That's why he has been involved in defending children's rights since the fourth grade, and he is now president of the İstanbul Children's Rights Committee, and the co-president of the UNICEF Children's Forum and Children Network, representing all 81 provinces of Turkey.
"The most significant problem is that people are not aware of children's rights. People do not know about the children's rights agreement. We try to make them aware of such an agreement first, and then we try to let them know that they need to comply with that agreement. We need to reach individuals as well as the government, students, school teachers, school administrators," Cankat said.
Education is the way to reach people, Cankat said, and they've been doing it all over Turkey. His message to the youth of Turkey is "Get involved." And his message to grown ups, "Take us seriously."
"Children and young people should not be kept away from the problems. That is what's usually done. Instead, for example, they should be encouraged to publish a school paper, and they should feel free to write about their ideas, problems, expectations, their own responsibilities, school administrative problems, local problems and politics," he said.
Approaching the general elections in Turkey, Cankat spoke about political parties' agendas and how they fall short in presenting programs to solve children's problems. For Monday Talk he also told us about efforts to reach out people to educate them about children's rights and make them aware of the international Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which Turkey signed in 1990 and ratified in 1995. The CRC is the most universally accepted human rights instrument in history and has now been ratified by 191 countries and all but two of the UN member states.
How does it feel to be president of the Children's Rights Committee in İstanbul, such a big city?
It's difficult. We need to deal with a lot of bureaucracy even to give a little education in a little school. We need a lot of papers signed. In smaller places it is not as time consuming to get permission. We go through different levels to get permission and finally reach our target area, a school. Then we have the school principal, who might or might not be sympathetic to us.
What do you mean?
The school head might question us too much about why we want to have a workshop there or why we want to have an educational activity in his school because he may not be aware of the children's rights and how they should be developed.
How about the students?
Are they interested in your workshops? 3
It depends on their socioeconomic level. If their socioeconomic level is on the low side, they show more interest in children's rights.
Why is that?
If the young person comes from a higher socioeconomic level, it feels to them as if they have it all, and they do not need more rights. We need to approach them and explain what children's rights mean.
Have people ever questioned whether you are qualified to teach them about children's rights?
It happens all the time when you start to do something from zero. But you need to earn people's trust first. You need to gain their respect by showing them that you are there to do a serious thing. People feel that. If they are open to ideas and education, they help you themselves. If they are not open to you at all, you need to get past them to reach others.
What is the biggest obstacle before children in Turkey?
Children and young people are not supported enough. Turkish society is behind many countries when it comes to supporting children in their decision making and having them participate in the decision-making processes, be it in the family, at school or in life in general.
What happens if children and young people's thoughts are not taken into consideration in a society?
If a society does not respect its children and young people's thoughts it cannot advance much, because to hear about new ideas it has to wait until somebody becomes 30 years old. But between the ages of 15 and 25 young people have a lot to do. In İstanbul we get a lot of support from bureaucracy, but the media does not cover our activities well enough. We have so many activities hear about.
What have you done?
UNICEF initiated a campaign titled Children First. Within that we started a campaign in İstanbul: "There is no need to wait for our rights." We had a lot of promotional materials distributed in the city, in schools. In many districts we've given education in schools about children's rights. We've been giving several workshops on children's rights; we tell them about the international agreement Turkey signed to protect children's rights.
Is there some awareness of children's rights in Turkey?
The most significant problem is that people are not aware of children's rights. People do not know about the CRC, which Turkey signed in 1990. We try to make them aware of such an agreement first, and then we try to let them know that they need to comply with that agreement. We need to reach individuals as well as the government, schools, school teachers, school administrators and so on. We tell them there is such an agreement and what it comprises.
What are the most important elements of this agreement?
The key provisions of the convention are: All rights apply to all children without exception or discrimination of any kind; the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children; states have an obligation to ensure as much as possible every child's survival and development; and children's views must be taken into account in all matters affecting them. Issues regarding children's health, education, participation in decision making and everything related to the life of an individual are detailed in the convention. When should children's education start? What could parents do to educate their children? What should the government do for a child if it is orphaned? How should children be directed to sports activities? How could children participate in decision making? The agreement is the [world's] most comprehensive volume on child's rights.
What ages does the agreement refer to?
A child is defined as a person up to the age of 18. In our committee we consider the 0-15 age group as children and the remainder as young people. But both groups have the same rights.
How is the children's rights issue referred to in schools and textbooks in Turkey?
Its presentation is very limited. It is presented as if children's rights refer only to children's equality without having divisions based on race, ethnicity and so on. But as I mentioned, there is much more to it and those elements are not mentioned.
Why?
