Republican News · Thursday 26 June 2003

Children's rights showcased in art

Relatives for Justice has formed an arts and drama group for young people who have been bereaved or traumatised as a result of conflict-related violence.

Teens for Justice/Déagoirí ar son na Córa, is a year long, activity-based initiative for young people aged between 8 and 16. The project began this April with the unveiling of a mural titled Children's Rights - Cearta Páistí, at the offices of Belfast-based Relatives for Justice.

The mural showcases the rights of children and organisers say they were amazed and moved at what local young people had to say on the subject. In artwork shown at the unveiling, each child elaborated on their rights and the rights of other children throughout the world.

"I have the right to be protected from sexual abuse, violence and neglect," wrote one. "There are hundreds of thousands of child prostitutes all over the world. These children need to be protected from harm."

"I have the right to life and to grow up," wrote another. "17 people were killed by plastic and rubber bullets. Nine children were killed. They all had the right to live the rest of their lives."

Some of the artwork also reflects very personal experiences and thoughts on the legacy of four decades of violence and state oppression:

"I have the right to a name and a land to call my own. I have the right to speak my own language and to enjoy my culture. Is Éireannach mé. Seo mo theanga. Tá mé bródúil as."

"I have the right to keep my family together. If my parent is in prison, I have the right to see them and not to have to travel too far. Prisons run by the Israeli army do not allow family visits at all. The children of these prisoners have the right to be reunited with their parents."

"I have the right to be protected from war. If I'm hurt by war, torture or any other abuse, I have the right to special care to help me get over it. War on Iraq has left children dead, injured, suffering, homeless. Left without their families and friends. They all had the right to be protected from war."

Programme organiser Deirdre McAliskey says the initiative has already had very positive results for everyone involved.

"We are just in the process of evaluating the programme and we are amazed at how much everyone has gotten out of it," she says. "We hope projects like this can contribute to each young person's wellbeing and allow them to foster better relationships between themselves and their family and friends."

Young people from the group are currently putting the finishing touches on another part of the project, Photovoice, in which children and teens create a visual life story using their own photographs and accompanying prose. The teens have been working on their visual biographies since January.

"We gave each child two cameras," says McAliskey. "One contained colour film, the other black and white and we told them to take pictures of the people and places that were important to them.

"Each one ended up with 30 photographs. From that, they have to narrow it down to just five, which we hope to put on display in a special exhibition very soon."

The initiative will continue over the summer, with two courses now open to any new children between the ages of 8 and 16 who have been immediately affected by bereavement or injury as a result of conflict-related violence.

The first summer session runs from 21 to 26 July, and the second from 28 July to 2 August. There are 30 places available in each and organisers ask that anyone interested contact Relatives for Justice for applications.

'This is an activity-based initiative," says McAliskey, "with a lot of creative and visual arts and away days. We are very aware that we are dealing with transgenerational trauma here and we want kids to know this is a safe place to come and explore.

"We also wanted to give kids a sense of ownership and an overall sense of confidence. Just since the initiative began, we have noticed that the young people involved have developed a stong sense of self and who they are. That will allow them to be themselves and find their own way in the world.

"These young people, like children everywhere, have tremendous talents and energies to commit to the world. It is our responsibility, and that of adults everywhere, to provide them with the opportunities and resources to do just that."

For more information, contact Deirdre McAliskey at Relatives for Justice, 235a Falls Road, Belfast (02890) 220100.