Katie Logie interviews Arden and Omima, MCPs, to hear their reflections on our recent trip to Geneva with #TeamScotlandUN.
You can listen to their podcast episode here: https://open.spotify.com/show/1j68sRoM6CFnScBxO9J8gl
Katie Logie [00:00:00] Hello there. My name is Katie Logie and I’m a Project Worker with Children’s Parliament, working with our children’s human rights defenders. Today I’m joined by Arden and Omima, our CHRD ambassadors who have just returned from their trip to Geneva where they, as part of Team Scotland, spoke to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to share about key children’s human rights issues they want Scottish Government and the UK Government to address. Omima and Arden, would you like to introduce yourselves, please, and perhaps tell us how you got involved with Children’s Parliament?
Arden [00:00:34] Hi, I’m Arden. I’m 14 and a member of Children’s Parliament. I first got involved with Children’s Parliament throughout my school. They came in and did a workshop and then they chose a couple of children to go in and do a project called “What Kind of Edinburgh?” From then I’ve done other projects, like, I did Cabinet, I did the Children Participations Awards and recently I’ve done the trip to Geneva.
Omima [00:00:59] Hi, I’m Omima, and I got involved in Children’s Parliament through my primary school when I was about nine. I was nominated for a workshop and then similarly to Arden, I went on to do a project called Screensavers, and I’ve been involved in a few more projects after that, the most recent being the Geneva trip.
Katie Logie [00:01:22] Brilliant. Thank you both and thank you both for chatting to me about your trip today. So firstly, tell us why you were visiting Geneva. What was the purpose of the trip?
Arden [00:01:33] We went to Geneva to talk to the U.N. Committee about Children’s Rights in Scotland. So we took a survey of children all across Scotland and asked them what issues were important to them, as well as issues that have being mentioned in other workshops that Children’s Parliament have done. So we took the top ones that children said were most important to them and we spoke about them at the UN, to the UN committee, and we told them what children want to change.
Omima [00:02:00] We went to Geneva as human rights defenders to speak to the UN about misconducts of children’s rights with ongoing current issues and how those issues affect children.
Katie Logie [00:02:16] Brillaint. So it was obviously a really important trip and it’s great to hear all about it. Who did you go with on the trip? Who was there with you?
Arden [00:02:27] So children from all across the UK went, including children from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey and Scotland. Where people went from Scotland, it was me and Omima from Children’s Parliament and then from SYP, which is Scottish Youth Parliament, Daisy and Beau went. But there’s also lots of adults that went in to support us, like children from sorry, adults from Children’s Parliamen,t as well as adults from the Scottish Youth Parliament and adults from Together to help us prepare for the meetings.
Omima [00:03:00] So Team Scotland went with Rona and Cathy, who are Children’s Parliament workers, and Daisy and Beau, who are members of the Scottish Parliament. Daisy and Beau were really cool. They were kind and they were hardworking and they were really funny and they were, they’re just like inspirational, incredibly intelligent people. And like, I feel honored to have went there with them. They’re really cool.
Katie Logie [00:03:30] I’m sure they feel the same about going there with you as well, guys, thank you. So you mentioned some of the Children’s Parliament staff who went to Geneva with you, Rona and Cathy, and you also went with staff from SYP and from Together. What did the adults do to support your engagement on the trip and help you prepare for it?
Arden [00:03:56] The adults set up a number of meetings, like preparation meetings, before we went out to Geneva, so we had a few, I think we had four maybe. So we got to discuss and decide what issues we were going to take. We also had a Zoom meeting that was more like a briefing with all the kids from the UK to find out what it was going to be like. But we didn’t actually get to all talk together until we went to Geneva. At Geneva we did more prep sessions and took more notes and created the outline of the speech. Rona helpfully put up most of the notes, which was really helpful. So we had them to read off. Bruce also organized a panel meeting. It was really interesting because we got, it was an extra meeting we got to do, and it gave us almost a run through for the next day, which would be the children’s prep meeting.
Omima [00:04:49] Yeah. So basically, like Ardern said, we had a load of prep meetings before the trip, so on Zoom and there was one or two in person where we got to meet Daisy and Beau for the first time and we basically just had a conversation about some of the issues we wanted to bring up to the UN, and we did have a couple of last minute meetings before we went to the UN, obviously just to make sure our speech was prepared and everything was good.
Katie Logie [00:05:20] So lots of preparation going into these meetings. And part of that preparation was a report that you put together with the young people from Scottish Youth Parliament on the state of children’s rights in Scotland. And for those of you listening to this podcast, we have linked the report in this episode. To both of you, what do you hope the UN committee heard the most from this report and why?
Arden [00:05:50] All the issues we take were all really important and I hope the Scottish Government takes them into account. But if I had to narrow it down, I say for me it would either be the Education Reform Bill, which is about dignity in schools and equality, whether that’s with sexism, racism or neurodivergency. I also think Incorporation is a really big one because that would ensure children’s rights for not only in school but in everyday life as well, I think that would make a huge difference for children in Scotland.
Omima [00:06:19] As Arden says, all the issues we took were equally important and they all need to be looked into in depth. But I think if I had to choose one that was most present to me right now or the one that sticks out to me, it would definitely be the dignity in schools and the Education Reform Bill because it focuses a lot on the way children learn and the flaws in the school system as it is.
Katie Logie [00:06:50] Thank you so much. Lastly, before we wrap up this episode, I think you each have a question for each other, so I’ll hand over to you. Ask away.
Omima [00:06:59] So, Arden, what was your favorite thing that we did when we were on the trip?
Arden [00:07:05] I really enjoyed everything on the trip, so it’s a difficult one. But I would say my favorite things would either be the meetings themselves – I liked all the meetings, especially the panel meeting and talking to the U.N. – or probably the food to be honest. And my question for you is, what was your favorite meal when we were there? What meal did you like?
Omima [00:07:25] I really, really loved the fondue, but I did have the best chicken and salad wrap I have ever ate in my entire life, along with the best coffee I’d ever drank in my entire life from that one cafe. So I don’t know, it’s going to be a tie between those two because they were both amazing.
Katie Logie [00:07:44] Sounds brilliant. And I was very lucky and treated to some chocolate from Geneva as well by both of the girls. So I even got to take part in some of the the good foods that you had out there. I’m going to put you on the spot here and ask one last wee question before we finish up. To the people that might be listening to this podcast – so that might be adults that work with children, that might be decision makers, or it could just be someone who thought it sounds interesting – do you have a message to them or something that you think they should take away from this podcast about children’s rights and the importance of respecting that in Scotland?
Omima [00:08:31] I think that specifically the adults need to remember that children are the future of Scotland, and if they don’t take care of us, then how are we expected to take care of Scotland as a whole and later generations?
Arden [00:08:48] I think what Omima said was really important because children rights are not something that’s talked about, especially in Scotland. And I think to have a society where children’s rights are incorporated in everyday life, I think that’s not only valuable for the children but for the adults as well. I think it could really help decision makers come up with creative ideas to solve problems that have stumped Scotland for years. I think if we work together, it could benefit everyone.
Katie Logie [00:09:14] Well, a powerful note to end on. Thank you both so much. And thank you very much to everyone listening to this podcast. If you’d like to find out more about Arden and Omima’s trip, all the links to do so will be in this episode and you can find it on our social media too. And thank you for joining me girls, much appreciated, sounds like you had a fab time.
Arden [00:09:37] Thank you.
Omima [00:09:39] Yeah, Thanks for having us.