UK Youth Parliament campaigns.
About the Campaign
Our National Campaign for 2020 – ‘Protect the Future’
We will be campaigning to tackle the impact and continuation of climate change between February and October 2020. In 2019, young people across the UK voted to prioritise climate change as the UK campaign issue. Following the ballot, Members of Youth Parliament voted in the House of Commons for ‘Protect Our Future’ to be the leading national campaign for 2020.
- 11% of the world’s population is currently vulnerable to climate change impacts such as droughts, floods, heat waves, extreme weather events and sea-level rise – that’s 800 million people.
- Climate change is currently only taught in schools as a small part of Geography and Chemistry. There is no requirement for it to be taught across subjects as a core part of the primary and secondary curriculum.
- 18 of the warmest years on record have occurred since the year 2000 – the planet is getting hotter.
- Within the next 30 years, London will have the same weather as Barcelona currently has.
- Climate change is affecting floods in the UK – floods in northern England and southern Scotland are 55% bigger, on average, than they were five decades ago.
- Global sea levels are set to rise by more than 2 meters in the next 80 years.
- This means that major cities across the world including New York, Venice and Amsterdam could be submerged, displacing up to 187 million people
- 85% of people in the UK say they are worried about climate change.
- Currently, only 1% of vehicles on the road are electric. In order to meet our target to have 100% electric vehicles by 2050, we need to replace over .
- The latest UN analysis shows that if we act now, we can drastically cut carbon emissions within 12 years and reduce the increase in the global average temperature.
Actions
We would like to take action on the Climate Emergency through:
- Holding conversations and debates in schools and youth groups across the UK and inform decision makers of the outcomes
- Gaining further support from decision makers on a local and national level
- Creating a wider conversation to increase engagement and continue to inspire young people to take part in democracy
Sign our petition calling on the government to protect the environment.
Download resources
The resources below will help you plan your knife crime sessions and help you navigate social media and other communications.
About the Campaign
Our National Campaign for 2019 – ‘Votes for 16 and 17 year olds in all public elections’
Over 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds are currently unable to vote in elections and referendums across the UK. This has been a key issue for the UK Youth Parliament for multiple years and was voted for by over 80,000 11-18-year-olds in the 2018 Make Your Mark ballot. Following the ballot, Members of Youth Parliament voted in the House of Commons for ‘Votes at 16’ to be the leading national campaign for 2019. Young people are passionate to take part in democracy and want to be involved in the discussions that affect their daily lives. Until the government lowers the voting age across the UK, many young people will not get the right to vote on the issues that affect them.
Members of Youth Parliament will now work alongside the Votes at 16 Coalition, to campaign for young people to gain the right to vote in all public elections from the age of 16.
What is this important?
16 and 17 year-olds are not granted the opportunity to influence key decisions that affect their lives on a day to day basis. This means that many of their concerns are dismissed despite the fact many young people will engage when given an authentic opportunity.
It is also important to highlight that not all 16 and 17-year-olds across the UK have the same rights. In Scotland, 16 and 17-year-olds have been allowed to vote in all Scottish elections since May 2016. This step in the right direction was impacted hugely by the results of the Scottish referendum whereby 75% of 16 and 17-year-olds turned out to vote. This just goes to show that when young people are given the opportunity to influence a decision that shapes their future, they are eager to get involved.
Finally, there are no justifications for not aligning the rights of 16 and 17 year-olds with their responsibilities. Over 1.5 million 16 and 17 year-olds are denied the right to vote but are allowed by law to;
- Give full consent to medical treatment;
- Pay income tax and National Insurance
- Obtain tax credits and welfare benefits in their own right
- Consent to sexual relationships
- Get married or enter a civil partnership, with parental consent;
- Change their name by deed poll;
- Become a director of a company;
- Serve in the armed forces but not deployed on the front line.
Actions
For the campaign to be as effective as possible the UK Youth Parliament believe that it is important to get everyone involved. From Parliament to the playground, it is essential that everyone engages in the conversation and takes action on the campaign.
We would like to take action in lowering the voting age – through:
- Holding conversations and debates in schools and youth groups across the UK and inform decision makers of the outcomes
- Gaining further support from decision makers on a local and national level
- Creating a wider conversation to increase engagement and continue to inspire young people to take part in democracy
What’s been happening online?
You can follow all the action on Twitter via #Votesat16.
Download resources
Visit votesat16.org for more resources
For the campaign to be as effective as possible the UK Youth Parliament believe that it is important to get everyone involved. From Parliament to playground, it is essential that everyone engages in the conversation and takes action on the campaign.
What are we going to do about it?
- Widen the conversation- Increase the number of people who are engaged in Votes at 16.
- Increase support among decisions makers.
- Highlight young people’s participation in democracy.
When are we releasing more details and getting started?
It has already begun! The campaign launched during our National Day of Action on Friday 20th January 2017.
What’s been happening online?
You can follow all the action on Twitter via #Votesat16.
I’m a Member of Youth Parliament – Where can I find resources?
About the Campaign
Our England Only Campaign for 2019
As knife crime has continued to climb over the last few years, the UK Youth Parliament believes that this issue needed to be addressed. In the 2018 Make Your Mark ballot, over 196,000 young people aged 11-18 from across the UK voted to put an end to Knife Crime. Members of Youth Parliament respectively voted at the House of Commons to make this the England only campaign for 2019, to get young people and decision makers to take action against knife crime.
Campaign Aims:
We would like to see a significant reduction in knife crime across the UK – through:
- Raising awareness of the devastating effects of knife crime and how it affects people across the UK
- Exploring the multiple factors of knife crime, including mental health, education and youth services
- Gaining support from decision makers
- Preventing young people from carrying knives by creating platforms for young people to engage with the community
- Raising awareness of what young people can do to support the cause.
