children and young people report to the UN on their rights - Nova

5 Leisure, assistance measures <strong>and</strong>thoughts about <strong>the</strong> futureArticle 31, paragraph 1, of <strong>the</strong> <strong>UN</strong> Convention on <strong>the</strong> Rights of <strong>the</strong> Child:States Parties recognize <strong>the</strong> right of <strong>the</strong> child <strong>to</strong> rest <strong>and</strong> leisure, <strong>to</strong> engage inplay <strong>and</strong> recreational activities appropriate <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> age of <strong>the</strong> child <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong>participate freely in cultural life <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> arts.The municipalities have mapped various aspects of <strong>children</strong>’s leisure time:facilities available, what facilities <strong>children</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong> availed <strong>the</strong>mselvesof, what <strong>the</strong>y thought of <strong>the</strong> facilities in <strong>the</strong>ir municipality <strong>and</strong> what<strong>the</strong>y desired in addition. Their influence on choice of leisure activities, wellbeing<strong>and</strong> safety were o<strong>the</strong>r aspects that were illuminated. The municipalitieswere particularly concerned <strong>to</strong> find out what facilities <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong> actuallymade use of <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong> encourage <strong>the</strong>m <strong>to</strong> indicate any o<strong>the</strong>r wishes <strong>the</strong>y had asregards leisure activities. While <strong>the</strong> results of this survey are useful <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>municipalities with a view <strong>to</strong> fur<strong>the</strong>r developing leisure facilities for <strong>children</strong><strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong>, <strong>the</strong> present chapter is confined <strong>to</strong> aspects of more generalinterest.Leisure facilities – what facilities are good <strong>and</strong>what can be improved?While <strong>the</strong> type <strong>and</strong> scope of leisure facilities varies from one municipality <strong>to</strong><strong>the</strong> next, a wide range of such facilities is available in all <strong>the</strong> municipalities,especially sports <strong>and</strong> music. Pupils in one municipality listed <strong>the</strong> followingleisure facilities for <strong>children</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong>: Football pitches, illuminatedski tracks, shooting range, biathlon arena, rugby pitch, bowling alley, indoorsyn<strong>the</strong>tic football pitch, indoor tartan athletics track, skating <strong>and</strong> curlingrinks, skateboard ramp, bathing beaches, hiking trails, youth clubs, culturecentre, music <strong>and</strong> art school, music workshop, riding ground, <strong>the</strong>atre group,4H club, mo<strong>to</strong>rcross circuit <strong>and</strong> library. With some variations, this list givesa fair picture of municipal offerings.In Kau<strong>to</strong>keino <strong>and</strong> Lilles<strong>and</strong> more than 40 per cent of <strong>the</strong> pupils agreed‘completely/<strong>to</strong> some extent’ that <strong>the</strong>y were satisfied with <strong>the</strong> leisure facilitiesin <strong>the</strong> municipality. The corresponding figures from Trondheim was 68 per– Children <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>people</strong> <strong>report</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>UN</strong> on <strong>the</strong>ir rights – 47