Citizenship Education

New 'Baby of the House' is Tories youngest MP in 30 years

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:13:00 GMT

At just 27 years old Chloe Smith (Conservative) has become the House of Commons' youngest MP by winning the Norwich North seat vacated by Labour's Ian Gibson. Chloe beat the Labour candidate Chris Ostrowski by 13,591 votes to 6,243 - a swing of 16.5%. She is the Conservative's youngest MP in 30 years - and their youngest ever female MP. The previous 'baby of the House' was Jo Swinson (Liberal Democrat) who is now 29 years old, but was only 25 when first elected in 2005.

Senior Conservative figure Theresa May told The Independent on Sunday that the party had recognised the need for more diversity and gender balance in Parliament. Whilst the election of Ms Smith is encouraging, she becomes only the second MP out of 646 who is under the age of 30.

On her website Chloe commented, "I'm certainly younger than the average MP, but I think that's a good thing at the moment – we need some fresh blood in parliament, and people with drive and energy … As far as I'm concerned: if you're good enough, you're old enough."

Adam Wilkinson, Citizenship Education Programme

HeadsUp forum schedule 2009-10 available now!

admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:04:00 GMT

HeadsUp the Hansard Society's innovative online forum, where under 18's can discuss politicial issues with MPs, has had it's most successful year since it started in 2003! Registrations have doubled since September and we've had two of the busiest forums - Youth Citizenship Commission...are young people allergic to politics? and Crime in Britain :: How big is the problem? - ever! So to all those that took part thanks very much for your input it really makes the project what it is.

After last years' successes we are looking forward to the 2009-10 forums. We have some really interesting topics coming up including a forum with the Department for Energy and Climate Change in advance of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The Department want young people to feed their views and ideas into the debate before the delegation of Ministers and Officials responsible for this policy go to Copenhagen to forge a global agreement on climate change for the post 2012 period. This is an opportunity for young people to have their voices heard on a worldwide scale!

The forums topics and dates for next year will be:

Climate Change *special debate with the Department for Energy and Climate Change to inform the UN conference in Copenhagen* – 28 September – 16 October

The Economy – 23 November – 11 December

Sex Education – 1 March – 19 March

The General Election (subject to change) – 26 April – 14 May

Politics and Politicians – 21 June – 9 July

If you'd like to find out more about how to get involved in the HeadsUp project please contact Beccy Allen - r.allen@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Don't forget that the HeadRoom will be open for young people to discuss the issues of the day and will be running throughout summer!

Young people turn away from main parties in European Mock Elections

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:14:00 GMT

Independents and ‘others’ attract under-18s / Conservatives are largest party / Greens do particularly well with young people

Young people taking part in the Hansard Society Y Vote Mock Elections for the European Parliament returned fewer MEPs for the main political parties than their adult counterparts in the real Euro elections. All major parties saw a drop in support; the Conservative Party was the largest party with 17 seats and the Green Party was the only one that performed better in the mock elections. However, independents and parties created by pupils themselves were the big winners.

This is how MEPs would have been returned if the results had translated into real seats:

Independent/Other * 21
Conservative 17
Green 12
Labour 8
UKIP 7
Lib Dem 5
SNP 2

Y Vote Mock European Elections were run in schools throughout the UK and mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election. They are organised by the Hansard Society and aim to give students a full understanding of the principles of the democratic process and the role of the European Parliament.

Adam Wilkinson, Y Vote Project Manager, commented: ‘Y Vote mock elections enable pupils to debate issues that matter to them while gaining experience of how an election works. These results are particularly interesting as they highlight how hard the main parties will have to work to gain the support of younger voters.’

Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, commented: ‘For many, the mock elections will have provided their first real taste of democracy and I hope the experience will encourage them to participate in the political process in the future.’

MEPs grilled by young voters at Y Vote event

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:58:00 GMT

Local candidates for the forthcoming European elections were given the chance to make their case to young voters during an event at City College Plymouth. The Y Vote Mock Election event allowed young people the opportunity to grill MEPs on a wide range of subjects affecting them.

