Young reporters from Children's Express, the Islington-based programme of learning through journalism, investigate how their borough is addressing the rights of children.
| Sometimes councils are very bad at distinguishing between getting information and consultation. |
As many young people will tell you, decisions that directly affect us are often not made by us. We're used to adults telling us what's best for us and what we can and can't do. However, thanks to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, more and more children and young people are now being consulted on issues that affect them. Article 12 of the convention says:
"You have the right to say what you think should happen when adults are making decisions that affect you and to have your opinions taken into account."
Something like the Convention is very important for children and young people but there's really no point in having it unless our opinions are not only heard but also acted on. In Islington, a number of organisations and services have been working together with young people to develop The Islington Vision, which they hope will enable young people to achieve their best and participate fully in the decision-making process.
Rights for children
The draft version of the Vision includes a wide range of rights, such as the right for young people to feel that they belong and be healthy and confident, to feel safe in Islington and to have their voices heard, and to make a positive contribution to the Islington community.
Young people we spoke to thought the vision was a good idea but said it would only work if adults in the community took it seriously:
"It's good that the council and other organisations that work with young people are willing to do something about the rights of young people, believes Tracey Jordan, 16. "I particularly like the part of the vision that says children can get their voices heard. However, it will only work if everyone agrees to it and actually gets on with it."
But just how serious are adults taking it? Islington Councillor Laura Willoughby, executive member for communities, feels the council is doing a good job in addressing Article 12:
"We have school and pupil parliaments that work around schools and education."
"We've also got a new project called Listen Up," she continues, "which tries to make sure that we are consulting young people across the board. So, for example, at the moment planners are working closely with Listen Up to find out what young people think about new developments in the borough."
However, Willoughby does admit that simply asking young people for their views is not enough:
"Sometimes councils are very bad at distinguishing between getting information and consultation. What we hope to do is to consult young people when there's a real decision to be made, when you actually have a choice that can influence the final outcome."
Toni McCoo, 14, is a member of the Listen Up Board of Young Directors (BOYD), which meets regularly to discuss issues that they would like the council to take action on. Toni believes Listen Up is a very important project because it is one of the few ways young people can talk about their views and influence decision-making.
Toni admits that, occasionally, she feels like the council only listens to her because she is a part of the Board of Young Directors. However, with Listen Up, Toni can try and find out what other young people who are not involved in similar projects think.
"The way that we get other young people to participate in what's going on in Islington is through talking to them face to face. If you talk to people they will listen to you and feel happier about giving their views."
A hands-on role
Listen Up has also given Toni the chance to take a hands-on role in organising events for other young people, such as Sex, Drugs and Hip Hop, which aimed to inform young people about drugs and sexual health:
"I think it made a big difference," she says. "A lot of people turned up and it was covered in the newspapers and stuff. We should do more things like this because it gives young people the chance to express themselves to a wide variety of people."
Apart from Listen Up, there are a number of other projects in the borough that offer young people a platform from which they can raise issues of concern, including the Islington Pupil Parliament, for young people, the Islington Children's Parliament, for primary school children, and Children's Express.
Samir Pasha, 15, is the Deputy Prime Minister on the Islington Pupil Parliament. He's been involved in the Parliament for two years and says it has been an invaluable experience. It has given a lot of young people, including himself, the confidence to raise issues they are concerned about and to also voice those concerns in places like the local newspaper. However, Samir questions how far the council can really go in actively involving young people in the decisions made:
"We do discuss things and talk to people who have the power to make decisions. But, ultimately, you can never have young people making decisions as such. Young people don't have the experience of knowing the advantages and disadvantages of how it's going to work."
Putting ideas into practice
"I think that the council is trying to pull our ideas out, which is important for them to do," he adds. "But, to be honest, I've never seen them act on those ideas."
It seems that young people are happy that they're being given the chance to take part in projects which empower them and give them the chance to have their say, but there's also some doubt about whether or not their views and concerns will be taken on board. A lot of positive things are being done in Islington and there are many excellent projects which young people are benefiting from. But, as Willoughby openly admits, there's a long way to go:
"Being frank, I don't think the council is taking young people seriously enough at the moment."
"There are a lot of people with a lot of time constraints, being asked to do a lot of work, for very little money," she continues. "How they then take time to consult with young people, is probably the last thing on their minds. This will always be the case to some extent, but I want to turn it around and we have started to do that slowly. We are getting there."
What Willoughby says is encouraging and we do appreciate that time and money are issues. But when you're a young person, actions often speak louder than words. We just hope that the adults who run our communities realise this sooner rather than later and also understand there's more to giving young people their rights than just allowing them the chance to voice their opinions. It's also about them listening to us, and giving us the freedom to participate in shaping our own lives.
About the team
This story was produced by Mueen Pasha, 13, Mariya Bheekhun, 13, Zarah, Driver, 13, Nazia Driver, 13, Kamal Akerbousse, 13, Ghizlan Akerbousse, 11, Yasmine Kutner, 11, and Nivine Arafa, 10. It was published by Children Now Magazine.
