practices: To enhance global efforts, the task force will facilitate the sharing of successful practices between states dealing with religious institutions. They will create platforms for dialogue, conferences, and workshops, where strategies and solutions can be exchanged.
For instance, if a state successfully implements comprehensive reforms to regulate and monitor religious institutions while protecting children's rights, these measures can be shared with other states facing similar challenges, promoting effective practices worldwide.
Overall, by establishing the International U.N. Task Force and implementing these measures, the United Nations can play a crucial role in safeguarding human rights, particularly protecting children's rights from the threats posed by certain religious institutions.
III. Recommendation: Utilization of Assets to Address Poverty
Picture a world where children no longer suffer the cruel grip of poverty, where their dreams are not stifled by hunger and despair. Their innocent faces, etched with both hope and desperation, serve as a haunting reminder of the urgent need for collective action.
Behind the veil of this pressing issue lies a stark reality: poverty's insidious grasp on children's rights. It is a dark force that robs them of their education, their health, and their future. This injustice must be fought with unwavering determination, with every ounce of our being.
In this battle against poverty, there are untapped resources that lie within the hallowed walls of religious institutions. These mighty organizations possess vast riches, both material and spiritual. Redirecting these resources effectively could be the key to unlocking a brighter, more equal world for the vulnerable children who suffer most.
To achieve this vital goal, a multifaceted approach is necessary, one that empowers local governments to take action. These governments must be given the authority, through due process of law, to seize assets from religious organizations that flagrantly violate children's rights. With justice as their guide, these resources will be plucked from the hands of the guilty and redistributed to initiatives that combat poverty, initiatives that protect the innocence of children on a global scale.
Yet, the implementation of such a crucial plan demands something more than just seizing assets. It requires transparency to bring light into the darkest corners and accountability to ensure that these resources are handled with care. Mechanisms must be put in place to guarantee that these seized assets are managed properly, preventing any misuse or squandering of their immense potential.
In this timely endeavor, collaboration becomes the foundation that cements success. It is through partnerships with civil society organizations, with child-focused non-governmental organizations, that we can magnify the impact of our efforts. Together, we can harness the true power of the seized assets, channeling them towards addressing the formidable poverty challenges that continue to bind children's rights.
Let us not turn a blind eye to the suffering of those born into poverty's unforgiving embrace. Let us rise above the trivial divisions that prevent action and look towards a world where every child is afforded their basic rights. In unity, in empathy, we have the chance to create a better future, a future where poverty's chains no longer shackle the dreams of our children.
The recommendations put forth in this document aim to implement the right of all children to access justice and effective remedies, particularly when confronted with religious institutions that pose a threat to their basic human rights. By recommending the elimination of such institutions, the establishment of an international task force, and the utilization of their assets to counter poverty, governments and international bodies can collectively work towards securing and protecting the rights of children worldwide, in accordance with international human rights laws.
Download Report
Comments