Because if everybody is aware that there is more to it, children and young people will demand more. Grown ups are afraid that then they will not be able to meet children's demands.
Could you give an example?
For example according to the agreement a sports field must be provided for children. If students knew they should be provided with a sports field, they would demand it and would want to turn a car parking area at the backyard of their schools into a sports field. Another example is that students could ask for a say in how their school is run, and they could ask for participation in the school administration. It's also their right according to the agreement.
We have general elections approaching on July 22. Do the political parties refer to children's rights in their agendas?
Children's rights are mentioned in political parties' agendas but it's quite subtle. There is no special title, no comprehensive package that refers to children's problems. They are mentioned, for example, under the title of education, referring to what kind of education a child needs to have. Or under the title of health, they mention what kind of health care a child needs. Despite of the large young population in Turkey, parties do not have a section dedicated to children's problems in their agendas. You need to find and pick out child-related issues from among many other items on their agendas. They usually see children's problems as being related to being handicapped, street children or child criminals.
How should they have handled it?
They should have had a special section, a reformist, extensive dedication to children's problems. We all found out from the media that the Social Services and Child Protection Agency (SHÇEK) had many deficiencies in its services. Besides there is a huge problem related to children living on streets. We expected a reform package related to children's problems from the parties.
Could you give some examples about what could they have done?
Some parties promise to remove university entrance examinations. They could have said they would open children's homes for street children. And they could have said how many such homes are needed and how much money they need to allocate for such a project. It doesn't take so much effort to mention it, but even this hasn't been done. Some parties consider the issue of children's rights as part of human rights, as children's human rights. That's a positive approach. The Republican People's Party (CHP) has that kind of approach. Other parties see children only as human beings that need to be protected. They all say, "We will protect our children," but they don't see children as individuals who have rights.
What is the parties' approach regarding the problems of street children?
They just mention that they will rescue street children, but how they will do it is not detailed. None of the parties has a detailed project regarding street children, even though it is a huge problem. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) promises to put and end to the street gangs that "breed" street children, but does not mention what is going to happen to those children afterwards. These gangs, no matter how bad they are for society, provide the only home-like environment street children ever have. The children need rehabilitation programs, homes and education to rejoin society, and the party does not mention such projects at all.
You mentioned that some parties promise to remove the Student Selection Examination (ÖSS). What does this mean to you?It is possible to have such a system. Some countries have it. There is a huge young population in Turkey, and the system right now cannot manage without the university entrance exams, because there are not enough universities for the number of young people in Turkey. It may be done in the future, but it's a long-term project because we first need [the necessary] infrastructure.
How could it be possible not to have university entrance exams in Turkey?
In countries that do not have university entrance exams you have other factors to consider when a young person is prepared for higher education. For example school grades, social activities and educators' evaluation of children carry a lot of importance. In Turkey it is not possible to provide a just evaluation of children yet. Besides, in other countries with no university entrance exams, there are other ways to have a profession, like entering vocational schools. These types of schools do not have enough public respect in Turkey. We need alternatives to universities to give young people sufficient education for a vocation, for example, in sports, in arts, in mechanics, etc. If this could be done then the universities' load could be decreased, and the entrance exams could be removed.
If political parties lack sufficient sensitivity toward children's problems and if SHÇEK has deficiencies despite its efforts, what needs to be done to address children's issues more?
We need nongovernmental organizations working with UNICEF and relaying the problems to different levels of government.
What have you gained personally by being involved in this project?
First of all I've learned about my rights. And I've had the responsibility to share [this knowledge]. I've had a chance to educate others. I've had the power to make a change. You tell what you know and others listen to you. It's a great feeling.
Do you have a message for young people?
We have to prove that we have the ability to make a difference. New laws allow young people, between 15 and 18, to establish associations. They can be involved in associations and can make their voices heard. They need to be involved in how their schools are run. Later they need to be involved in politics and have a say in how their country is run. Children and young people should not be kept away from problems. That's what's usually done. Instead, for example, they should be encouraged to publish a school paper, and they should feel free to write about their ideas, problems, expectations, their own responsibilities, their school administrative problems, local problems and politics.
RIFAT CANKAT
Born in 1990 in İstanbul, he started to defend children's rights in Turkey when he was in the fourth grade. With support from İstanbul's governorship, Social Services and Children's Protection Agency (SHÇEK) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), he founded and became president of the İstanbul Children's Rights Committee. He is also the co-president of the UNICEF Children's Forum and Children Network, which represents 81 provinces of Turkey. Traditionally the presidency is shared between a boy and a girl, and Cankat's partner is Hazal Hürman from Yalova. In September Cankat will continue his education as a senior at the İstanbul Boys' High School (İstanbul Erkek Lisesi).
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