On the occasion of the 9th annual SexEd Day, Raelians highlight the importance of sex education in honor of International Children's Rights Day
GENEVA, November 18, 2023 — November 20 marks International Children's Rights Day, and to commemorate this event, the International Raelian Movement (IRM) organizes its 9th annual International SexEd Day. This event aims to promote comprehensive sex education (CSE) from childhood, in accordance with the recommendations of renowned international bodies such as UNESCO and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.
On this occasion, the International Raelian Movement (IRM) is intensifying its online campaign, and regional delegations will continue their contact with education ministries worldwide and UNESCO. "For eight years, we have established contacts with institutions and professionals, including researchers from psychology departments, as well as sexologists and educators whose work and clinical observations highlight the positive impact of education on the subject,” explained Clemence Linard, M.A.Ed, who leads the international SexEd campaign.
Vehemently advocating the need to break the taboos, guilt, and shame associated with sexuality, she notes that it is imperative for governments to truly implement the guiding principles supported by UNESCO and WHO experts for nearly 15 years, particularly in countries like France where existing laws are not enforced by the relevant institutions and actors.
She emphasizes the essential role of comprehensive sex education in the perspective of a fulfilling and happy life. She highlights a crucial aspect often absent in many initial educational programs: the recognition of pleasure and all its positive facets. "In practice, in most of the world, the very little existing education is focused on risk prevention and forgets the equally fundamental positive prevention," she continued.
Clémence Linard adds that personal fulfillment requires being in harmony with one's own choices related to intimate and sexual life and fully respecting the other. "For this, education on intimacy, respect, and pleasure is essential from childhood. The earlier a child understands and respects the notion of intimacy—their own and that of others—the more they will be able to respect and ensure respect for their physical and psychological integrity and that of others," specified the spokesperson.
She recalls the coherence between these guiding principles and the teachings of the Raelian philosophy, which has been advocating for five decades the importance of explaining sexuality and the concept of pleasure that UNESCO’s and the WHO’s conclusions reflect perfectly.
"There is a glaring gap between the perception of sex education by adults, including politicians and parents, and the realities faced by children and teenagers in their daily lives. This inability of adults to recognize the importance of a worthy sex education, including the notion of pleasure, leads to considerable suffering among children, with dramatic consequences such as discrimination and abuse. This must change, and to achieve this, a global awareness of the absolute necessity of comprehensive sex education is paramount. It is a fundamental human right," insisted Linard.
Launched in 2015 by International spiritual leader, Rael, SexEd Day is a key part of a global awareness campaign advocating for sex education from childhood, supporting age-appropriate and culturally relevant programs, including explanations about masturbation from the age of 5 as specified in the original UNESCO report that was censored. This campaign aims to counteract this censorship, which is motivated by guilt-inducing religious beliefs and calls for the reissuing of UNESCO's original 2009 report and its guiding principles.
"This fundamental human right, when truly implemented, would have effects on the scale of all humanity. Happy human beings, fulfilled in their bodies, intimacy, and sexuality, are fundamentally peace-loving. This marks the end of suffering and therefore of conflicts and wars," concluded Linard.
Links to the complete UNESCO and WHO reports are available at: rael.org/SexEdDay
On this occasion, the International Raelian Movement (IRM) is intensifying its online campaign, and regional delegations will continue their contact with education ministries worldwide and UNESCO. "For eight years, we have established contacts with institutions and professionals, including researchers from psychology departments, as well as sexologists and educators whose work and clinical observations highlight the positive impact of education on the subject,” explained Clemence Linard, M.A.Ed, who leads the international SexEd campaign.
Vehemently advocating the need to break the taboos, guilt, and shame associated with sexuality, she notes that it is imperative for governments to truly implement the guiding principles supported by UNESCO and WHO experts for nearly 15 years, particularly in countries like France where existing laws are not enforced by the relevant institutions and actors.
She emphasizes the essential role of comprehensive sex education in the perspective of a fulfilling and happy life. She highlights a crucial aspect often absent in many initial educational programs: the recognition of pleasure and all its positive facets. "In practice, in most of the world, the very little existing education is focused on risk prevention and forgets the equally fundamental positive prevention," she continued.
Clémence Linard adds that personal fulfillment requires being in harmony with one's own choices related to intimate and sexual life and fully respecting the other. "For this, education on intimacy, respect, and pleasure is essential from childhood. The earlier a child understands and respects the notion of intimacy—their own and that of others—the more they will be able to respect and ensure respect for their physical and psychological integrity and that of others," specified the spokesperson.
She recalls the coherence between these guiding principles and the teachings of the Raelian philosophy, which has been advocating for five decades the importance of explaining sexuality and the concept of pleasure that UNESCO’s and the WHO’s conclusions reflect perfectly.
"There is a glaring gap between the perception of sex education by adults, including politicians and parents, and the realities faced by children and teenagers in their daily lives. This inability of adults to recognize the importance of a worthy sex education, including the notion of pleasure, leads to considerable suffering among children, with dramatic consequences such as discrimination and abuse. This must change, and to achieve this, a global awareness of the absolute necessity of comprehensive sex education is paramount. It is a fundamental human right," insisted Linard.
Launched in 2015 by International spiritual leader, Rael, SexEd Day is a key part of a global awareness campaign advocating for sex education from childhood, supporting age-appropriate and culturally relevant programs, including explanations about masturbation from the age of 5 as specified in the original UNESCO report that was censored. This campaign aims to counteract this censorship, which is motivated by guilt-inducing religious beliefs and calls for the reissuing of UNESCO's original 2009 report and its guiding principles.
"This fundamental human right, when truly implemented, would have effects on the scale of all humanity. Happy human beings, fulfilled in their bodies, intimacy, and sexuality, are fundamentally peace-loving. This marks the end of suffering and therefore of conflicts and wars," concluded Linard.
Links to the complete UNESCO and WHO reports are available at: rael.org/SexEdDay
 | Friday 17 November 2023 |  |  |