The above was the title of my letter to the Guardian...sent all of two minutes ago in regards to an article written by Marcel Berlins, entitled “Having the maturity to make decisions is not child’s play.”
The author suggests that children up to the age of sixteen cannot make informed decisions, due to a lack of knowledge, a lack of experience and poor judgement.
He also claims that the idea of Youth Councils/Panels are fundamentally flawed.
The address for the site is below if you wish to read his work further...
Unfortunately for Mr Berlins being young must seem like a lifetime ago. Oh how things have changed, and I would argue have progressed.
Having been involved in two different schemes in Watford, Hertfordshire, which have promoted community engagement from young people on a decision making and scrutiny level, I can only praise the attempts of adults to encourage the participation of young people in making “adult” decisions.
What is often left unacknowledged by adults is the positive contribution that young people can make to decisions that concern them. Who could possibly know what is better for young people in the here and now than those young people in the here and now? Unlike Mr Berlins suggested adults do not always know what is best for children, or young people.
It is ludicrous to think that a sixty-odd-year old, white, middle class Councillor sitting in a Council Chamber could possibly empathise with a sixteen-year-old, black teenager living on some sink estate, which they have never stepped foot into. At least by having a mechanism in place whereby young people are empowered to make decisions about services and issues that concern them- as has happened in Camden- you are meeting each other half way. I am by no means suggesting that children and young people should not receive support from adults- adults give them the necessary tools, professional expertise and time to make things possible.
Whilst it may seem extreme for a woman to claim that referring to children as “children” is discriminatory, there is a fine line to be drawn between what is and is not ageist. To claim that children up to sixteen years of age cannot make an informed decision is most certainly ageist, and is quite simply untrue. The only reason a child, or young person may not be able to make an informed decision about something is if they haven’t been given the opportunity to do so by adults.
Knowledge, experience and “good” judgement (whatever that may be) are all very important when it comes to making decisions- granted- but surely when it comes to a discussion about local sports projects for young people, access to leisure facilities, and the provision of youth work and education, the individuals with the best knowledge, experience and judgement are the age group those services are aimed at? It’s common sense, surely? You wouldn’t approach a group of women in their seventies about what the best night is to run a youth club session, just like you wouldn’t approach a group of teenagers about what would be the best activity to put on at the next Women’s Institute meeting.
High on the Government’s agenda is youth participation, and in my experience- yes, I do have life experience at the tender age of eighteen- one of the best ways to engage young people in something is to give them the chance to make something their own, to take responsibility for it, and to make informed decisions about it.
Youth Council/Youth Advocate schemes are not simply “child copy-cats of adult institutions,” they are independent panels who are more than competent in engaging fully in processes that involve them.
Fundamentally flawed ideas? Certainly not.
Fundamentally genius? Certainly.
Lets hope they continue to prosper across the Country, as children and young people take a keen interest in politics and the world around them, and become a more endorsing generation of adults.
I thought I ought to make the effort to update you all on what I’ve been up to (whilst, of course, I should be doing my college work…anything to get out of it!)
My weekend was as busy as ever.
It saw my first official University visit, and I pray my last.
A journey up the dreaded M1 saw myself in Luton exploring the Bedfordshire Uni Campus, which was fantastic… although the rest of the surroundings left a lot to be desired. I am looking into becoming qualified in Youth & Community Studies, whilst living at home, and working in a Youth Work setting. And it’s all looking rather promising…my interview is on Wednesday, which I’m incredibly excited about! I shall keep you posted.
Then came the evening of Saturday the 19th of April…a date that had been marked out in my diary for months.
I had been invited to a very special occasion at, what I consider to be, my second family home, in Oxhey, by my second Mum, Di, whose son I have been friends with for more years then I care to remember.
The occasion was, of course, the Passover Seder, which tells the story of those who had been enslaved in Egypt, and celebrates the Exodus of the Children of Israel.
The Seder is often described as a “ritual feast,” and I’d say that what I experienced on Saturday evening wasn’t far off of that description.
As myself, my fellow Youth Advocate Tom, the Mayor, Dorothy Thornhill, Cllr Sharpe & the Robert’s family, plus Henry, a good family friend, gathered around the table to read the Haggadah- consisting of the story of the Exodus, prayers & songs- we tucked into an interesting combination of Horseradish, Matza, egg in salt water, and wine, some of which were presented on the famous Seder Plate.
