Ding Dong right or Wrong

Ding Don g ri ght

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child ren’s rights needs and visio ns for the future

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Ding Don g ri ght

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child ren’s rights needs and visio ns for the future

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Introduction ‘Ding Dong, right or wrong?’ is a wonderful addition to the Kids’ Own library of books by children. We too often assume that children are not capable of discussing issues in society, even when they are directly affected. But as you shall see, the children we met in Sligo, Derry, Bundoran and Enniskillen explored the subject of children’s rights with great insight and enthusiasm.

This publication of ‘Ding Dong, right or wrong?’ was made possible with generous support from the Department of Foreign Affairs (Reconciliation Fund), Donegal County Library Service and Sligo County Library Service. Kids’ Own would like to thank all the children for their generosity, creativity and energy working with us to make this book. We would also like to thank all the library staff that took part, with special thanks to Sligo County Librarian, Donal Tinney, Sligo Senior Executive Librarian, Pauline Brennan, Donegal County Librarian Eileen Burgess, Donegal Senior Executive Librarian, Donna Quinn and Business Manager, Libraries NI, Trisha Ward.

Without their foresight and vision in supporting this programme, projects like this would not happen.

We hope you find our book enjoyable. We are hoping it will open your mind and your heart to what children need. We want children to know they are not alone in thinking they have rights. We made this book with other children that think this too. We hope you enjoy this book as much as we enjoyed making it.

Children from Sligo, Derry, Fermanagh and Donegal.

Kids’ Own Artistic Team: Creative Diector: Orla Kenny, Writer: Mary Branley, Artist: Vanya Lambrecht Ward, Proofreading: Jo Holmwood.

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Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership • Carrigeens • Ballinful • Co.Sligo • t:00353 71 91 24945 • e:info@kidsown.ie • w:http://kidsown.ie • ISBN: 9781902432526

FUTU

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Expression Tho u

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OUR Opinions

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Children have the right to speak up when

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important

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FreeDom of Thought

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to be together.

it’s

it’s

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frightened

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Sometimes

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FreeDom to meet together

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horse riding

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When

Aaron & Sinead

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to fall off.

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Parental Guidance

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Home

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kinlough and

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protection of children without families

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Freedom of Expression n Freedom of Expressio to express themChildren have the right ys. selves, in all kinds of wa d children need an s, Music is a part of thi as the chance to play entertainment as well music themselves. nts and you can We play lots of instrume you play classical or let yourself out, when r you like. heavy metal or whateve all your emotions When you play you let well and you’ll love out. We play for fun as t a chance to the sound when you ge master it. od because the Playing together is go t instruments is cool sound of all the differen nds. as well as making frie

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n’t

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Aimee In the story about the fairy, she has just moved to a new house, because her old house was all squashed. In her new home she’s not squashed because she is in the forest and no-one else lives there. Her Da was in the house with her and her Mum and they were all squashed so they came to live with her. They live in a big toadstool and everyone has their own room. They were all safe in the forest. Children need to take care of themselves when the family dies, and if they hurt themselves and are bleeding they need to go home and get a plaster. If no-one is there with you and you go by yourself, it would be good to tell your parents where you are.

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Blaine Imagine creativity.

There’s a cave man who invented bricks for making houses.

He also invented a bin and he kept all the animals healthy by picking up litter and throwing it in the bin. Along came a monster and started to throw litter all about. The cave man was so tired he had to go to bed, the monster kept on throwing litter.

The dinosaurs ate the litter and died. The hedgehog killed the monster with his spikes. The cave man came out to bury the dinosaurs then the cave man fired the monster into the sea.

What do you call a monster with 8 legs, an 8 legged monster.

Keep the world clean, pick up litter.

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The restaurant went on fire when I was there. It was cooking pizza and that’s my favourite. The fire came out the windows and smashed them. I called the fire brigade to come and put the fire out. It has two wheels and came over the bridge with the two pipes. It skidded over the ambulance, but no-one got hurt and the police came too.

Jude lide that y water s This is m ristmas. It’s got Ch I got for d a rope ropes an over and f o loads ip ou can fl ladder. Y er the grass and ov eel.

I skidded like a wh r e v o d tumble fun.

It’s great

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lovely

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them. Like our

cool

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All children have the right to life

top

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. They are too noisy.

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come

places

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Leah and Nicole Children need health care. Lots of us break our bones, we slip, we jump, we fall over, we trip, we flip and crash.