Organised by Sarah Russell of Twofour media group, as part of her 'Knowing Me Knowing Urup' campaign, the five South West candidates battled it out for the students' attention and votes. The candidates were Graham Watson MEP (Liberal Democrats), Trevor Coleman MEP (UKIP), Ricky Knight (Greens), Nicola Guagliardo (Your Decision) and Neil Parish (Conservatives). The Green Party candidate came out with the most votes, but the result was extremely close with just three votes seperating four parties.

Sarah Russell said: "This project was all about discovering what young people think about European politics and the event was a perfect opportunity for students to hold MEPs to account. There is a feeling that young people are apathetic when it comes to politics in this country. But I've found during my filming in the South West that they do care very deeply about the world around them."

Shane Chowan, president of City College Plymouth Student's Union, said it was a "really exciting" opportunity for the students to get involved in the political arena.He added: "I really hope that this event inspires students to not only go out and vote on June 4, but get more involved in other decisions which can affect their lives".

The event was covered in the local newspaper 'The Plymouth Herald'. Y Vote Mock Elections are being co-ordinated by the Hansard Society in schools and colleges throughout the UK to coincide with the European elections on June 4.

Adam Wilkinson, Citizenship Education Programme

NB/ The Labour Party did not wish to send a candidate to the event.

We are Yet to Diffuse the Democratic Demographic Time Bomb

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:17:00 GMT

The Hansard Society's recent ‘Audit of Political Engagement 6', shows that just 24% of people in the 18-24 age group say they are ‘certain to vote' at a general election compared to 57% of over-25s and 79% of over 75s, illustrating the massive gulf in political clout between the grey lobby and the young. And this is not because young people do not think voting matters - 83% think it is ‘essential' or ‘important' to vote in an election in order to be a good citizen - but it highlights a significant gap between intention and action.

Perhaps surprisingly, joining a political party and campaigning are more likely to be seen as important by the younger population than their elders. 45% of 18-24 year olds believe joining a political party is ‘important' in order to be a good citizen, compared to 34% of the public as a whole. However, just 1% of 18-24 year olds have actually paid a membership fee or made a donation to a party in the past three years - again underlining the problem of putting theory into practice.

The Audit's figures showing young people's propensity to vote dropped sharply in 2005 but then levelled off over the past three years. MORI estimate that only 37% of 18-24 year olds voted at the last general election and the findings by the Audit suggest that this could fall further at the next election. Research has shown that non-voting in the young can become a lifelong habit, leading Hazel Blears MP to warn of a ‘democratic demographic time bomb'. The Hansard Society works to prevent this and aims to increase young people's political knowledge and interest. The ‘Y Vote Mock Elections' project is a key part of this work, enabling schools to run mock elections so that pupils develop the skills and knowledge needed to become confident and informed voters. Pupils write manifestos, give speeches, cast their votes and publish results in a way similar to that of a real election.

Another alarming finding from the Audit is that young people's interest in politics appears to have dropped. 41% were ‘very' or ‘fairly' interested in politics in 2007 compared to 35% this year; the figure for over-25s being 54%. This is despite the fact that the last year saw its fair share of high political drama. The economic crisis - described as the worst since the 1930's - continues to grab headlines; we had the mayoral election campaign, which saw London's first Conservative mayor elected; not to mention ‘Obamamania', which saw a candidate inspire young Americans and others around the globe in a way not seen for generations. We also have an increasingly unpopular incumbent UK government and for the first time in years a change of governing party seems likely in the relatively near future.

The Audit found that only 30% of 18-24 year olds had discussed politics or political news at all in the past two or three years. Yet with all the aforementioned events in the past year this is very hard to believe. What is more likely is that young people do not make the connection that much of what they discuss is political. The reliability of buses, payment of university fees, the age at which you can drink alcohol in a pub - all of these issues have a political dimension and all are issues that many young people are likely to have discussed in the past two or three years.

It has long been acknowledged that young people are generally more interested in politics than we credit them for, yet they dislike politicians and the traditional democratic system. They are interested in political issues, such as climate change and crime, but they don't see how this interest fits in with the UK's political institutions, something highlighted during a recent debate between young people and decision-makers on the Hansard Society's Heads Up forum:

"When I think of politics, I see a group of men debating about one thing or another, and after hours of endless droning, nothing is solved. However, I am sensible enough to recognise that it is more than that, but what exactly? ...I am keen on debating and campaigning, and finding ways to help combat issues in today's rickety world, but how is the question, as well as the fact that, what is it to do with politics?"

