Østfold College lecturer and researcher, Bengt Morten Wenstøb was a visiting professor in Social Work Department November 28 to December 8.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

UNICEF's mission is to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided in doing this by the provisions and principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Built on varied legal systems and cultural traditions, the Convention is a universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations. These basic standards, also called human rights, set minimum entitlements and freedoms that should be respected by governments. They are founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, regardless of race, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, origins, wealth, birth status or ability and therefore apply to every human being everywhere. With these rights comes the obligation on both governments and individuals not to infringe on the parallel rights of others. These standards are both interdependent and indivisible - we cannot ensure some rights without or at the expense of other rights.

About the Ombudsman for Children

excerpt from Norway Child Ombudsman website

HISTORY

Norway was the first country to establish a commissioner, or ombud, with statutory rights to protect children and their rights. Since 1981, the Ombudsman for Children in Norway has worked continuously to improve national and international legislation affecting children's welfare.

From the late 1960s, a strong political debate regarding the need for children to have an official Ombudsman to speak for them, was present in Norway and there was an agreement and understanding that children constituted a vulnerable group in society .Several debates took place in the Norwegian Parliament. Finally, Act No 5 was passed in March 1981.

The Ombudsman has the power to investigate, criticise and publicise matters important to improve the welfare of children and youth. However, the Ombudsman cannot by law reverse administrative actions or revoke administrative decisions.

The Bengt Morten Wenstøb Interview
special for BSW Frontpage

Professor Wenstøb, how did you become interested in child welfare and children's rights Well, it's not so easy to say exactly when my interest for children's rights started. I have been interested in justice since I was young. When I went to school I was often elected as a class representative and had the opportunity to act on issues important the students. This interest, I believe, also made me become a social worker. From that experience of helping others students carried over to helping those with problems they couldn't solve by their own. My real first job was working with children. I worked in schools at the lower, i.e., elementary level, with children who didn't fit into traditional school life and the pedagogical system. This thread of helping those who can't help themselves continues until now: Now, I teach social workers and research on children's rights. My research work centers on the history of childhood and children rights in daily life.

What do you see as the major issues in Norway where it concerns child welfare? There are two aspects to that question. Firstly, you have the local level, secondly the global level. You could say the local and the global are integrated. By that I mean we are all a part of a common global future. The UN Convention the Rights of the Child is one example of this. The UNCRC builds upon the principle that every child should have the same rights independent of what country they live in. Today, in Norway, we are focused on bullying in schools, school meals (we don't currently offer meals in our schools) the new communication technologies and how they influence the daily lives of children (e.g., pedophiles contacting the children through internet).

So far, what differences do you see between the U.S. and Norway social welfare on the topics of: social work education training, the government role in social welfare, child welfare, the attitudes of the people in each country towards social welfare and the standing of the family unit in Norway society vis-a-vis social welfare? I think that we in general have a lot in common, and it is indeed a fact that Norway has been influenced by the US but also England, Germany and Denmark in relation to social work theory and practice. However, I think the U.S. is more focused on the individual than we are in Norway. On the other hand, we concentrate more on the collective and give the same level of aid to everyone-even if the clients don't need it. Therefore, I propound a mixed model that includes the best from the Norwegian and US models would be an improvement for both systems. I think in the future Norway will focus more on individual needs. Americans have been raised to take care of the family and themselves through work and studies in a strong way. Americans often stress individual responsibility. In the Norwegian context we have been raised in the belief of mutual responsibility and equality. That is also the idea behind the Norwegian welfare state. American society is very focused on family values and the importance of having a family. In the Norway we also look upon the family as an important keystone of Norwegian society. At the same time we could see some changes in the role of the family due to the number divorces resulting in "broken homes" and mixed families.

What are your favourite Norwegian texts on child welfare, social welfare or child rights, and why? Many researchers have inspired me both from Norway and abroad, for example Per Olav Tiller, a professor from the University of Trondheim who focused on childhood. But also Bengt Lindström a professor from Finland who researched quality of life in a child's context. Then, of course, you have Urie Bronfenbrenner, Hugh Cunningham and Philipe Aries who also focused on childhood. Cunningham and Aries also wrote a history of childhood. The reason why I like them is because they stress the child's perspective. Going further back I do like Plato and Aristotle.

How would you evaluate the progress of global child welfare and rights in lights of issues of human trafficking, famine and child soldiers? On this question I think we have to think more globally and establish more international cooperation. It's not a problem any one society can solve locally. In some ways we have taken a step forward with more discussion on international issues, but we still need to be more concrete in handling the problems.