The evening also allowed for general chit chat- minus Politics, which was forbidden, but was all too tempting for Tom- and I felt a time for reflection.
I find it amazing to think that Jews all over the World sat down to tell the story of people who were alive thousands of years ago- quite a humbling thought to me, who has never been religious, and remains agnostic.
But what I found all the more humbling was that I had been invited into a Jewish home, despite not being even slightly religious, to share such an enlightening & uplifting experience.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening, and one which has since led to many questions formulating in my all too complex mind.
What Saturday made me consider, above all, was the nature of our local community, and society as a whole.
I love being able to look around me and see different cultures- different languages being spoken, different food being prepared & eaten, different ideas of fashion- all things which I don’t feel are celebrated anywhere near enough. And I genuinely believe that were there to be more community engagement & activities/events then people would be given the opportunity to develop a greater, and more in depth understanding of those with whom they are living side by side.
It would teach greater tolerance towards others- something which is still sadly lacking in today’s supposedly multi-cultural Britain (as highlighted by the report on the One Show this evening, on the racially motivated attacks still taking place in the area of South East London, where the Stephen Lawrence murder took place.)
Despite this generation growing up in a far more diverse society than the one my Grandparents grew up in, there is still a lot of unnecessary hatred towards others from different backgrounds- something which I think could easily be changed if young people were to share a similar experience to the one me & Tom had on Saturday evening.
In between starting a new term of lessons at college, delivering leaflets around Central Watford, and trying my utmost to get my university application completed I still have the odd few minutes to dedicate to being a Youth Advocate.
The group- currently consisting of seven young people, who either live in Watford, or attend a local school- have been trained by, what was, Connexions, to “advocate” on behalf of other young people- whatever that means!
At the moment we are still trying to find our feet, and fit in alongside the Youth Council- something I also use to be a part of.
One of our main focuses at the moment is planning, and eventually delivering, an event for young people during the Summer.
We are doing this alongside the local District Children’s Trust Partnership (DCTP), which is a coming together of those organisations who deliver services for young people- some examples of which include the Borough Council, County Council, the One Stop Shop, the Adventure Playgrounds, Extended Schools, and so on.
Each of the ten DCTPs in Hertfordshire have been given £6000 to deliver a “positive activities” event for young people in their district.
In Watford we are fortunate enough to have made contact with, and worked with a number of members of the DCTP, which has meant that the Youth Advocate group have been given the reigns, so to speak.
We have also combined funding & manpower with the Three Rivers DCTP so that what we deliver can be on an even larger scale.
The event, which has quite aptly been named Take2 (taking two districts), will be held at Watford Girl’s Grammar School on Saturday the 21st of June, with the aim to bring together local young people, and service providers.
We, however, pointed out, as young people, that actually this may not attract a particularly wide audience of our peers- therefore there had to be a bit of a twist.
That twist being performances from local bands, dance & theatre groups, taster sessions in football, salsa & sumo wrestling, a bouncy castle, food & not forgetting free entry!
Sounds fantastic doesn’t it!? (Not that I’m at all bias!)
But I tell you what it’s bloody hard work trying to cater for an estimated 1500 young people coming through the gates throughout the day!
But all is in hand as in the next few weeks we firm up our participants list, visit schools to deliver presentations, organise our publicity material, and draw in some volunteers to help out on the day!
PHEW…and breathe!
It’s going to be fab! And I know that June’s going to come around all too quickly!
Any questions about the event, Youth Advocates, or anything else I happen to have written about just leave me a comment & I’ll post a response.
One of mine and my sister’s pet hates is people saying they’re bored.
There is nothing worse than logging onto msn, or signing in on Myspace to have someone message you, or post a bulletin about the fact that they’re bored & have nothing to do!
In my world there is always something to be done.
In fact, in anyone’s world there is always something to be done.
Even if it’s taking the dog for a walk for the umpteenth time, reading a trashy magazine, or baking cakes, there is always a cure for boredom.
Having said this of course I can appreciate why some people find it difficult to amuse themselves, especially if whilst growing up they have had pushy parents who have forced them to take part in every possible activity going- the new thing I hear is fencing! I mean fencing! Come on…what happened to a good old game of footie down the park!?
