6th International Day for Sex Education from Childhood
GENEVA, Nov. 18, 2020 — According to a statement released today by the International Raelian Movement (IRM), November 20th is International Children’s Day and, on that occasion, Raelians worldwide will celebrate the 6th annual Sex Education Day and promote early sex education as recommended by experts in the 2009 UNESCO report (International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education).
"Comprehensive Sex Education, as defined in the original UNESCO report which was unfortunately later censored following pressures from Christian lobbyists, is precisely what spiritual leader, Rael, who launched SexEd Day 5 years ago, has been teaching for more than 40 years," explained Clemence Linard, M.A.Ed, sexologist and spokesperson for SexEd Day. "The goal is to give children and adolescents a sexuality education adapted to their age and culture, and emphasizing pleasure, fulfillment and well-being as defined by the WHO."
It is well documented that children can be particularly vulnerable when kept in the dark regarding their sexuality. As Linard explained, “Children can then become easy prey for the adults who themselves suffer from the frustrations caused by the lack of sex education. And this vicious cycle is the serious consequence of living in a religiously conditioned and imprinted society that rejects scientific facts and studies, and instead chooses to embrace religious beliefs and traditions, which we know can negatively impact the physical and mental well-being of our children.”
The spokesperson emphasized that early and comprehensive sex education should include people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds. And to this end, early sex education should mean learning to respect sexual diversity and embrace one’s own sexuality with an emphasis on pleasure. “It’s the best way to help children grow into adolescents who will be able to make responsible decisions about their sexual activity and health,” added Linard.
As a reminder, in 2009 UNESCO censored one of its reports on sex education following pressure from the Christian lobby, namely the part that included an explanation on masturbation from 5 years of age. This censored passage has still not been republished in the updated version of the 2018 report.
It is worth noting that the Raelian Movement launched SexEd Day in 2015 as part of its international awareness campaign for early sex education to denounce censorship imposed by traditional religions and continues to call for the reissuing of UNESCO experts original guiding principles on Sex Ed.
https://www.rael.org/events/international-sexed-day/
"Comprehensive Sex Education, as defined in the original UNESCO report which was unfortunately later censored following pressures from Christian lobbyists, is precisely what spiritual leader, Rael, who launched SexEd Day 5 years ago, has been teaching for more than 40 years," explained Clemence Linard, M.A.Ed, sexologist and spokesperson for SexEd Day. "The goal is to give children and adolescents a sexuality education adapted to their age and culture, and emphasizing pleasure, fulfillment and well-being as defined by the WHO."
It is well documented that children can be particularly vulnerable when kept in the dark regarding their sexuality. As Linard explained, “Children can then become easy prey for the adults who themselves suffer from the frustrations caused by the lack of sex education. And this vicious cycle is the serious consequence of living in a religiously conditioned and imprinted society that rejects scientific facts and studies, and instead chooses to embrace religious beliefs and traditions, which we know can negatively impact the physical and mental well-being of our children.”
The spokesperson emphasized that early and comprehensive sex education should include people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds. And to this end, early sex education should mean learning to respect sexual diversity and embrace one’s own sexuality with an emphasis on pleasure. “It’s the best way to help children grow into adolescents who will be able to make responsible decisions about their sexual activity and health,” added Linard.
As a reminder, in 2009 UNESCO censored one of its reports on sex education following pressure from the Christian lobby, namely the part that included an explanation on masturbation from 5 years of age. This censored passage has still not been republished in the updated version of the 2018 report.
It is worth noting that the Raelian Movement launched SexEd Day in 2015 as part of its international awareness campaign for early sex education to denounce censorship imposed by traditional religions and continues to call for the reissuing of UNESCO experts original guiding principles on Sex Ed.
https://www.rael.org/events/international-sexed-day/
 | Sunday 08 November 2020 |  |  |