Children´s Version of the Dominican Constitution Launched

Children´s Version of the Dominican Constitution Launched
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 11/23/2011

This version of the Dominican constitution was written for children to understand, respect, love and defend it in all situations when there are threats against the country´s sovereignty, liberty and democracy.

“As stated on the book cover, ‘understanding our constitution is a duty we all have.’ This is because we are all members of society, we are all part of a nation organized as a social and democratic state where understanding and respecting laws is a secure path to social equality, harmony, prosperity and peace”

The Office of the First Lady (DPD in Spanish) along with the Commission for Support, Reform and Modernization of the Justice System (CARMJ in Spanish) launched the first Children’s Version of the new Constitution of the Dominican Republic which went into effect last January, 2010.

The activity was presided over by Dominican First Lady, Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, and Justice Commissioner, Lino Vásquez Sámuel, who presented the new book which contains the constitution in simple and understandable language for children and teenagers as well as adults. The goal is for everyone to understand their fundamental rights, how the Dominican government is organized and functions and the mechanisms that guarantee the effective fulfillment of citizens’ rights.

Margarita Cedeño de Fernández affirmed that this version of the constitution was prepared with children in mind so that they can understand, in simple terms and easy reading, how the nation’s government works and the country’s important symbols.

She added that this version also seeks to prepare children to understand, respect, love and defend it in all situations when there are threats against the country´s sovereignty, liberty and democracy.

“As stated on the book cover, ‘understanding our constitution is a duty we all have.’ This is because we are all members of society, we are all part of a nation organized as a social and democratic state where understanding and respecting laws is a secure path to social equality, harmony, prosperity and peace,” stressed the First Lady.

Cedeño de Fernández added that the new constitution is the result of enormous effort, cooperation and social participation with a common goal of making it an instrument that brings together our aspirations as a united, responsible, hard-working and supportive people.

Along these lines, the Director of the CARMJ, Lino Vásquez, said the First Lady has fulfilled article 63, numeral 13, which calls for educating all institutions, public and private, about the constitution because to be good citizens it is necessary to know and understand its norms and values that outline and encourage human beings to be better spouses, students, professionals, men and women.

The presentation of the new children’s version was led by Francisco Pérez Lora, Judge in the Court of Appeals for Children and Adolescents in the Capital District.

About the Children’s Version of the Constitution

The Children’s Version of the Magna Carta is a contribution to the building of a social and democratic state of law. The text is divided into 3 chapters: 1st deals with the general aspects of the Constitution; 2nd, fundamental individual rights and 3rd, refers to powers and state institutions.

There are four main characters in the book, three of whom are minors: Nino, Nina and Aldo. The other character is an adult, a teacher named Ana. The three children ask questions of their teacher Ana about her daily life. She responds using texts from the new constitution.

With this publication of the Children’s Version of the Constitution, the DPD and CARMJ seek to make the country’s new constitution accessible to young people with the goal of teaching them their fundamental rights and to provide guarantees so that, using the constitution, they will themselves be able to provide answers to situations that surface or occur to them on a daily basis.

Those present at the activity included Mirta Duarte Mena, co-author of the book and Judge in Civil Court of the Children’s and Adolescents’ Tribunal of San Francisco de Macorís as well as judges, magistrates, and the children of Santo Socorro de Herrera School, among others.