Organizing of the ISPCAN Youth Forum

Child rights getting into the bigger picture isn’t the work of just a few previous years. We’ve made it this far with small, but essential changes that have been made over decades. Although, truth be told, these last few years have been extremely effective and with a positive outcome, changing children’s lives and conditions for the better. There is more hope than has ever been to finally put children in the heart of Estonia and Europe!

I’m a 7th grade student from Lasnamäe in Tallinn. Although most of my time I spend on studying and playing – accordion and strategy games are a regular part of my daily schedule besides school – I also pay a lot of attention to what’s going on around me in the world and in Estonia. I think that school debating is very important to raise critical thinkers. In my speech I will talk about the standpoints of argumentation based on my experience in Tallinn English College Debating Club. I believe that we all win when young people learn to express their needs and resolve conflicts with words, not fists, from the earliest age possible. I want Estonia’s education system to be more open and inclusive, and taking into account opinions of children and young people would become a norm.

Karl is 7 years old and he is studying at the English College of Tallinn and also at the music school cello with Marta-Jaana Staškevich. He loves downhill skiing the most and has attended downhill training for 3 years. This season he trained in slalom training with Tõnis Luik (senior + junior) and got both medals and competition experience from Alexela Cups! Diversity is an important keyword for him; Karl is practicing folk dance and has performed both in the Estonian Theater and in the Alexela Concert Hall. He also played hockey for the third year and also practiced acrobatics, orienteering, ball games and swimming. Karl is studying ukulele with Linda Kelder for the second year and she also likes to write music herself. He wrote his first books at the age of five, but only for fun. Karl’s favorite fields of research are chemistry, space, cats and volcanoes. He enjoys spending time with friends, playing, climbing, painting, drawing and visiting cultural events – cinema, theater, exhibition, concert. He loves moving around in the wild and is a skilled master of bonfires in any weather. Chess is also a fun game for Karl and he mainly practices it with his grandfather Ott.

Introduction of a presentation

There are no Ugly Ducklings!

Nowadays many unique child talents are unnoticed! There will be many future decision-makers and politicians in the audience – my message to them is that everyone is unique in their way, so let´s discover them! The key is to create a child-friendly environment, so everyone can open up. Every voice should be heard, every different opinion is valuable, and there is no one ultimate truth for everyone.

There are no Ugly Ducklings if we don´t create them!

The mental health crisis has been a burning global issue way before the pandemic and before the war that changed our lives completely and forever. Children and youth have been hit the hardest with everything that has been going on in the world – hopelessness among children is getting increasingly common. How are children able to take an active role if they don’t feel like it? What can be done? This is a call to action to create a world where no one is left behind. Starting from not leaving ourselves behind! Only mentally healthy children can reach their developmental potential and contribute to society in a meaningful way. Let’s start now!

The performance is based on different stories from young people and young adults  who have been in child protection, propably taken into custody and how they have made their way to be an expert by experience.

You will hear about some good practices in developing child protection with young people and children and some of the greatest moments in their journey in participating decision making and development work.

Aveli Heletuli
The child rights ambassador of Estonian Union for Child Welfare

If we talk about me now, at first glance I am in a rather colorful shape – it looks like I am doing absolutely everything. But what I always like to bring out is nature, art and discovery. I have two goals in life: the first is to be happy and to live truly, enjoying every moment and every experience. The second is to bring a smile to people’s faces and leave the room shining, to change something – for the better.

I have been cooperating with the Union of Child Welfare for almost exactly 2 years now and have met countless new arsonists. I am one of the ambassadors for the rights of the child and was previously part of the youth council of the Union of Child Welfare, the first of which has grown out. The aim of both ventures has been to make children’s voices heard and also to make children really heard.

I believe that the ISPCAN Youth Forum is an ideal place to do just that. I am already looking forward to what will happen!

Carmen Piiroja
Mentor of the child rights ambassadors of Estonian Union for Child Welfare

Aloha! I am an 18-year-old student of Tallinn Ühisgümnaasium. I got into the activities of the Union for Child Welfarea year ago, and during that time I have made a simple, child-friendly version of the difficult legal text of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, spoke on and much more nice.