Then off to the hospital for an x-ray. You lie on a bed and they shine a light on you that can see through your skin and shows if you have a fracture. If you have a fracture the nurses take you to a room and put a cast on you.

A cast is a bandage that hardens up to heal the fracture. It’s really, really sore, so sore that you cry. It gets better with the cast but it takes two weeks.

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Children get lots of sickness, like the chicken pox, flu, sore throats, headaches and rashes. But there is always medicine to take to get better.

Caoimhe We need doctors to stay alive, we could not survive if they weren’t around. Doctors help us when we are sick, or have a broken arm. They give us medicine and things to make us better like bandages. They give advice to parents how to take care of babies. When I had the chickenpox I had to stay from school for a whole week.

I vomited when I was talking to my Mum. My mummy is a doctor and she took care of me.

There’s a good thing and a bad thing about doctors. The good thing is they help us when we are sick, the bad thing is we have to eat healthy food. (Just Joking)

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A lon

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ld be happy.

Humour r no-one wou ou m hu e floor. e av h t lling round th ro If you didn’ u yo e av h jokes to Here are a few

Where do cows go on a saturday night?

The MOOvies

no-eye deer

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Conor

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pig

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Access to appropriate information

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it’s think

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non-discrimination Children need clothes that fit them, and are kept clean. People look down on you if your clothes are dirty and ripped. It would be hard to have friends if you are the only one with old clothes.

Kerri and Charley Children have the right to have good clothes.

Some children are not as privileged as other children to have nice clothes. It would be good if all children could get new clothes now and again.

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Sometimes

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Future earphones

Orlaith My auntie used to have a tree and I loved climbing it. I didn’t read a book in it. But you could if you wanted. Up a tree is a good place to read, but they chopped it down cos it started to rot.

Books are so important because you learn a lot from them, like how to spell, and if you get an important job you’ll have to be able to spell right. I love books because they are interesting. One of my favourite authors is Mitchell Symons. I like the question and answer books like What’s a whatsit? It’s something you use if you can’t describe it like a thingumybob.

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Connor My Library has a basketball court outside in case you don’t want to come in, or go to the comfort room for children.

The comfort room for children has lots of sofas for sitting or lying on for reading. It has a junk machine instead of bins. It can talk and tells you about recyling and how to recycle. Game consuls and computers are there too. There are money machines there as well if you have pennies it gives you back notes.

When you go into the comfort room you feel happy and relaxed. It’s quiet so the children can read. Children can talk to each other as there is a librarian there as well to do circle time so we can talk about the books.

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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 1: Everyone under 18 has all the rights in the convention Article 2: The rights apply to every child in the world Article 3: Everyone should work towards the child’s best interests Article 4: Governments should make these rights available to all Article 5: Parents should be allowed to guide their children about their rights Article 6: All children have the right to life Article 7: All children have the right to name and nationality Article 8: All governments should preserve a child’s Identity Article 9: Children should not be separated from their family, unless it is in their best interest Article 10: Governments should respect family reunification Article 11: Governments should stop trafficking of children Article 12: Children have the right to make decisions Article 13: Children have the right to freedom of expression Article 14: Children have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion Article 15: Children have the right to meet together & join groups Article 16: Children have the right to privacy Article 17: Children have the right to appropriate information Article 18: Both parents should share the responsibility of their children Article 19: All children should be protected from abuse & neglect Article 20: Children without families should be protected Article 21: All adopted children should be protected

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Article 22: Refugee children have equal rights Article 23: Children with a disability should be protected Article 24: All children have the right to good quality health care Article 25: All children who are in care should have periodic review of placement Article 26: The government should provide extra support to families in need Article 27: All children have a right to a standard of living that meets their needs Article 28: All children have the right to primary education Article 29: Education should develop each child’s personality and talents Article 30: Children of minorities or indigenous peoples should be protected Article 31: All children have the right to leisure, recreation & cultural activities Article 32: All children should be protected from child Labour Article 33: All children should be protected from drug Abuse Article 34: All children should be protected from sexual exploitation Article 35: All children should be protected from sale, trafficking & abduction Article 36: All children should be protected from other forms of exploitation Article 37: All children should be protected from torture and deprivation of liberty Article 38: All children should be protected from armed conflicts Article 39: Children who have been neglected should be helped to restore self esteem Article 40: Children who break the law should receive legal help Article 41: If the laws of a particular country protect children better than the convention, then those laws should stay Article 42: The Government should make the convention known to parents & children

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speak out recycle

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it’s good to be creati

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© Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership 2010 • ISBN: 9781902432526