Say Yes, Winter 2005: Participation

Ramazan Etyemez, 17, Ankara

Firstly I have the right to a healthy life, then I have the rights to development, protection, education but of all these the most important for me is the right to participation.

Although I am a child, I am an individual at the same time. If there is a decision that is likely to affect me in any way, I should have my say even if I am young. If a decision has been made about me, without taking my opinion into account, I can’t take it seriously.

I would like to work to ensure that all children grow up in better circumstances. For example, children need a good physical and psychological environment to grow up in. The way a child grows up sets the pattern for his future. I would like to protect children from war and from violence both within and without the family.

People have to learn to follow traffic rules. Drivers have no consideration for others, whether they are on foot or driving other vehicles, and I can see that this element threatens people’s lives.

Günalp Çakır, 14, Kırklareli

For me, the biggest problem we face as children is that we don’t really have the right to participate. I understand that, as children, we have all these rights to education, protection, healthy development, equality and safety -- but only in theory because we don’t have the opportunity to speak out. You don’t understand, you’re not old enough to understand they say and they don’t ask our opinion. So where are our rights?

Mehmet Yeşilyurt, 15, Kırıkkale

I have been taking part in this forum for five years. I have taken part in many activities related to child rights. We made many big decisions on the issue at these forums.

I also attended the Special Session on Children (UNSSC) in New York where I saw that many things have been achieved for children’s rights in the past ten years. Children’s rights now have their place in the world. In Turkey, children’s rights ought to have similar standing so we need to work harder. For example, I did my own project on children and substance abuse. I worked on the Kırıkkale Provincial Commission’s campaign to collect toys for children.

I want to see the child’s right to protection observed by everyone without any reservation. Wars and racial discrimination must come to an end and children should not be given guns or involved in armed conflict.

Children are not listened to in daily life. We are not asked our opinion on decisions within the family. Yet for us children, many things depend on achieving the right to participate: the rights to education, health and protection will follow behind. The most difficult thing is to get children listened to.

Sertif Yalaz, 17, Rize

For children to have a healthy and safe environment to grow up in, to be protected, there are necessary rights -- these are children’s rights. When our elders say things like: you’re only a child, stay out of it! they’re just taking that attitude to keep us quiet. It makes things easier for them maybe, but as children it doesn’t help us at all. This should be changed.

Gözde Karaca, 17, İzmir

I see children oppressed by society and I want to see them to get on top of it. I want us to be taken seriously. Adults exclude us, saying things like: You’re little. You don’t understand. You can’t do anything. Go to your room! The first time I heard of children’s rights was when I saw a poster with I am a child and I have my rights! written on it. After that one of the teachers at school informed us about children’s rights. It’s been good to attend the forum -- I’ve had the opportunity to refresh my knowledge.

Aybüke Yanık, 14, Edirne

Child protection, educating children better, ensuring their healthy development, taking them seriously -- these things come to mind at the mention of children’s rights. There’s not enough awareness about education. This needs to be corrected in society, in everyone. Children are oppressed just because they are too young. In fact, they should be prized for being young. They can’t communicate properly with their own families, they’re not respected, they’re not heard.

Elif Girgin, 11, Aksaray

Children’s rights remind me of situations like, for example, if my family is going to decide on an issue, which is also about me, I should be able to give my opinion. We also have the right to education but some children are forced to work. One of my father’s students is very hard-working, but he can’t go to school anymore because he has to work. His right to an education has been taken from him. While I’m eating ice cream with my mother during the summer, other children are working outside. That’s the thing that disturbs me most -- children having to work.

Eşref Er, 11, Yalova

Children must learn about their own rights: at the head of these come the right to education, freedom and equality. We should know about these. If I ever face violence, I know I can defend my rights and I can go to SHÇEK, for example. Other children should know what to do to defend their rights.

Read the speeches by Ramazan Etyemez, Cansu Aydın, Canser Karadaş and Zeynep Koç at the launch of The State of the World’s Children 2005 in Ankara in December.

Previous page  |  Next page

ARCHIVE

Search UNICEF Turkey
   

• Advanced Search

Download this issue in pdf format. [PDF 555KB]

 * How to use RSS …