Скачать или смотреть 4. Safe Public Spaces - Child Poverty Solutions NZ

Did you know that over 1 in 4 Kiwi kids lives in poverty? That's 270,000 children.Enough to fill our biggest rugby stadium five and a half times.

When children were asked about their solutions to child poverty, one of their main ideas was safe public spaces to meet and play together.

Children also said being poor limited their opportunities for leisure and community activities. This is important because a child's inability to take part in the same social and leisure activities as their peers means they often experience bullying and are fearful of stigma and social isolation.

So what are safe and accessible public spaces? These are local playgrounds and parks. But safe and free public spaces can also include libraries, museums, skate-parks, sports fields, town squares, walkways, bridges...even underpasses...anywhere kids want to hang out safely together.

Sadly, many kids referred to their local areas as 'scary places' and many have seen aggression or drunkenness, or have been harassed by adults or older youths.

Safe and accessible local spaces are important.

They're free, children don't need transport to get there, all kids with different abilities and ages can participate, and children don't need much parental supervision to use them.

All kids deserve the opportunity to play with their friends, even if they are poor.

Allowing kids to manage their free time, and maintain their own spaces, will help them become more responsible adults and engaged citizens.

Let's give our kids safe spaces to meet, learn and play that are accessible and inclusive for all children. If it was good enough for us, then why not our kids?

Credits:
Written & voiced by Siouxsie Wiles.
Recorded by Richard Smith.
Commissioned by Jilly Evans.
Animated by http://MohawkMedia.co.nz

Published under Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA (Attribution - Non Commercial - Share Alike) License.

This is the fourth in a series of animations launched at the workshop 'Investing In Our Nation's Kids Solutions to Child Poverty in New Zealand' (http://tinyurl.com/cy9rlpo) in March 2013. The statistics and recommendations are drawn from the report to the Children's Commissioner on Solutions to Child Poverty in New Zealand: http://www.occ.org.nz/publications/ch...