Actions
For the campaign to be as effective as possible, the UK Youth Parliament believes that it is important to get everyone involved. From Parliament to the playground, it is essential that everyone engages in the conversation and takes action on the campaign.
What’s been happening online?
You can follow the discussion through the hashtag #ActionAgainstKnifeCrime or by visiting our Facebook and Twitter.
Download resources
The resources below will help you plan your knife crime sessions and help you navigate social media and other communications.
Our England Only Campaign for 2018
Last year, over 130,674 young people voted for the need to have a Curriculum for Life as their most important issue. What does this mean? It means that young people are saying the education system needs to do a lot more to prepare them for life after school or college.
Campaign aims:
- To raise awareness of the importance of a curriculum for life for all young people.
- To help schools know what young people need from Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE).
- To keep young people at the heart of the changes being made to PSHE.
- Gain the support of decision makers on our calls for a curriculum that prepares us for life.
Actions
For the campaign to be as effective as possible, the UK Youth Parliament believe that it is important to get everyone involved. From Parliament to playground, it is essential that everyone engages in the conversation and takes action on the campaign.
We are calling for:
- We want PSHE to address all we need to actively participate in life. We want to know about finances, relationships and sex, the political system, cultural awareness and community cohesion, sustainable living and citizenship!
- We want our teachers to be trained so that they are empowered to deliver quality lessons.
- We want time set aside in our timetables, we do not want it to be a time filler or random lessons.
- We want it to be taught in all schools to all pupils. No matter where you live or the type of school a young person goes to, they should have a curriculum which prepares them for life.
Through the Children and Social Work Bill, Relationship and Sex education will be compulsory from September 2019. This is just the beginning. The Government plans to consult on giving the same status to Personal, Social, Health and Economic education. Change is coming!
What’s been happening online?
You can follow all the action on Twitter via #pshe4me.
Download resources
Campaign Briefing
Campaign Toolkit
Pledge Poster
About the Campaign
Our national campaign for 2017 – ‘Votes for 16 and 17 year olds in all public elections’
Over 978,000 young people voted in the UK Youth Parliaments Make your Mark ballot, with over 112,000 young people voting to make it one of their top five priority issues. In a subsequent vote in the House of Commons, Members of Youth Parliament voted to make this the national campaign UK Youth Parliament, along with the Votes at 16 Coalition, is campaigning for young people from the age of 16 to gain the right to vote in all public elections.
Why is this important?
16 and 17 year old are not granted the opportunity to influence key decisions that affect their lives on a day to day basis. This means that many of their concerns are dismissed despite the fact many young people will engage when given an authentic opportunity.
It is also important to highlight that not all 16 and 17-year-olds across the UK have the same rights. In Scotland, 16 and 17-year-olds have been allowed to vote in all Scottish elections since May 2016. This step in the right direction was impacted hugely by the results of the Scottish referendum where by 75% of 16 and 17-year-olds turned out to vote. This just goes to show that when young people are given the opportunity to influence a decision that shapes their future, they are eager to get involved.
Finally, there are no justifications for not aligning the rights of 16 and 17-year-olds with their responsibilities. Over 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds are denied the right to vote but are allowed by law to;
- Give full consent to medical treatment;
- Pay income tax and National Insurance
- Obtain tax credits and welfare benefits in their own right
- Consent to sexual relationships
- Get married or enter a civil partnership, with parental consent;
- Change their name by deed poll;
- Become a director of a company;
- Serve in the armed forces but not deployed on the front line.
Our National Campaign for 2016 – ‘Working together to combat racism and religious discrimination’
Following over 95,000 young people voting to tackle racism and racial discrimination as a priority issue; and Members of Youth Parliament voting to make this the national campaign during the 2015 House of Commons Sitting, the UK Youth Parliament will be working in their communities to reduce racism and racial discrimination. Over the next year, the UK Youth Parliament will campaign to challenge negative attitudes around race and religion; work with others to educate their communities in order to tackle ignorance around race and religion; and promote integration in their communities.
Why is this important?
There has been an increase in race and religion related hate crimes across all the nations in the UK apart from Scotland; but young people agreed that one victim of this type of hate crime is one too many.
England and Wales race and religion related hate crimes in 2014-2015:
- 42,930 Race related hate crimes reported – 15% increase from the year before.
- 3,254 Religion related hate crimes reported – 43% increase from the year before.
(Source: Home Office)
Northern Ireland related race and religion related incidents and hate crimes in 2014-2015:
- 2,277 race related incidents and crimes reported – 36% increase from the year before.
- 80 religion related crimes and incidents reported – 116% increase from the year before.
(Source: Police Service of Northern Ireland)
Scotland race and religion related hate crimes in 2014-2015:
- 3,785 race related hate crimes reported – 9% decrease compared to the year before.
- 569 religiously aggravated crimes reported – 4% decrease from year before.
(Source: Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service)
Actions
Young people believed that negative images in the media and ignorance were the main causes of racism and religious discrimination in their communities. They agreed that if these were not addressed, it would cause further segregation in society; would allow people to develop and hold discriminatory views; cause people to fear other groups that they may not understand and create tension in society.
What are we going to do about it?
- Change discriminatory attitudes of young people towards race and religion.
- Raise levels of understanding about different races and religions, communities and cultures.
- Challenge negative images of race and religion on social media.
- Promote diversity and inclusion within communities.
When are we releasing more details and getting started?
It has already begun! The campaign launched during our National Day of Action on Friday 22nd January 2016.
What’s been happening online?
You can follow all the action on Twitter via the hashtag #DontHateEducate
I’m a Member of Youth Parliament – where can I find resources?
Find everything you need for the campaign below:
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
- Session toolkit for use in schools remember you’ll also need preparing to meet your of Head of school