This is part of the problem, I feel, that children & young people are becoming increasingly demanding…no longer is it sufficient to allow your children to amuse themselves by taking them to the nearest local park…everything has to be planned & structured! Now where’s the fun in that, I ask?
Two of the most productive months of my life were spent qualifying in Play work- something that I was only able to do whilst volunteering at one of the local Junior Clubs in Watford. It changed my whole perception of activities for children & young people…it was a case of put out some equipment, arts & crafts materials, and toys…and let them get on with it! Let them use their imaginations! Part of a child’s development I’m not convinced lessons in fencing would allow.
This idea seems to have seeped into my perception of Youth Work as well…the thing I feel most passionately about. Government legislation is constantly pushing for intended outcomes- something that unfortunately Youth Workers are no longer able to dismiss. I, however, have vowed that whilst I will respect Government initiatives, after all they’re in place for a reason, I will not let this stand in the way of delivering activities that allow for the greatest personal development.
When the Lib Dems decided to vote in favour of closing Watford Area Youth Service last Summer- something which I campaigned passionately against- it saw the end of an era in many ways. It saw the closure of what I would argue were traditional youth clubs, where young people were able to go in the evening if they were bored- to have a game of pool, table tennis, or just chat to their Youth Workers.
Without these sorts of facilities in place, at present (something I hope to see change in the up & coming months) maybe on reflection it is possible to say that there is a reason for young people expressing boredom.
Maybe me & my sister, who has just told me that this blog is totally ambiguous, need to look at the potential reasons for young people expressing boredom…perhaps this is my initial way of doing so…
A pushy generation of parents imposing structured activities on children, which only lapse once they reach their teens, the increasingly demanding nature of children & young people (I’m not saying they don’t have a right to be demanding- I‘m all for it, within reason!) and the lack of activities for young people to engage in, all appear to provide viable explanations for people feeling under stimulated.
Last week I was a busy bee…flying here there & everywhere.
On Wednesday evening, myself, along with my good friend Tom decided to plod along to the full-council meeting at town hall. Sadly, we weren’t treated to the comedy show that was the last full meeting I attended. Never the less it was a productive evening. We got invited to share drinks & nibbles with the Councillors, and whilst I watched Tom help himself to a good old pint of beer, courtesy of someone other than a Lib Dem (of which he is through & through) I mingled politely as you do.
One of the things that had been niggling at me throughout the evening was that there was much discussion about the Audentiors Awards. Don’t get me wrong…I think they are a genuine asset to the town & am delighted that the achievements of some of the local residents were celebrated. However, there is one category I feel they are missing…something quite significant I’d say…the contribution of young people to their community. At no point on the guest list did a young person appear, and that saddens me greatly. I could name at least twenty-five young people off the top of my head who are certainly worthy of being recognised for their achievements in making a difference within Watford.
And whilst the Yopey awards go some way in acknowledging the positive activities of young people it would be great to do something purely for Watford young people.
The most productive aspect of my evening therefore was approaching a number of local councillors about the idea of having a Watford award ceremony for young people, with a publicised nomination process, use of the Colloseum, and entertainment throughout the evening- which got unanimous approval…and so this is yet another project I hope to take on.
Thursday evening saw yet another meeting…this time with the Youth Advocate group who are slogging away organising a huge summer event which brings local service providers and young people together…named TAKE2 it certainly deserves at least one blog entry…watch this space!
Another local issue that has arisen over the past few days is the appalling state of one of our local parks. Callowland playing fields provide a generally family friendly area, and I have enjoyed many a summer day there. However, one of its more regular users, one of my peers, has shared his concerns with me about the state of what was the former tennis courts. Now used mainly for football the courts are a little worse for wear, one side of the fence having been removed last summer. This has caused a large amount of mud to fall onto the surface causing a decline in the quality of play achievable. The ball is easily kicked into the residential area surrounding the park, hitting people’s cars & properties, which my peer tells me reflects badly on him & his friends who just want to have a peaceful game of footie. He also expressed concerns about the safety of others, especially families with young children who risk being hit each time they walk by.
I hope to take this forward on behalf of those young people, as a youth advocate…perhaps Watford Borough Council will surprise us with their response when I send a letter to them later next week?
I’ll keep you posted.
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