Children and Young People's Sector Bill of Rights Group

Supporters of Children

Sheri Chamberlain's speech Bill of Rights Event 20 Aug 2003

Briefing Note for Politicians 6 March 2003

Hello my name is Michael Leathem and I am also a member of youth@CLC.

One of the things that I would like to see coming from Northern Ireland having a Bill of Rights is that everyone is aware of their rights and that it becomes part of every day life almost like having a date of birth. If a Bill of Rights is to work and it is to be accepted by all then I think that we need to start somewhere. Children and young people are much more accepting to new ideas and concepts. If we give children and young people rights and then educate them about these rights this will create a much more open minded society that is based on respect and tolerance. This is an excellent chance to ensure that everyone within Northern Ireland’s society is equal.
We came up with a slogan for today “Pay the Bill. You owe it to us.” I also realised that the name of the band was “No refunds” this was a coincidence but on a serious note it portrayed our message very well. If you don’t give children and young people their rights now then in 10 years down the line there will be no refunds. You cannot go back and change the past.
Today we are calling on everyone to listen to children and young people and to pay the bill because after all you owe it to us!