Seen - not heard?

Trudi Davies
The Politics Show South East

11 Million children - their future in their own hands..?

Friday 23 November was designated as the first 11 Million Takeover Day by the Children's Commissioner Sir Al Aynsley-Green and his team.

The idea of the day is to give the 11 million children in the UK the chance to participate in and comment on some of the institutions that affect their daily lives, in business, healthcare, politics and even broadcasting.

Across the country young people have been invited in to work with adults on various projects and given the opportunity to comment, but will it be successful in stimulating young people into taking part in topics that matter to them in the long term?

And can they really make a difference?

Who listens to children?

As the films on our Film School slot have demonstrated over the past few weeks, many of the region's children and young people are active in politics and concerned about political issues.

They have plenty to say and solutions to offer. The real question is, is anybody listening?

This week must represent the best chance for young people's voices to be heard.

Government report published

Ed Balls: "Much to be proud of"

There has been another day for children too... National Children's Rights Day was on 20 November and to coincide with all this, the government published their own report on childhood.

In it, Ed Balls, the children's secretary, said that there is "much to be proud of" with regard to childhood in England today - nearly all children in England say they are happy, healthy and cared for by their families.

It is a far cry from the Unicef report that came out earlier in 2007, placing the UK at the bottom of the league of 21 economically advantaged countries.

Can it be that the country has undergone a radical change in its view and treatment of the young in the space of a few months?

UN recommendations

Kevin and Sharon have the attentions of the UN to deal with

Kevin Reeves and Sharon Skinner live in Sussex and are both on the steering group that advises the United Nations, Rights of the Child Committee.

They point out that in 2002, the UN gave Britain 78 recommendations to bring them into line with the Declaration of Children's Rights.

So far, 17 have been implemented. But the ban on smacking was the latest to fail.

Kevin and Sharon say that they want the same as most other young people - to be treated with respect, not to be labelled with terms like "yob" - and to be listened to.

Young ignored

Nearly a quarter of our region's population is under 21 and many feel marginalised and ignored by local and national politicians alike.

Sharon and Kevin feel that it is time young people were given a more powerful political voice.

Lowering the voting age to 16 would increase the number of voters in the South East by 70,000, give more young people a reason to be politically active and make them a force to be reckoned with they think.

They report on this week's programme.

Also on the show

Blue Jones, Jonny and Libby want the youth of the UK to be taken seriously

National Roma Day holiday

Meanwhile Blue Jones and siblings Jonny and Libby Goldsmith from the gypsy and traveller communities in Kent travelled up to Downing Street this week to present petitions to Gordon Brown.

Jonny is asking that National Roma Day be made a national holiday and Libby is asking for more traveller sites in Kent so that more gypsy and traveller children can attend school.

Blue, a Youth Parliament member, is campaigning for National Children's Rights Day to become a national holiday.

But why did they feel the need to travel to the heart of government to get their views heard?

They too have a filmed report on the programme, and Blue will be interviewing Councillor Mike Hill from Kent County Council to ask him how much influence young people really have at a local, political level.

The man in charge of 11 Million Takeover Day, Rob Williams, is on the programme this week and Sharon and Kevin will be asking him whether a "Listening Day" rather than a Takeover Day would be more likely to get their voices heard.

Finally we also have the "Best Prime Minister" in England on the programme.

Chris O'Brien - Britain's "Best PM"

He is from Whitstable, not Downing Street and claims "... as schoolboys we are perfectly placed to imitate politicians."

It is not Gordon Brown by the way!

Find out more on Sunday and join the team and Paul Siegert live from Oakwood House in Maidstone.

Takeover Day

Do you think young people are listened to by politicians? Do you feel that they receive respect from other adults?

And is there anything that you would like to ask the Organiser of 11Million Day?

TAKEOVER DAY - QUESTIONS... We would like you to send in your e-mail questions to the Organiser of 11Million Day, Rob Williams... use the e-mail form below and headline it "Takeover Day" and we will pass them to him to answer on the programme...

It is easy...

...to take part in the show. If you have an idea for an item, want to make your own report or simply want to comment on what we are doing then please get in touch via any of the links below or write to the Politics Show team at Politics Show, Lambent Productions, The Media Centre, 21-22 Old Steyne, Brighton, BN1 1EL.

Join us on the Politics Show on Sunday 25 November 2007 at 12:00 GMT... on BBC One