"After watching one session of PMQs a couple of weeks ago I actually felt quite embarrassed at the way Cameron and Brown had descended into scoring "points" off each other rather than focusing on the real issues ...Politicians should be setting an example to young people, not trading personal insults while avoiding actually answering questions."

Young people are far more willing to engage with single issue groups than with a political party. Despite their often low income, 24% have given to a charity or campaigning organisation in the past two or three years. The appeal of such groups is obvious, yet if young people's voices are to be truly heard we must convince them that political parties and voting also have an important role to play in our democratic system. We can wear all the badges we like, attend rallies and join numerous Facebook groups, but at the end of the day it is MPs - not single issue groups - that create our laws. It is Ministers who sign important multilateral agreements on terrorism, climate change and the economy. And it is the Prime Minister alone that has the power to take us to war.

The Audit found only 3% of 18-24 year olds had presented their views to a local councillor or MP in the last two or three years compared to 17% of the whole adult population. Young people have valid opinions and ideas on a vast range of issues and it is down to us as citizenship practitioners to inform them that voting and engaging with politicians is one of the best ways to bring about change. It is also their democratic right to lobby their MP and ask for their advice and help. MPs have a duty to represent all of their constituents - not just the ones that voted for them - and this includes those that are too young to vote. If we fail to emphasise this then young people's opinions will continue to be neglected, as will the issues that affect them.

Politicians also have a major role to play in this. All too often they fail to see young people as constituents with the same rights to representation as adults. They need to speak to young people in a language they understand to ensure that they are engaging them rather than turning them off the political process even more. They need to demonstrate that young people's participation in the political process is worthwhile and explain what the outcome has been. The online ‘Heads Up' forum is just one great way for those under 18 to discuss topical issues with politicians and other key stakeholders. At the end of each three week debate a report is submitted to relevant Government departments and committees so that young people can see that their voices have been heard and their contributions have been fed into the policy-making process.

If we take the Audit's figures at face value it is perhaps disheartening that the first generation of voters that were taught citizenship education do not seem to have developed any additional interest in politics as a result. But a further examination of issues surrounding youth participation reveals that the picture is more complex. Some commentators have blamed low turnout in the past two elections on the political context within which they occurred and argue that the results for the general elections in 2001 and 2005 were a foregone conclusion. This will not be the case for the next general election. All eyes will be on the 18-24 year old cohort to see whether they are inspired to turnout, as many did in 1997. If there is no renewed interest from young people when a sea change is again in the air, further questions about the future of our political system - and perhaps the efficacy of citizenship education - will be raised.

Adam Wilkinson
Citizenship Education Programme
Hansard Society

Raw Deal or Truth Told? Young People in the Media

admin — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:57:00 GMT

The Hansard Society and the House of Lords have launched a new competition for young people aged 11 to 16 to express how they feel about media portrayals of their generation: Raw Deal or Truth Told? Young People in the Media. The entrants are being asked to look at issues such as portrayals of youth culture in television programmes, negative coverage in print media and questions like should celebrities, sports stars or musicians be role models? This follows on from the success of 2008’s What a Waste! competition.

The competition is an opportunity for young people who feel strongly about this subject to submit their views in a variety of formats including film and newspaper articles. The winners will be invited to the Houses of Parliament for a tour, and the chance to discuss their submission with Members of the House of Lords Communications Committee. Students from the winning groups will also receive £25 each. All entrants will receive a signed certificate from the Lord Speaker and Lord Fowler, Chair of the Committee and their submissions will be compiled into a report.

Baroness Hayman, the Lord Speaker, said:

"Last year's competition was a great success and I know that the Communications Committee is looking forward to hearing from young people themselves about this topical and important subject.

Naturally young people want to voice their thoughts and views about the media's portrayal of them and I would encourage all schools to get involved and contribute to this exciting competition. It is a great opportunity for all participating pupils, and for the winners to spend a day in Parliament and see a select committee in action."

