Rights! Cameras! Action! News from Scotland
Posted 20 January 2012
Becky Duncan, PhotoVoice’s facilitator and consultant in Scotland, talks about the launch of the RCA project in the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish contribution to the Rights! Camera Action! Project kicked off in August 2011. It was a typical weathery day in a west coast Scotland town: all four seasons crammed into a day’s worth of sky. The group of young people producing the work was similarly typical: all varying skills and unique insights, but a commonality of culture and experience regarding their rights brought them together.
We discussed photos from around the world and thought about how to portray issues through images. We had a detailed discussion on the UNHCR Rights of the Child Convention. Many rights they took for granted, but quite a few were a surprise to the group. Coming from difficult backgrounds, many didn’t realise their views were supposed to be respected, that they should be protected from violence, that they had a right to play and relax. We talked. Then we got creative.
The issues chosen and images produced by the group went forward for inclusion in the Rights! Camera! Action! Exhibition, which ran at the Scottish Parliament from 12th to 16th December 2011. Around 20 young people’s photographs and captions relating to different rights were displayed in the working wing of Holyrood, right under the noses of the Members of Scottish Parliament.
Golds, greens, lighter yellows, deep reds and the odd blue MSPs whizzed past the exhibition, several times a day. Over the course of the week most MSPs saw the work. Many stopped to chat. Many were impressed. On one occasion, an MSP approached me and told me that her inaugural speech in the debating chamber had been around Article 31: “Children have the right to relax and play and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities”. She had a proud smile. She’s still there, years later, ensuring that right is withheld.
The young people involved in this project shared experiences, learned new skills and collectively considered their rights. They got creative and they spread their message. Many MSPs saw and absorbed these messages. Some MSPs were even reminded what drove them to public service. I’d say that’s a pretty successful project. I feel privileged to have seen the Rights in Action.
The RCA booklet - listing 42 articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and featuring photos taken by PhotoVoice’s workshops’ participants - is now available! If interested, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Also, visit our Rights! Cameras! Action! multimedia resource!