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Urge the Children's Commissioner to investigate the news portrayal of refugee childrenLike the vast majority of this country we are dismayed in the extreme to witness the way certain newspapers have reported the arrival of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from Calais. Far from portraying this as a compassionate and humanitarian response, (not to mention a legal obligation), children have been identified, vilified and impugned by some politicians and parts of the media, much more intent on continuing the increasingly hostile anti-migrant agenda at large during and after the referendum, than treating children with the care and respect for their privacy and their childhoods that they are fully entitled to. The publication of children’s images, no doubt without their informed consent, with disregard for the Independent Press Standards Office Editors’ Code and other media guidelines published by the likes of UNICEF is most harmful and creates a serious risk to these and all other asylum seeking and migrant children. By exposing their images across a global media it puts children and their families at risk of identification by those who would persecute them, it undermines their ability to integrate in the country that is providing them with sanctuary and accuses them of being liars and cheats by pretending to be adults. Age assessment policies and procedures are well established in the UK and have been the subject of much judicial scrutiny all the way to the Supreme Court concerning the practice, accuracy and utility of age assessment methods including those such as dental X-Ray. Sections of the media have chosen to ignore the many sources of detailed information about these controversial practices and instead reached a peremptory conclusion using a crude visual appearance test, long dismissed by the courts as inadequate and inappropriate to serve their own sensationalist ends. The climate of hostility and damaging, negative news stories about asylum seeking children must stop. When a football celebrity expresses his horror at the attitudes at large in certain sections of society and on social media and is in turn vilified for showing compassion for refugee children something has gone terribly wrong. Our media as a whole shares a very high degree of responsibility for creating this dangerous climate. As more children arrive in the UK in the weeks and months ahead, including those under the so called ‘Dubs Amendment’ scheme, we call upon The Children’s Commissioner for England, using the powers invested in her Office under Part 6 of The Children and Families Act 2014, to investigate the UK’s print, audio, visual and digital media’s conduct in relation to these children’s arrival, to examine how and to what extent children’s individual and collective rights have been violated and to report publicly on how the media regulators should strengthen and enforce measures to protect all children’s rights in their work and in their regulatory frameworks. At present the so called ‘independent’ press regulator lacks statutory powers and is constrained by a narrow code of conduct for its complaints framework. This does not meet the interests of children in a way that is consistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This is both urgent and long term work. Urgent in sending out a clear message about what is and is not acceptable in how children are represented as a group and individually across our media and long term in establishing a culture of responsible journalism about children and the promotion of their rights. Freedom of expression of our media is a vital pillar of accountability. Protection of children, their rights and interests is not subordinate to that function but equal to it. That means for all children, all of the time.852 of 1,000 SignaturesCreated by Syd Bolton
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Canada Water Masterplan gone wrongTo stop the Council from ruining our area where we live as the developer British Land proposes to do. This 38 Degree petition may add new signatures to the 300 signatures we have already put together petitioning the Council to look again, we need to put together 500 signatures by December 1st 20162 of 100 SignaturesCreated by David Foot
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Rename Flushable WipesMany things get accidently put down the toilet but these wipes are designed to be flushed away. However, they do not dissolve in water like paper does. They end up being removed from our sewers by the water companies. They are causing damage to the environment and causing blockages of our sewers. This damage costs thousands of pounds to clear. Only three things should go down your toilet, pee, poo and paper. Although flushable wipes will go down the toilet, the water companies then claim they block sewers and if a sewer cant be cleared, the water companies use an emergency action which can send sewerage directly into our water courses. This leads to damage to the environment. Although all these companies claim their products will disperse in water, it has been shown in tests that they do not, even after being subjected to tests which emulate 10 years in moving water.14 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Sharon Seymour
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Forfeiture of Academic Honorary FellowshipsThese people have been found to have taken part in the cover-up of Hillsborough by the courts. Therefore they are no longer worthy to hold a fellowship. They have been found to be dishonest and untrustworthy. Characteristics that should not be seen to be rewarded with such honors. This is one more step for justice for the 96 and their families.105 of 200 SignaturesCreated by UNISON Liverpool John Moores University
