The Right Year For Children launches this week!
Event date 16 December 2011
The Right Year for Children is coming up next Friday (16th December). How will we celebrate?
16th December 2011 marks 20 years since the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was formerly adopted by the UK.
EVENTS
Throughout 2011 PhotoVoice has been working with young people all around the UK in order to gather their thoughts and experiences on the relevance and importance of child rights to their lives. The young people involved have included Young Carers, Looked After Young People, Homeless Young People and Disabled Young People.
On December 16th PhotoVoice and Action for Children will launch an online multimedia resource at www.rightscamerasaction.org.uk to inform and engage young people across the UK about UNCRC. A booklet will also be produced to be used as a classroom tool and to signpost the online resource.
PhotoVoice are to showcase this rights-based work in Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh in December, to coincide with the 20th anniversary and with a UK-wide press campaign based on raising awareness of this significant landmark.
The exhibition will showcase photographs and messages directly from young people, bringing their voices to the discussion and reminding MPs and public audiences alike of the importance of their perspectives and their engagement in the implementation of any policies or initiatives designed to improve their lives.
On 15th December 2011 exactly the same exhibition will be showcased in Matrix Chambers in London to coincide with an equality workshop for young people, as part of the launch publicity for the Right Year for Children.
On 16th December, young people will march to 10 Downing Street to present footprints from young people all over the UK to remind the government to remember young people and their rights when developing policies and laws.
RIGHT YEAR FOR CHILDREN LOGO
16 year-old Trishna Jethwa from Leicester was the winner of a nation-wide competition for children and young people to create a universal logo to mark the 20th anniversary of ratifying the UNCRC. Organisations working with children and young people, including the Government and local councils, will be encouraged to use the logo as part of their work and commitment to promote and protect children’s rights.
Carolyne Willow, CRAE’s national co-ordinator, adds:
“We hope the winning logo will be used by hundreds of organisations and will really help to increase people’s knowledge and understanding of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our country signed up to this human rights treaty 20 years ago and we want to get the message out loud and clear that children and young people have their own set of rights protected by international law.”
On 21st November, Trishna claimed her prize by having her design made into a professional logo by PhotoVoice Ambassador Adrian Nunn at the design agency The Big Window who generously donated their time, whilst also meeting Maggie Atkinson, the Children’s Commissioner for England.
Check out our blog regularly for updates and coverage of all the RYC events!
For more information on the project: click here.