Giving Young People a Voice – Gozo ‘Rights 4U’ course
- ‘Giving Young People a Voice’ – ‘Rights 4U’ course in Gozo
- Annual Rights 4U Course to be held in Gozo
- Manifesto for Children public discussion on work
- Launch of the Official Website of the Commissioner for Children
- Manifesto for Children: Children and the Law
- Annual children’s rights course ‘Rights 4U’
- Manifesto for Children: Poverty and Social Exclusion
- Public Seminar on Gozitan Childrens Issues
- Commissioner for Children on the occasion of World Children’s Day 2008
- Eurobarometer survey shows a need for the raising of the awareness of children’s rights
- The Commissioner for Children holds a Mascot competition for the children of Malta and Gozo
- Youths on an Island…A burden or an opportunity?!
- Public seminar on childrens health issues
- Platform for Children – The Commissioner for Children
- Increasing the awareness of children’s rights
The Commissioner for Children hosted the annual ‘Rights 4U’ course on the weekend at Manresa House, Triq Santa Duminka, Victoria, in which young people aged 13-15 were advised on the rights which are due to them under the UN Convention on the rights of the child. The theme for the course was ‘Giving Young People a Voice,’ and focused on young people’s right to participation.
The right to participation, and to express views and opinions, is one which is often taken for granted. For a large number of the population, the idea of having decisions taken for them, which will profoundly affect their lives, and which is done with very limited consideration of their views and opinions, is unacceptable. This is, quite rightly, considered as a breach of human rights. And yet this is often not given a second thought when it occurs to children. It is important to foster the realization that children also have rights, which must be accorded due respect by adults who will listen to what young people have to say.
The participants of the course were visited by the Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, as well as Dr. Justyne Caruana MP, both of whom were on hand to hear the presentations which the young participants prepared. In their presentations, the young participants outlined what they felt to be obstacles to their effective participation in societal matters, and how these could be alleviated. The participants also suggested how they could be helped to participate meaningfully in such decision-making processes on a local, national, and European level.
At the end of the course, elections were held in order for the young participants to select one of their peers to be co-opted to the Council for Children (according to art. 12 of the Commissioner for Children Act, 2003.) The participants voted for Andre George Agius to be co-opted to the Council, in order to provide guidance and direction to the work of the Office of the Commissioner for Children.
Activities held during this course were partly sponsored by Farsons, and Agenda Bookshop.
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