I decided to get involved in organizing the ISPCAN Tallinn 2022 Youth Forum because I have noticed that all political events, including travel abroad, you see different cultures and people, different way’s of thinking and worlds of thought, which in turn makes life more colorful and helps you make better choices, are the reasons why you, a young person under the age of 21, should take part in a youth forum! Join us to move the gray boundaries of your horizons to more colorful distances! 😃

Marilin Tisler
The child rights ambassador of Estonian Union for Child Welfare

Hello! I am a girl from the forests of island Hiiumaa and studying in Käina school in the 9th grade. I became the child rights ambassador of Estonian Union for Child Welfare
in January 2021, and since then I have done my best to make young people’s voices heard. As I come from a small island, it is very important for me to ensure the well-being of young people in small areas, because moving young people to bigger cities is a matter of great concern right now.

I decided to join the organizing team of the ISPCAN Youth Forum for new experiences, broadening my horizons, language practice and creating new acquaintances. It is we, the young people, who are the fruit of the future, and no one else is shaping it for us.

“You young people, you go through life like a knife in butter”- Lennart Meri (Estonian President 1992–2001)

Olesya Korchenova
Member of ISPCAN Youth Forum organizing team

I am 18 years old, I spend most of my time in youth organizations, I help organize events and I do youth work. I also volunteer because I love helping people and animals in need. I am currently focusing on Erasmus + programs, writing projects and running them as a youth leader.

I decided to join the organizing team of the ISPCAN Youth Forum because I like the new challenges, people and different experiences that each organized project offers.

Pille Kurnitski
Member of ISPCAN Youth Forum organizing team

I am 17 years old and I am finishing 11th grade this year. I live in Pirita every day and study at Viimsi Gymnasium. I decided to join the organizing team of the ISPCAN Youth Forum because I want to gain new experience, practice my language skills, make new acquaintances and find out what I want to do in the future by trying different activities.

Triin Sooäär
Coordinator of the child rights ambassadors of Estonian Union for Child Welfare

Greetings to you, good ISPCAN enthusiast, guest or outstanding performer!

Every child and young person is like a young star waiting to shine – this is one of the basics I believe in the most in life. Why? Having been involved in more than a dozen youth organizations, mostly in leadership positions since the 4th grade, as editor-in-chief of a youth program and running a student company since 4th grade, it became clear to me at one point that it was often necessary to create for. As the head of the Youth Council of the Estonian Union for Child Welfare, there was a desire to create a network of children’s rights ambassadors that is unique in Europe, so I am currently coordinating these issues with Estonian children and young people. As a guest on numerous podcasts, I have often discovered that giving a voice has somehow become one of my essential qualities. Although I am still a 11th grade student at Pirita Economic Gymnasium at the moment, I believe that every small work will start a big whole for the world. I hope that the ISPCAN Youth Forum can be a great guide on these issues, because we have created a very good ground for children and young people.

Kristina Kukk
Communication and cooperation coordinator at Estonian Union for Child Welfare

I have been working as the communication and cooperation coordinator of the Estonian Union for Child Welfare for a little over a year, and one of my tasks is to empower the voices of children and young people. In my work, I have repeatedly noticed that children are very good-hearted and bright-eyed in nature, they are actually full of various cool ideas and very creative and warm. It is said that our youth is doomed. I would venture to say that it is not youth that is doomed, but adults who influence children and young people with their wrong values. We actually have a lot to learn from children and young people. The ISPCAN Youth Forum is a place where we give children a microphone to hear how they would like to be involved in decisions that affect them.

Annika Silde
Project manager at Estonian Union for Child Welfare

My greatest joy with young people to create, discuss, organize and make sense of everything is to see their development side by side every day. I am proud to see how some of the 12-year-old little child rights advocates of the time have become a big child rights activist in a few years. I admire the creativity and sincerity of children and young people – I always feel “fresh” and full of ideas with them. We are more together!