At the Üsküdar Üniversitesi Children's Rights Panel, all issues related to children and children's rights were thoroughly discussed. Speaking at the opening, Üsküdar Üniversitesi Rector's Advisor and Founding President of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Children's Rights Commission, Halide İncekara, said, “There is no right that does not impose a responsibility on the other party.”
The Üsküdar Üniversitesi Children's Rights Panel, titled ‘I Am a Child; I Know My Rights,’ was held at the Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall, Üsküdar Üniversitesi Central Campus. Students from various schools in Istanbul also attended the panel.
‘Right’ is a very important concept
Speaking at the opening, Üsküdar Üniversitesi Rector's Advisor, Director of the Research and Application Center for Gifted Individuals (ÖYEMER), and Founding President of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Children's Rights Commission, Halide İncekara, referring to November 20, World Children's Rights Day, said, “The concept of 'right' is a very important concept. Deserving a right, acquiring a right, granting a right… There is no right that does not impose a responsibility on the other party. If I demand my right, the institution from which I demand it has a responsibility towards me. If the other party is an individual, that individual has a responsibility towards me. Do we always have rights, but never any responsibilities?”
İncekara stated that children, their other peers, friends, parents in the family, school administrators, and other living people also have rights, saying, “If you want to be an individual, a human being, a loved and respected person in your apartment, neighborhood, city, if you want to be noticed, if you want to be respected, you must first acknowledge the rights of those around you and also pursue your own rights…”
Societies live by rules
İncekara also explained that children ask their elders, ‘Don't you know your responsibilities towards us? Don't you know children's rights? Why do you talk about these but don't act on them?’ She stated that societies live by rules and that adults, together with children, will remind public administration, family members, and people living on the streets who neglect these rules of their rights.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child was discussed in the opening presentation
The opening presentation titled “Convention on the Rights of the Child and Children's Rights Committees” was given by Nafiye Zeynep Kantar, Provincial Adult Representative for Children's Rights at the Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services.
Kantar stated that the Convention on the Rights of the Child has been accepted by almost all states worldwide, and explained that there are 4 fundamental principles in the convention: “survival and development, non-discrimination, participation, and the child's best interests.”
One should not dismiss the child lightly…
In the session titled “Social Responsibility Awareness and Children's Rights,” Rector's Advisor, Head of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Social Work Department Prof. Dr. İsmail Barış, Beykoz District Child Representative Baturalp Eftal Ersoy, and Fatih District Child Representative Muhammet Kaan Kayasöken took part.
Barış stated that “one should not dismiss the child lightly,” adding, “Parents, who are primarily responsible for children according to both natural and legal, creation, and universal legal rules, should never dismiss children lightly.”
Barış pointed out that children have rights as small human beings, and said that the two countries in the world that have not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child are Somalia and America.
Peer bullying was also discussed at the panel
Elif Cansu Demirci, Provincial Branch Manager of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, stated that they attach importance to the representation rights of young people.
In the panel, during the “Peer Bullying and Children's Rights” session, Assist. Prof. Dr. Fatma Turan, Coordinator of Psychology, Positive Psychology at Üsküdar Üniversitesi; Duygu Buranki, Üsküdar District Child Representative; Ata Kemal Vural, Maltepe District Child Representative took part. In the “Privacy Awareness and Children's Rights” session, Lecturer Dr. Ümit Ertem from the Child Development department; Emir Emiroğlu, Beşiktaş District Child Representative participated. In the “Talent Discovery and Children's Rights” session, Lecturer Elif Konar Özkan from the Child Development department; ÖYEMER Director, Founding President of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Children's Rights Commission Halide İncekara; Dilanur Anılmış, Çekmeköy District Child Representative; and Arafat Diyar Sar, Bahçelievler District Child Representative were present.
