ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the intersection of children’s rights and sociopolitical movements, offering an alternative historical model for rights theory and practice. It critiques dominant narratives by adopting a peripheral perspective to highlight marginalized contributions. Poland, a significant, yet overlooked, catalyst for children’s rights, proposed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This study situates the UNCRC within Poland’s resistance to oppression by its neighbours, framing it as a decolonization strategy amid Cold War tensions. Poland challenged Western dominance by championing children’s rights and fostered solidarity among emerging democracies. Reframing children’s rights in this context critiques Western-centric historiography and integrates Eastern European perspectives. This chapter advocates for a nuanced understanding of children’s rights, incorporating diverse political struggles and societal frameworks. It emphasizes how crises can reshape societal norms, highlighting the transformative potential of children’s rights as tools for radical democratization from below.
