About RTP

Play appears to have existed since the dawn of time. In every culture, past and present, children seem to find their own ways of playing. Sapora and Mitchell say: Play is both universal and old. Wherever life is found, there is play in some form of order.
However, recognising play as a fundamental part of the child's development took some time. For lots of people, play is the incidental and secondary activity that children undertake to chase boredom away. Nonetheless, as far as three centuries ago, some individuals believed that play was not only a meaningless activity, but an essential contributor to children's wellbeing and even one of their fundamental rights. Right To Play builds its theoretical background on the legacy of these philosophers, activists and legislators.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one of the most prominent figures of French Enlightenment, was the first philosopher to argue the importance of play in Emile. He wrote: We must never forget all this should be play, the easy and voluntary control of movement which nature demands of them, the art of varying their games to make them pleasanter without the least bit of constraint ... with the charm of freedom. By contesting the conception that says that play is marginal and futile, Rousseau expressed a revolutionary opinion: play contributes to the liberation of children's potential and is an expression of their freedom.

It took a century and a half, though, for his voice to be heard and for an impact to be made on what adults thought of children, their activities and their rights. The main figure of the 20th century for children rights, although she didn't openly promote their right to play, was Eglantyne Jebb. After seeing the situation for children after the First World War in Germany and Austria in 1923, she felt the impulse to draft a paper that would become the Declaration of the Right of the Child that she then brought before the League of Nations. Two years later, in 1925, she also contributed to the elaboration of the International Child Welfare congress in Geneva. There was no mention of a specific right to play, the closest notice in this regard being Article One: The child must be given the means requisite for its normal development, both materially and spiritually.

These years set the foundations for what would become the most widely ratified international human rights instrument: the International Convention for the Rights of the Child that opened for signature in November 1989. For the first time, children were recognised, not solely as adults in becoming, but as individuals with specific needs and rights. The 193 countries that had ratified in December 2008 are obliged to bring their laws, policy and practice up to the standards dictated by the convention, in order for these standards to become reality for all children. Assessment is made by a committee of independent experts, which governments are required to report to about their progress to achieve all rights.

As far as play is concerned, this was a historic moment. Indeed, this convention made play one of children intrinsic rights, with its article 31: States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

This was ground breaking. At last, play was taken further than the nurseries and playgrounds to impact on an international level. The convention says that every child, regardless of place of birth, religion and gender, should be guaranteed the time, the structure and the encouragement to undertake playful activities. It also takes a stand to recognise that play is not only the antidote to boredom, but a necessary factor for children's healthy development, independence and empowerment. This declaration made a real influence worldwide, as some countries or groups of countries wrote their own declaration integrating this right. For example, the African Convention for the Rights of the Child, written independently from, although inspired by the 1989 text includes a right to play (article 12).
This international movement paved the way for organisations, such as Right To Play, with sufficient juridical background, to campaign for and promote play as a inalienable right and as a actor towards children's welfare worldwide.