The idea of International Year of the Child originated from the Women's International Democratic Federation at meetings in East Berlin on October 24, 1975, and Prague on October 2, 1977.
The federation proposed both International Women's Year and IYC to the UN for adoption. UNICEF promotional material states that one purpose of IYC is "for strong, far-reaching actions directed towards permanently improving the status of all children", and participants in IYC are requested to "urge new legislation on children".
The World Marxist Review of June 1978, stated: "The year itself must become the pivot of the common struggle for peace and for disarmament." (Freda Brown).
The UNESCO publication "Towards World Understanding" sets out another goal — liberation from nationalisation and patriotism, "as long as the child breathes the poisoned air of nationalism, education in world mindedness can produce only precarious results ... it is frequently the family that infects the child with extreme nationalism". The White House Conference on "Children, Report to the President", 1970 (p65 and 66) recommended "that laws dealing with the tights of parents be examined and changed where they infringe the rights of children". Ambassador Young's wife Jean heads the US commission for IYC.
Will IYC be the Year of Children's Liberation, with withdrawal of parental rights and the establishment of government daycare and child development centres, and the lowering of the age of consent.
Dr Adele Hoffmann, director of adolescent medicine in New York University supports a move to reduce the age of consent in the US to 12.
The areas of special importance --sex problems, abortion, VD, drugs, family emotional problems -need confidentiality, she states. Will IYC be the year when children will be given the right to eliminate their parents?
Peggy Norris Hon Secretary, World Federation of Doctors who Respect Human Life Huyton, Merseyside.