Table of contents
About the Commissioner
The Children and Young People’s Commissioner promotes and protects your rights if you’re under 18, or up to 21 if you’re in care or care experienced.
The job was created by the Scottish Parliament when they wanted to create a champion for children.
The Commissioner works to make sure the laws that affect your lives are fair. They challenge people in power to keep human rights promises they’ve made to you that make sure you have all you need to grow up in an environment of happiness, love and understanding.
The Commissioner helps you understand how valuable and important your rights are. That understanding means you can demand change when your rights – or the rights of others – are not being respected.
They make sure adults in Scotland know more about your rights so that they see where they need to make changes.
And puts you at the heart of his work and will listen and learn from you.
Learn more about the Commissioner
About the Rights Challenge Badge
Following the success of the badge that was rolled out to Cubs and Scouts last year, these resources have been adapted for the youngest members of Scouting in Scotland and supports them to have a voice within their group and local community.
The badge was designed by Christopher, age 10, from Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire. Watch the video below to find out about his inspiration for the badge!
The activities to complete this badge help children and young people learn more about their own human rights and their connection to the rights of others. This badge links to other badges.
Human Rights Information
What are Human Rights?
Everyone in the world has human rights, including you. Human rights are a list of things that all people – including children and young people – need in order to live a safe, healthy and happy life. You have them no matter where you are from, how old you are, what you believe, or how you choose to live your life. Governments cannot pick or choose which rights to honour. Your rights can’t be taken away from you. And adults must respect and protect your human rights when they plan services, make policies, and make decisions. Watch and listen to Commissioner Bruce Adamson to learn more about your rights.
The United Nations Convention on The Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
Many of your human rights are set out in a law called the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, or UNCRC. It exists especially for everyone who is under 18. As a person, you have rights that apply to everyone in the world.
The UNCRC is divided into a lot of parts called articles. Each of these articles says something different about your human rights.
Some of the rights these articles talk about are:
• Your human right to have opinions adults take seriously,
• Your human right for adults to think about what’s best for you
• Your human right to play, rest and relax. No one can take your rights away.
What are Scotland’s promises to children under the UNCRC?
By signing the UNCRC, Scotland and the UK agree that the rights of children should be protected and promoted in all areas of their life, including their rights to:
- education
- freedom from violence, abuse and neglect
- be listened to and taken seriously
- a proper house, food and clothing
- relax and play
More about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Scotland
What is Incorporation of the UNCRC?
The Scottish Parliament passed a bill to incorporate the UNCRC into domestic law, this will mean more protection for children’s and young people’s rights. It means that when rights are not upheld, that this can be challenged (all the way to legal courts) and decision-makers must make sure that they take rights into consideration when they make rules and policies. When the UNCRC is incorporated it means that rights will be stronger as they will be a part of law in Scotland.
Downloads
You can download or browse the activity pack below.