The gilded hall of former palace Lancaster House has probably never seen anything like it - glitter and glue, a paddling pool with children fishing for rubber ducks and a "geordie wave" launched by yours truly under strict direction by incoming Children's Commissioner for England Maggie Atkinson.It may have seen the odd spot of dancing by a baroness - but probably not as enthusiastically as children's minister Baroness Delyth Morgan exhibited today.
This was all part of 11 Million's celebration of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The room was lined with stalls from children's charities where visitors could be interviewed by youngsters from the NCB, decorate a shopping bag with messages about the UNCRC or make a commitment to listen more to children.
Like all events featuring the great and the good, there were speeches to be made but the most eloquent messages came from young people.
Our hosts for the event were two Diana Anti-Bullying Award winners Charlie Gager, 16, who organises anti-bullying education at his schools and Parisa Zamani, 10, a peer mediator which means she "helps friends deal with their squabbles at break-time". In his comments Charlie said all children should have the right to group up to be whatever they want including being an MP, Parisa already has more assurance than most politicians.
We were also treated to a pastiche of policy makers in a performance by the Action for Children Articulation Buddies 2009-10 where they portrayed a committee trying to understand what makes young people happy.
And while we heard political commitments from across the UK to take action to better implement the UNCRC and to listen to children, the strongest message came from a song called Every Dream Matters by a group of young people in care from Cumbria:
Like all events featuring the great and the good, there were speeches to be made but the most eloquent messages came from young people.
Our hosts for the event were two Diana Anti-Bullying Award winners Charlie Gager, 16, who organises anti-bullying education at his schools and Parisa Zamani, 10, a peer mediator which means she "helps friends deal with their squabbles at break-time". In his comments Charlie said all children should have the right to group up to be whatever they want including being an MP, Parisa already has more assurance than most politicians.
We were also treated to a pastiche of policy makers in a performance by the Action for Children Articulation Buddies 2009-10 where they portrayed a committee trying to understand what makes young people happy.
And while we heard political commitments from across the UK to take action to better implement the UNCRC and to listen to children, the strongest message came from a song called Every Dream Matters by a group of young people in care from Cumbria:
"Look a little deeper beyond the kid in care"
"Take the time to get to know me."
Yes, most of the time it's worth talking to children about children's rights. They are, after all, the ones that the rights concern.
Glad to see children’s charities placing emphasis on this. Children's rights are too easily forgotten and they're no less important than anyone else's.