Written by James Kane. Posted on 09 March 2026.

(Credit: Child Rights Connect, here)

In this inaugural post, I introduce the Children’s Rights Blog and its mission. I do so through my own journey from a children’s rights holder to a child, and now adult, rights defender. I trace my journey from the Youth Panel of the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY), to the Secondary Students’ Union of Northern Ireland (SSUNI), and finally a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Children’s Rights, Queen’s University Belfast. I highlight the importance of empowering children to be rights defenders and involving them seriously as the co-researchers of their rights. In keeping with the blog format, Koulla Yiasouma then responds (here) with her own perspective, drawing on her experience as a rights defender.

In their 2018 Day of General Discussion, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child focused on the theme, “Protecting and Empowering Children as Rights Defenders”. They defined child rights defenders as those “children who take actions to promote, protect, and fulfil their own human rights, or the human rights of their peers or others, including adults” (Committee’s Report, p5). This concept of the child rights defender is fundamental to the Children’s Rights Blog. In the Committee’s Report they noted that the children participating called for:

“an online intergenerational dialogue, recognising that children want to engage with adults on human rights issues, using spaces where they can exercise their right to freedom of expression” (Committee’s Report, p15).

For children to become rights defenders they must first be made aware of their rights, inspired by others, and empowered to take action. By facilitating this online intergenerational dialogue and involving children seriously as the co-researchers of their rights, we aim for the Children’s Rights Blog to do just that. In doing so, we have ourselves been inspired by my own experience in becoming a child rights defender. I was involved as a co-researcher of my rights. Before that, I was made aware of my rights, inspired by others, and empowered to take action. This is how.

Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY)

It was around the time of the 2018 Day of General Discussion that I took the first steps of my own journey. I was encouraged by friends to join the NICCY Youth Panel, supporting Koulla Yiasouma in her work as the Commissioner. It was, truthfully, “something for the CV”. I didn’t know anything about children’s rights. Indeed, I (falsely) believed that children should be seen and not heard. I was soon to realise how wrong I was. I was soon committed to human rights.

One of the projects I worked on was a celebration for the 30^th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). On 20 November 2019, NICCY was to host 1,500 children and young people from across Northern Ireland at W5, an interactive science and discovery centre. The day would be structured around a “Rights Challenge”, the completion of which would transform the participant from rights holder to rights defender. Children would move through the centre, first learning about human rights, then discussing them, and finally being certified as NICCY rights defenders (you can find more about the event, here).

Pamphlet for Participants on the Day (credited to NICCY, here)

I worked on the project alongside three other youth panel members. We went into the NICCY offices for a week, or so, as summer interns. I distinctly remember having our own office. This was serious, I thought. Of course, the real work (think risk assessments and a LOT of admin) was done by the amazing NICCY team. We were mainly on ideas. We were tasked with taking each of W5’s pre-existing exhibits and modifying them to teach about children’s rights. While the NICCY team were on hand to teach us about the Convention, the creativity was left to us.

Now, some of our ideas were rather straightforward. For example, we proposed modifying the existing health lab to teach about the right to healthcare (Article 24 CRC). Other ideas were a bit more… peculiar. We wanted to transform, for example, the climbing fame into an “Identity Climb”, discussing the right to freedom from discrimination (Article 2 CRC). However, at no stage, did the team dismiss us or undermine our ideas. Instead, we were taken seriously.

I found this experience empowering. I became aware of the rights I never knew existed. I was inspired by Koulla’s dedication and generosity as a rights defender. I wanted to emulate those qualities and do similar work. Most importantly, I was heard. I saw the power my voice had in transforming W5. I developed the confidence needed to create change with my voice and thus become empowered. In planning the celebration, I was transformed into a rights defender.

Secondary Students’ Union of Northern Ireland (SSUNI)

I quickly put the lessons I had learnt from NICCY into practice. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, I was approached by a group of likeminded students who were founding SSUNI. They felt that student voices were being ignored by the government in their decision-making around major pandemic mitigations. They wanted to set up a young people-led group with the slogan, “for students, by students”. I immediately joined the team, serving as the Education Officer from 2020 to 2021. In this role, I supported our leading #TrustOurTeachers campaign opposing the use of algorithmic grading as a pandemic mitigation. I met with officials from the Department of Education, the exam body, CCEA, and was interviewed in the Belfast Telegraph (here). This was also empowering. We were taking our awareness of our rights and doing something about them. SSUNI has since grown to represent over 40,000 students on education and children’s rights issues (you can find out more about its work, here and here). It is a testament to what children can achieve as rights defenders. I am grateful to have played a small part in its story.

The SSUNI Logo

Our voices were not always listened to, however. We were very often criticised by adults as “unrepresentative” because we weren’t elected by our membership. On our board, at the time, was Professor Laura Lundy. She saw our predicament and set out to research, alongside Dr Amy Hanna, how children understand representation, apart from adult understandings of the concept. Crucially, she invited myself and the SSUNI President, to join the project as co-researchers. We were youth-insiders. We conducted focus groups with students involved with SSUNI. We contextualised their responses, drawing on our own experience to pull out the relevant themes. In the final article, we included snippets from our experience to reinforce the theory. This improved the research’s quality. It allowed for a deeper insight to be gained. This was published in the International Journal of Children’s Rights (here).

With my involvement as a co-researcher, I was strengthened as a rights defender. I was made aware of my rights (or, more accurately, the challenges those rights faced). I was also inspired by Professor Lundy and Dr Hanna to take an interest in research. I was equally empowered to do this, having developed the necessary skills. This had a huge impact on me. It was the moment which inspired the Children’s Rights Blog. It cemented the importance of empowering children as rights defenders and co-researchers of their rights.

Visiting Scholar to the Centre for Children’s Rights

All of this has led me to now. After finishing university, where I studied law, I have been appointed a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Children’s Rights, Queen’s University Belfast. I am equipped for this because of my journey. I am aware of children’s rights and the challenges they face. I am inspired by academics and practitioners. I am empowered as a rights defender.

In establishing the Children’s Rights Blog, my aim is to offer children the same opportunities I had. The aim is to involve children seriously as the co-researchers of their rights. In doing so, the Children’s Rights Blog aims to raise awareness about human rights, to allow the work of academics and practitioners to inspire the next generation, and, finally, to empower children by facilitating collaboration. The Children’s Rights Blog will hopefully be:

“an online intergenerational dialogue, recognising that children want to engage with adults on human rights issues, using spaces where they can exercise their right to freedom of expression” (Committee’s Report, p15).

So, all I have left to do is say:

“Welcome to the Children’s Rights Blog”

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