Age group: Venturers

How long it will take: 30 minutes +

What materials you will need: None

The aim of the activity: To explore the group's ideas on children's rights

Discussion topics:
The UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child covers both children and young people up to the age of 18. Is this correct? Do young people have additional needs and rights which should be taken into account? Is 18 the right cut-off age?

The Convention says that school discipline should be "administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity". What do you think should be meant by 'child's human dignity'?

At what age should people be given the right to vote? For example, the 'Article 12' organisation's website has an online poll asking whether the age of voting should be brought down to 16. The Woodcraft Folk agreed in 2001 that everyone aged 13+ could be a full member of our own movement. At what age should people be able to participate fully in democratic decisions?

The Woodcraft Folk claims to be an organisation committed to young people's rights. Does it do enough to allow venturers' ideas to be heard? What other things should it do?