Boy and girl elected to Children's Council

A girl and a boy were yesterday chosen by their peers to represent them on the Children's Council.

Fourteen-year-old Annabelle Muscat and 11-year-old Mark Anthony Sammut will attend their first council meeting on Friday, after being elected by another 30 youngsters.

The council was set up six months ago to make sure children's rights are respected and to give them a voice before the authorities. It is composed of experts from various spheres, including social workers, doctors, psychologists and government representatives.

Children's Commissioner Sonia Camilleri said the need was felt for children to represent their peers. Her belief about the need for children's participation in the council was reinforced during a visit to Ireland where children's participation was practised.

"We cannot talk about children, and take decisions that will affect them without having their active participation on the council," she stressed. She added that the council would strive to see a proposed children's law approved by Parliament.

Applications for children interested in sitting on the council were distributed in all schools and a number of young people's organisations. Around 60 boys and girls applied. Ms Camilleri said it was very unfortunate that not all heads of school informed the children of the issue, with the result that there were only a handful of children attending state schools who applied.

The applicants met with Ms Camilleri and her team once before yesterday's election, and during their first meeting learnt about children's rights. The children were assessed on their application form, a written test and their behaviour with their peers. Six children - three 11-year-olds and three 14-year-olds - were then chosen as finalists.

Yesterday, the six finalists discussed a number of issues that affect children, and were asked questions by their peers. Annabelle said that one of the things that she would like to see changed in the local law was that of fostering, which was included in the Children's Act. The teenager said childhood and adolescence were important periods in a person's life because character was formed during childhood and this was put to the test of life during adolescence.

Another issue addressed during yesterday's meeting before the youngsters voted for their representative was drugs, alcohol and smoking. One of the finalists in the 14-year-old category argued that shops should not sell cigarettes to young people.

Ms Camilleri said the commission took an active part in the smoking regulations debate. One of the children complained about the existing lack of distinction between smoking and non-smoking areas in entertainment establishments.

Ms Camilleri expressed satisfaction that despite their young age, the children were raising very salient points. Peer pressure was among these issues, and one of the finalists said this was not solely negative, but could also have a positive effect on children. The youngsters also spoke about self esteem.

One of the 11-year-old finalists spoke about responsibility, and Ms Camilleri said it was important to recognise that apart from rights children also had responsibilities.

"We are here to help children mature and get to know about both their rights and duties," she said, adding that every right had a responsibility attached to it.

Ms Camilleri said a survey carried out abroad showed that children who were aware of their rights were also conscious of their responsibilities.

The children's commissioner said all the children who took part in the selection process were "ambassadors of children's rights". She told them it was important for them to be conscious of these rights.

Apart from Annabelle and Mark Anthony, 16-year-old Maria Seguna - a wheelchair user who lost her father in a tragedy - was also chosen by the board to be a member of the council. She was nominated by the National Commission for Persons with a Disability.