THE PLEDGE of the Republic’s founding fathers to create a nation where all children are cherished equally must not be ignored despite economic pressures, President Mary McAleese said yesterday.
In a wide-ranging speech on the future of children in Ireland, she said the voice of young people must not be ignored as we seek to navigate out way out of the current crisis.
Mrs McAleese was speaking at the launch of the State’s first Unesco chair for children, youth and civic engagement which will be hosted by Prof Pat Dolan of NUI Galway’s child and family research centre.
The President said while much had been written about the need for the voices of children to be heard, this needed to be acted upon.
“They are not mere spectators at any of this and the tide of voices suddenly raised in consternation must inevitably be reshaping the world our children are inhabiting,” she said.
“We need to ensure their voices are heard above the cacophony of adult commentators who are now dominating the public space. The cost of not doing so will likely come back to haunt us as a civil society and a golden opportunity to move towards a fuller and more inclusive wisdom will have been missed.”
She said we were living in volatile times due to the “righteous anger at the behaviour of the few” that reduced Ireland’s standing internationally. But she said the country must not allow itself to be defined in this way.
“We are a people who have radically altered the narrative of Ireland and who, despite the faltering prosperity process, will do what it takes to restore stability and growth – for these things are not just about economics and staggering figures, they are about the lived lives of men, women and children.”
Mrs McAleese said the Unesco post was coming on stream at an important time and could play a crucial role in navigating a pathway of reassurance and hope for children and families.
Accepting the post yesterday, Prof Pat Dolan said much of the work of academics at the child and family research centre will focus on the benefits of getting children of all backgrounds to become more civically engaged, whether through involvement in youth clubs, sports, school or the community.
“Children have a proven capacity to be civically active in communities where by being supportive to others, they benefit themselves in terms of improved self-esteem, self-efficacy and wellbeing,” he said.
Particularly in the case of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, Prof Dolan said civic engagement can lead to significant improvements and help rebuild key relationships in their lives.
“The extent to which the voice of disadvantaged children and youth is heard compared to those who have wealth is an issue.”
