Young boy designs badge for Scout and Cubs human rights challenge

A ten-year-old boy has designed a new Scout badge to encourage youngsters to learn about human rights.

Scout Christopher from Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, decided to enter the competition to design the Rights Challenge badge as he loves “drawing and design”.

The winning design was chosen from more than 60 entries and features the international human rights dove logo soaring over Earth beside the Scouts symbol.

Available for more than 20,000 Cubs and Scouts to complete, the Rights Challenge features a range of activities and resources to empower youngsters to learn about their rights.

The badge’s activities include creating a shield to highlight issues which are important to them and the rights they would defend and an interactive exercise to challenge decision-makers in their communities and beyond.

The design was unveiled at the Scottish Parliament by Christopher and Bruce Adamson, the children and young people’s commissioner Scotland.

Christopher said: “I was really excited to come up with a design for a new Scouts badge. I love drawing and design, so thought it would be fun.

“My design put the human rights logo at the centre of the badge, as it is already a recognised symbol. Like every Scout badge, my design has the Fleur de Lis on it. I also chose to put a map of the world in the background, because children from across the world should all have rights.

“I hope all Cubs and Scouts like my design and are all looking forward to earning the Rights Challenge Badge as much as I am.”

Commissioner Bruce Adamson said: “We are absolutely delighted to launch this new Rights Challenge Badge. We’ve created a human rights resource pack with a range of activities to encourage Cubs and Scouts to get creative, to have fun, to debate and discuss different issues around rights, giving them the skills to raise the issues that matter to them with those in power and to deliver positive change in their communities.

“Knowing about their rights will help Scouts claim them and the skills gained with this badge will equip them to act as true human rights defenders.

“The design winner, Christopher, perfectly captured the spirit of the Rights Challenge Badge and I’m looking forward to seeing Cubs and Scouts working on the Rights Challenge and earning those badges.”

Andrew Sharkey, chief commissioner of Scouts Scotland, said: “It has been a privilege working with the Children’s Commissioner and his team to create this great resource. Children and young people are at the heart of everything we do in Scouting. Their awareness of their rights and the embedding of them into our core programme is vitally important if Scouts Scotland is to be truly youth-shaped whilst developing the next generation of citizens.

“Over the last ten months we’ve worked alongside young people at every single stage, from our pilot activities through to the final badge design, layout, and overall content.

“This has all been shaped by our Cubs and Scouts, our MSYPs, and the Children’s Commissioner’s Young Advisers prior to us piloting it with a range of young people across Scotland. I am immensely proud of the badge, resources and the positive message it sends to our 46,000 members.”