Hi everyone. Here is another post giving you more insight into the world of me.

I'm 18 and I work in the voluntary sector for two children's organisations (well, in fact, I work for two projects of one organisation, but for all intents and purposes they are two separate things. Supposedly.) I work for an organisation called 'Article 12' (yeah, I know, not a very appealing name...) for 1 day per week as their Adult Support Worker, and the other 4 days a week I am Campaigns and Development Officer at the Office of Children's Rights Commissioner for London. Grand title and organisation name huh?

Both of these 'organisations' are projects of our parent organisation - the Children's Rights Alliance for England. As the name suggests, it is an umbrella organisation with membership of many organisations committed to the 'fullest possible implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Child (UNCRC)'. See, I'm involved in some pretty important stuff (.......).

So, in case you haven't worked it out yet, I'm pretty committed to children's rights work. I passionately believe in the child's right to be involved in all decisions that affect them (Article 12 of the UNCRC - and thus the name of the 'organisation'). As was the message of the children's forum at the UN Special Session on Children in 2002: "we [children] are not the sources of problems, we are the resources needed to solve them".

My strength of belief in children's rights and, particularly their rights to be involved in decisions made in their lives, comes back to my philosophy of childhood, a philosophy which goes against the grain of mainstream thinking in society at present. I believe children are able to make intelligent and correct decisions, and that they are not there to just be moulded into whatever adults require. Children are human beings, not possessions of their parents; children are not born evil, or are determined to be yobs; children are not expenses but investments. Finally, children are not appendices - they are the main theme. Without getting things right for them, we get nothing right, so our aim must be to make a world that is fit for children.

Amen.

I go to Brussels for 3 days tomorrow with Article 12. I am going with young people from England to attend a conference on the future of Europe from a child's perspective. We have compiled a report on what its like being a child in England today (10 other countries from across Europe will be attending - it should be an interesting experience. I'll let you know.

Mum still in hospital, I think she's been sectioned but the doctors won't confirm over the phone. I'm going to visit her as soon as I get back from Brussels.

steven