Nov. 20, 2018

FREDERICTON (GNB) – As part of the Child Rights Education Week, the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate released its tenth State of the Child Report today at an annual breakfast fundraiser hosted by NB Champions for Child Rights Inc.

The report contains an overview of some of the serious challenges facing New Brunswick youth, which includes: discrimination, mental health, poverty, and declining educational engagement.

“This year there is a special emphasis on the child’s right to preserve their identity, and the right of minority and indigenous children to enjoy their culture, to practice their faith and to speak their own language,” said Child, Youth and Senior’s Advocate Norman Bossé.

The report, which focuses on Articles 8 and 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, contains more than 200 statistics presented in a Child Rights Indicators Framework. This data is part of the information the provincial government needs to ensure it is helping all young people, and especially the most disadvantaged.

 “According to this data, children and youth from our province face numerous challenges,” said Bossé. “For example, the province has not done nearly enough to ensure the preservation of indigenous cultures. First Nations languages are imperilled to the point of crisis. I call upon the government to act immediately with First Nations leaders to preserve New Brunswick’s rich indigenous linguistic heritage.”

October 11, 2018

FREDERICTON (GNB) — The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, in collaboration with the youth group East Coast Shaking the Movers, issued a report at the legislative assembly on Oct. 10 entitled Defending Child Rights for Refugees and Newcomers.

The report was issued during an information session with staff from the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, young participants, and elected officials.

The young participants provided 33 recommendations on the rights of the child while taking into consideration the context of immigration, the refugee process and the school environment. They also reported cases of discrimination towards newcomers and identified recommendations to break down stereotypes and foster respectful communities where rights are respected and are individuals are free from racial discrimination. The report includes only recommendations from the young participants and reflects their discussions during a weekend event.

Shaking the Movers events are forums on child rights, they are for youth by youth. In 2016, the New Brunswick Child and Youth Advocates Office and the Multicultural Association of Fredericton hosted the first Shaking the Mover event in eastern Canada. It's success has resulted in a second and third event. This year’s theme isRight to education focusing on how children’s rights are respected at school, most specifically in middle and high schools.

This event is free for participants. 

How can you participate?  See the Participation & Consent Form