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Stop the Eviction of IndyCamp at HolyroodIndycamp is not just a pro-independence camp outside of Holyrood, despite how it is portrayed in the media. It is a camp which continually educates and engages in political discussion about some of the worst social injustices we face as a society. Whether that be unregulated banking, general corruption, austerity, benefits and the vilification of benefits claimants, the NHS or for the poorest and most vulnerable in our society - it has continually brought to light some of the more severe issues we face as a society. This case is about more than just the removal of a camp, whether most people realise it or not, it is about the way in which the camp is being removed. You see, Government have used the Scotland Act to transfer public assets, namely the ground around parliament, to a private body, known as the Parliamentary Corporate Body. This body, has at its disposal the full force of parliament and government without having to justify itself to parliament. This sets a dangerous precedent, because when the SPCB took the camp to court, they did so under private law of a corporation and not law applicable to a public organisation. In otherwords, the precedent this sets, is to allow public organisations to transfer land and assets to private entities in order to usurp the public's fundamental rights and freedoms, particularly the freedom to protest your own government in a manner of your choosing should you remain peaceful. In a nutshell, it sets the precedent, that all any publicly accountable organisation need do, is transfer its assets to a corporate body and suddenly it does not have to deal with being publicly accountable. I am asking you to support the camp today, not for them, but for yourselves. It is not acceptable for assets you own as a member of the public to be transferred to a private entity. I am asking you to support the camp, because the precedent this will set will erode, not only those at the camps fundamental rights, but also yours as an individual. One day you may wake up after suffering injustice and find that you have to seek permission (like indycamp) from the people you wish to protest, and if you fail to do so, you will find yourself in court, bankrupt and destitute because you refused to ask their permission to protest them. The precedent before the court, of course being the SPCB vs Indycamp. This is not about a camp and land, it is about your fundamental human rights, which you should never have to ask for, but instead should just automatically have.430 of 500 SignaturesCreated by Martin Keatings
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Get your MP to support Homelessness Reduction Private Members BillHomelessness, as we all know, is on the rise & is likely to get worse before it gets better. This bill is aimed to make it a duty on local councils to give meaningful support to people to resolve their homelessness. It will also introduce measures to prevent people becoming homeless.2 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Richard Coleman
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nhs patients tv RIP OFFBetter Patient treatment & a fair deal instead of a RIP OFF-£5 for 12 Hrs and only 4 Free-view Channels is not good enough.5 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Keith Gyde
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Improve local shopping centreIt has not had much money spent on it since the 1960's and is under utilised . Just down the road is open land where a school used to be, that could even be used to relocate The Square or the market stalls that have been coming once a month. I think it would bring a sense of community pride and improve the landscape of Netherton because at the moment it looks tired and old.2 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Colette Mclean
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Get Kaye Adams off Radio Scotland.The BBC licence payers are paying for a phone in programme which Kaye Adams runs as her personnel programme for her views, and passes her views on the listeners comments. Her programme about the Alleged Ched Evans rape case was ill conceived and for Kaye Adams to ask, “Someone might say what kind of woman wants to be in a hotel room blind drunk, making themselves vulnerable?”, is unforgivable and should have had her removed instantly from the BBC. Is she still on the BBC because it is run by people who think that way about women.11 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Alexander Adams
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Mental health experts in all surgeriesGeneral practitioners don't have the expertise or the time7 of 100 SignaturesCreated by William Armour
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STOP TiSA. ANOTHER TIPP by the back door!See Wikileaks -Trade in Services Agreement. This is yet another deal that gives soverignty to International business at the expence of the public. Another case where companies can sue governments if they dont get what they want. Hundreds of millions of dollars in fines for countries! The people have a voice! WE WILL BE HEARD!!!4 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Robin Phillips
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Save the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at Poole HospitalThis clinic allows children and adults who live with cystic fibrosis to easily access the specialist care they need. Health bosses have said the clinic is "likely" to be cut early next year due to "staffing changes". My daughter has cystic fibrosis and visits this clinic regularly to get essential care. People like my family have relied on this clinic all of our lives. If the centre is cut, already stretched families will have to travel to Southampton to access the same services. For me this would mean my daughter taking extra days off school in order to get the treatments she relies on.2,843 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by Hayley Hichens
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