Tag: The Moment

Young people lead climate discussion at Holyrood

Pupils from Edinburgh’s Holy Rood RC High School met with the Presiding Officer and the Children and Young People’s Commissioner yesterday to discuss their views on how to tackle the climate emergency ahead of the COP26 summit taking place in Glasgow.  

Ten S3 pupils led the roundtable discussion, which is taking place as part of an initiative called The Moment, which is being organised in partnership with the Children’s Parliament, the Scottish Youth Parliament and GLOBE International.

This meeting was one of many taking place across the country, with The Moment bringing together hundreds of children and young people with their elected representatives to make their voices heard on one of the most important issues for their future.

Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone MSP said: “There has rightly been a lot of focus on how we tackle the climate emergency in the run up to COP26. As part of this, it’s essential that children and young people can explore the issues and develop their own thoughts and ideas to articulate their hopes for their future.

“It was inspiring to hear the solutions proposed by young people and to learn more from their perspective about what needs to be done to tackle the climate emergency.”

Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland said: “It was significant to be with children today, sharing their views on climate justice and challenging power.

“The Scottish Parliament’s commitment to hear from, and listen to children and young people on such issues is an important part of its role as human rights guarantor. Children have shown incredible leadership on the issue of climate justice, acting as human rights defenders for everyone’s rights across Scotland and internationally, and we should be thanking them.”

The outcomes of The Moment will be presented by children and young people to MSPs and international parliamentarians at a Summit being organised by GLOBE International and hosted by the Scottish Parliament on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 November.

New initiative launched to bring children and young people together with politicians to tackle the climate emergency

Children and young people from across Scotland are to take part in a nation-wide climate surgery with MSPs next month as part of a new initiative to ensure their voices are heard as part of the debate on the climate emergency.

Taking place on Friday 29 October, titled The Moment, it will be an opportunity for children and young people to engage with their elected representatives in places where they live, learn and play. It will allow them to communicate their expectations and hopes for their future. 

Ahead of this, children and young people will be encouraged and supported to communicate their calls to action in tackling the climate emergency ahead of the COP26 conference in Glasgow. A number of new resources have been developed to enable children and young people to have their say.  

The Children’s Parliament has developed a digital toolkit for children to explore climate issues and take part in creative activities to identify what issues they want to raise.  The Scottish Youth Parliament has similarly developed resources to empower young people across Scotland to explore and raise issues.

The initiative is in partnership with Globe International and children and young people will also report on the commitments from the day at the international COP26 GLOBE Legislators’ Summit – one of the biggest online gatherings of international parliamentarians – being hosted at the Scottish Parliament on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th November.

Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament Alison Johnstone MSP said: “As all eyes turn to Glasgow in November, this new initiative is a unique opportunity for parliamentarians to hear what is important to children and young people and what they can expect from their elected representatives on how we tackle the climate emergency.

“I am proud the Scottish Parliament can play its part in supporting and encouraging young people to feel part of this global debate on one of the most fundamental issues our world is currently facing.”

Member of Children’s Parliament, age 11, Highlands said: “We want to see more awareness of the climate emergency, and changes in our community.  

“We think everyone should be involved to make changes for our planet.  We need to talk about our ideas with adults that can make change.”

Cathy McCulloch, co-director of the Children’s Parliament, said: “A world free of climate disasters, where all children can be healthy, happy and safe without worry of losing their homes to flooding or their food to drought, is integral to their human rights.

“Since the establishment of Children’s Parliament in 1996. Children have consistently told us that they are passionate about the environment and concerned about their future.

“The Moment gives children and young people a unique opportunity to communicate their concerns and their calls to action to their elected representatives. 

“By taking part in The Moment, children and young people continue to highlight critical climate and environmental issues that many adults are not yet fully engaged with but which we all need to take seriously.” 

Wiktoria Orlicka MSYP, Trustee of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said: “We hope that COP26 in Glasgow will be a fantastic opportunity for the whole world to come together and commit to create a better, healthier, and more just future for us all.

“Our From Scotland’s Young People Manifesto described the climate emergency as an issue of climate justice. This has to be one of the most important themes at COP26, and ‘The Moment’ offers a genuine opportunity for young people to bring issues like this directly to Scotland’s decision makers.

“It’s always fantastic to see children and young people taking initiative to campaign for the environment, and I urge Scotland’s decision-makers to listen to children and young people at ‘The Moment’ and take our perspectives on board.”