How to get involved:

Teachers/youth workers should register young people online at www.parliament.uk/holcompetition
The competition opens on Tuesday 3 March
The closing date is Friday 5 June
Entrants should be aged between 11 and 16 years old
Only group entries will be considered. Groups should be a minimum of two and although there is no limit to group size, only five people from each of the three winning teams can attend the Winners’ Day in Parliament
Submissions can be in the format of the entrants’ choice e.g. a presentation, film, newspaper article, collage etc.
Entry details, competition rules, background information and lesson plans for teachers outlining the work of the House of Lords can be found at www.parliament.uk/holcompetition

For further information contact Michael Raftery on M.Raftery@hansard.lse.ac.uk

HeadsUp debate 20 April - 8 May

admin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:54:00 GMT

HeadsUp users will be discussing sustainable transport, how the economy will affect travel, a third runway at Heathrow and safety of public transport - amongst other issues around transport. The forum runs from 20 April - 8 May. Visit HeadsUp now!

HeadsUp is an online forum for debate about the key political issues where young people and politicians can come together to listen and learn from one another. The forums give under 18's a unique chance to get their voices heard by decision-makers and feed into policies that effect them. Each forum runs for 3 weeks and is supported by a wealth of information about each topic as well as teacher's notes and activities that will help young people get the most out of the debates and improve their knowledge of the issues and political process.

For young people, teachers, youth workers and politicians interested in getting involved please email Beccy Allen, HeadsUp Project Manager at r.allen@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Some of the key decision-makers taking part include:

Stephen Hammond MP, Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport,
Norman Baker MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Transport,
Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Sustainable Aviation Group,
Paul Rowen MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Light Rail,
Robert Gifford, Executive Director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety.

The key issues to be discussed are:

Airport Expansion – Do we really need bigger airports or should we put more money into the rail network? Is a third runway at Heathrow a ‘necessary evil’?

Climate Change – Is enough being invested in greener transport? Will technology save the day?

Transport and You – What is the right age to learn to drive? What are the problems with public transport where you live? How safe do you feel?

The Economy – Is enough money spent on public transport and do we get value for money? Will the credit crunch force people into making greener travel choices?

Victory for UK Youth Parliament - now finally allowed to debate in Commons

admin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:54:00 GMT

The controversial debate has raged since July 2007 but this month the motion to allow the UK Youth Parliament to meet in the House of Commons was finally passed. This will be the first time in history that the chamber will have been used by anyone other than members of the lower house. The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is an elected body of 11-18 year olds. It gives young people a voice which is heard and listened to by local and national government as well as all other agencies interested in the views of young people.

Some of the more traditional parliamentarians had suggested that the proposal was just a ‘trendy’ gimmick to appeal to the youth vote. Some had argued that allowing teenagers to sit on the renowned green benches would undermine the sanctity of the Commons.

Shadow children's minister Tim Loughton said MPs had nothing to worry about: "Are we seriously thinking that we will have UKYP members leaving gum under the seats, swinging from the chandeliers, having to install juke boxes and that we are going to have a major chav riot in the place?" he said. "No, of course that isn't going to happen."

In the end, 205 MPs backed the plan and just 17 opposed it. MPs may have been influenced by the argument that they would have looked incredibly old-fashioned had they not allowed members of the UKYP to meet in the Commons given that last year they met in the House of Lords.

The one-off meeting is expected to take place this summer.

Bridget Wright, Citizenship Education Programme

Y Vote European Mock Elections

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:29:00 GMT

The Hansard Society's Citizenship Education Programme is facilitating mock elections in schools throughout the UK to coincide with the European elections on 4th June. The election provides a perfect opportunity for schools to explore issues surrounding democracy and justice at a European level. Teachers can get hold of everything they need to run a mock election by visiting the Y Vote website and by registering they receive additional resources and support, all for free.

In a mock election pupils can stand as a candidate from one of the existing political parties or they can create their own. Manifestos are drawn up, speeches made and ballots counted - everything you'd expect from a real election. Each school will submit their results and the overall result for each constituency will be announced on 15th June.

The Y Vote mock elections project is supported by the Electoral Commission whose aim is to promote integrity and public confidence in the democratic process.

