Chatting with Yanghee Lee

Yanghee Lee, the chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, sat down with the youth journalists for about half an hour.  Most people only get fifteen minutes.  I felt so proud to know how much she valued time with us.  Ms. Lee graciously answered all of our quesitions and made us feel appreciated.  Each one of us was sent off with a hug. 

I was excited to engage in the discussion, so I opened up it up by asking Yanghee Lee what strategies the Committee on the Rights of the Child can undertake so that the influence of the government does not intrude on the private relationship between parents and children.  She said that the committee supports  governments as providers of support and resources to help parents become better parents.  Ms. Lee, who is also a professor of child psychology and education, additionally stated the importance of a child's relationship with their parents by calling it "the nucleus."  Essentially, both governments and parents play important roles in the development of children, and one should not override the other.