For more information, contact Adam Wilkinson at a.wilkinson@hansard.lse.ac.uk or on 020 7438 1221.

HeadRoom - new discussion space launched for under 18's

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:13:00 GMT

The HeadsUp forums have been running since 2003 and are a great space for young people, teachers and parliamentarians to come together and debate some pretty serious political issues. Since September young people have debated issues with each other, politicians and decision-makers - Crime, Citizenship and Immigration so far.

Now the HeadsUp website will host debates about current issues in the media outside the 5 main forums. This gives a bit more flexibility in the topics that can be talked about and hopefully means that HeadsUp users will get involved in the political issues year round and not just for the three (intense!) weeks that a forum takes place. We also would like young people to send us their suggestions for the topics they want to talk about - the only restriction is that it should be about something currently in the news.

So if you know a young person that would like to get involved in discussing subjects as varied as stop and search to the civil war in Sri Lanka send them to the HeadRoom....

Citizenship in action - 250 pupils walk out of school in protest!

admin — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:16:00 GMT

Police were called to a school in West Yorkshire after 250 pupils held a protest over the suspension of two teachers. Students from Calder High School waved banners and chanted songs for two hours before eventually heading back to their classrooms. The protest is said to have been organised through a social networking site.

The demonstration was about a teacher that was suspended after writing a book containing some of her pupils as characters, as a way of encouraging them to read. The reprimand of a second teacher yesterday prompted the strike action, with pupils demanding they be informed of what was happening. The headteacher said he could not disclose information relating to what has become a legal investigation.

Regardless of the validity of their cause, it is encouraging to see that the pupils felt empowered enough to voice their opinions and are aware of ways of influencing decision-makers. The headteacher should be applauded for the way in which he responded, acknowledging the pupils’ concerns and their right to protest. It was also encouraging that a Calderdale Youth Parliament member was confident enough to voice his opinions in the local press. The Hansard Society Y Vote Mock Elections project enables young people to take part in campaigns to elect school council representatives, who are able to voice concerns about school policies on their behalf.

The case of Calder High highlights how pupils can be engaged in civic action when they see the importance of an issue and understand how to influence the adults that make these decisions. The growing use of social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter as a tool for organising campaigns should encourage those that are concerned about falling political engagement and participation amongst young people.

It seems Barack Obama’s successful presidential campaign served as something of a wake-up call to UK politicians. Obama utilised the internet to great effect in order to appeal to the electorate and in evaluating his success many politicians this side of the pond have realised the internet’s potential for disseminating information, campaigning and communicating with constituents. There has been a noticeable increase in the use of social networking sites and blogs amongst MPs and peers - see our recent article Meet you on MySpace? here.

Has your school been involved in a similar campaign? If so, we’d like to hear about it. Contact us at citizenship@hansard.lse.ac.uk .

Adam Wilkinson, Citizenship Education Programme

HeadsUp forum :: Crime in Britain - starts 23 February

admin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:41:00 GMT

The next HeadsUp forum will run from 23 February - 13 March 2009 and will discuss young people's perspective on crime in Britain.

Legislators getting involved in the forum include:

Lord Harris, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Policing and former Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority

Robert Brown MSP, the Scottish Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Justice

Philip Davies MP, Member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee

Angela Burns AM, Member of the Children and Young People Committee

Phil Willis MP, Chair of the Select Committee on Innovation, Universities, Science and Skill

The key topics up for discussion in the forum will be:

The Police – Do they treat young people fairly? How can they stop young people becoming involved in crime?
The Media – Do films, music and computer games glamorise crime? Does the media criminalise young people?
Law, punishment and justice - Is prison enough to rehabilitate criminals and stop them breaking the law? Do we have the right balance between community sentencing and prison?
Your Community – Do you feel safe in your community? Is anti-social behaviour still a big problem?

HeadsUp hosts an online discussion space for under 18s to debate political issues with their peers and top decision-makers. Through the forums, HeadsUp aims to build young people's levels of political awareness and participation so that they can play an effective role in the democratic processes affecting their lives. HeadsUp is also a space politicians can use to consult with young people and find out their ideas, experiences and opinions.

Meet you on MySpace?

admin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Mainstream politics often emerge from the radical fringes. Universal suffrage, the minimum wage and the new President of the US are examples. Some things take longer to work their way into the mainstream than Barack Obama but his campaign has lessons for UK politicians. Obama’s qualities clearly resonated with the US electorate but he also used every possible resource at his disposal to ignite passion and emphasise how politics can be connected to individuals. Technology allowed him to bypass the traditional media; by creating viral networks through YouTube and social networking sites, he was able to reach out to those that wouldn’t usually engage with political media. Using technology, he made politics personal and reached that most elusive group of voters the ‘young person’. By going to the places where they hang out on the internet, he made them feel as if he was one of them – a feat rarely managed by politicians.

The importance of making this connection should not be underestimated. The Hansard Society’s recent HeadsUp online forum showed that young people find it hard to see the link between formal political structures and their lives. One user said ‘children are put off by politics because all you ever see on the news is old people talking in the House of Lords or the House of Commons’. Another said she was embarrassed by Brown and Cameron’s behaviour at PMQs and their interest in scoring political points rather than discussing issues. Obama’s use of technologies with which young people are familiar, demonstrated that the gap can be bridged between formal politics and the issues young people care about.

So how do we translate the successful use of technology in the US into connecting politics and young people in the UK? Although almost a quarter of MPs currently use Facebook the potential for campaigning may be less obvious in a parliamentary democracy than in a presidential system. The technology is perhaps better suited to connecting MPs with their constituents throughout the parliamentary year. From a democratic perspective it creates another channel of accountability but also brings the electorate closer to their representatives, making politics seem less distant.

Social networking could also help to rebuild the public perceptions of MPs as a group. When asked about their trust in MPs, the public are much more inclined to say that their own MP is trustworthy and valuable, than they are to say this about politicians as a group. Younger people are far less likely to have made up their minds about politics and politicians and those under 35 are the most willing to admit that they have a lot to learn about politics. Presenting an MP and their views in a way that young people can relate to on MySpace (note MySpace and not Facebook for the under 18’s) might actually bear fruit. HeadsUp forum users were in favour of their MP being on MySpace by a majority of 2:1. Those that were hesitant were mostly concerned about how their MP would present themselves, fearing that they may try to be too ‘down with the kids’ and would end up looking like the proverbial Dad at a disco. Just communicating is not enough, as has been found with much online engagement, it must be genuine, authentic and targeted to have the most beneficial effect. Communicating in diverse ways has greater consequences for MPs than simple popularity – if you are added as a friend on a social networking site you are surely more likely to be seen as ‘one of us’ and therefore viewed with less suspicion and cynicism.

Currently politicians put in the ground work with young people by visiting schools - social networking is an extension of this in a more informal, personal setting and has greater potential for ongoing engagement. Although young people are aware of the global impact of many issues and decisions they also have more invested in their local area than adults. This is partly because they are more constrained in their ability to move around. This makes the need for greater links between young constituents and their local MP even more important. Young people say they do not feel informed about how the political process works but are clear that they want to be involved in decisions that affect them: ‘politicians do not pay attention to us young people. They look down on us and point the finger at us whenever something is going wrong…Politicians should walk with us and involve us’. Creating a personal link between MPs and pre-voters, via social networking, could go some way to bridging this gap.

Beccy Allen, HeadsUp Manager

HeadsUp forum gets young people talking about politics

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:09:00 GMT

The most recent HeadsUp forum - Youth Citizenship Commission :: Are young people allergic to politics? - took place between 17 November and 5 December 2008. The Youth Citizenship Commission was set up following on from the Governance of Britain report in 2007, to look at ways of developing young people’s understanding of citizenship and increasing their participation in politics. The Commissioners were tasked with finding out what citizenship means to young people, whether they think they should be able to vote at 16 and how our political system can best listen and respond to their concerns. They used the HeadsUp forum to find out what young people up and down the country think about these issues.

The Commission will report back to the Prime Minister in late spring 2009 and the opinions of HeadsUp users will be included in their findings. There will be an opportunity for HeadsUp users to find out more in a debate (15 June – 3 July 2009) that will discuss the findings once the final report has been written.

This HeadsUp debate was the most popular ever, with young people telling the Commissioners exactly what they don't like about politics, how it can be more child friendly and what can be done to promote politics to young people. For more information about what the young people said about citizenship, politics, their communities and volunteering download the Youth Citizenship Commission forum report.doc

Jon Tonge, Chair of the Youth Citizenship Commission said:

"Can I thank all those who have posted on the HeadsUp forum in recent weeks. There has been lots of lively debate, especially about why young people are often turned off by conventional politics and on the subject of the voting age."

If you want to find out more about the Youth Citizenship Commission or submit evidence to their investigation please visit http://www.ycc.uk.net/

Liberties get interactive at the British Library

admin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:43:00 GMT

Upon entering the British Library's free exhibition "Taking Liberties: The Struggle for Britain's Freedoms and Rights", visitors are tagged with a bar coded wristband - odd, for an exhibition on liberty you might think. After visiting the exhibition last week, Cit Ed Intern, Stephen, explains...

"It's ironic how a 900-year old document has come to symbolise much of the contemporary debate around civil liberties. In September 2007 the Magna Carta was even invoked by US Senator Jeff Bingaman in his campaign to limit the power of the US government to detain people without charge. The American Bar Association occasionally meets in Runnymede, Surrey, where the document was originally signed.

With the threat of terrorism, debates around "hate speech" and the impact of devolution on the UK, the British Library has organised an exhibition on ‘Taking Liberties: The Struggle for Britain's Freedoms and Rights'. The display aims to guide attendees through the various historical developments, beginning with the Magna Carta in 1215, that have established our notion of ‘civil liberties' such as the English Civil War (1642-1651), Habeas Corpus (1679), American independence (1776), the National Insurance Act (1911), Women's suffrage (1928) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Furthermore, the exhibition is split into sections dealing with the rule of law, parliament, the right to vote, human rights and freedom of speech.

Alongside the historical artefacts and documents are various interactive terminals where you can give your opinion on various issues that affect people's rights and freedoms including whether there should be an English Parliament, do we need to regulate the use of CCTV cameras and should Cornwall be independent. You scan your answers using a wristband and at the end of the exhibition you can see how your responses compare with other attendees.

This method really helps to tease out some of the tensions between balancing individual freedom with the need for security and whether we've lost our sense of responsibility in gaining so many rights. The displays also give us an excellent historical context for these important questions. It is interesting to see how as our idea of citizenship has developed we have actually become more prosperous as a country. Or is it the other way around? Have we demanded more rights as we have become wealthier to safeguard our assets? Perhaps economic liberty and its relationship to social liberty, is an area that could do with further examination.

What about the international perspective on human rights and freedoms? After all, some institutions affect our liberties beyond the level of the nation-state. For example the International Criminal Court have indited and convicted people from places as diverse as Liberia and Bosnia for abusing human rights. The European Union also has an important impact on our lives through legislation such as the Working Time Directive (which guarantees all EU citizens four weeks holiday). There is no doubt that these sorts of globalised organisations are profoundly changing the relationship between the citizen and the state. King John and the Barons might have had something to say about that!"

The exhibition runs until 1^st March 2009. For more information visit... http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/takingliberties/

Teachers!

To accompany the Taking Liberties exhibition at the British Library from 31 October 2008 to 1 March 2009, free workshops are available for Secondary, Further and Higher Education groups of more than 10 participants. These interactive workshops will take place in the exhibition, using artefacts and multimedia material to bring to life the struggle for rights in the UK.

The workshops are most suitable for those studying History, Citizenship or Politics. They are available from 3 November 2008 to 27 February 2009.

For more information, visit... http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/takingliberties/learning.html

Taking Liberties Interactive

If you can't make it to the British Library with your students, you can still make use of many of the resources available at the exhibition via Taking Liberties Interactive.

The website is full of useful videos and interviews, as well as an interactive activity which places you at the centre of current debates and allows you to vote on where you stand on these issues. As you give your answers, you can see how your views compare to everyone else's - all illustrated through innovative 3D graphics.

Taking Liberties Interactive can be found at... www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/takingliberties/interactive.html