Hi! I'm Eddie, I'm 15 years old, and I'm writing for Bridport Nub News. Why? Because we're starting a monthly column to raise awareness about Bridport being a Rights Respecting Town, and I wanted to start by introducing myself and explaining a bit more about what this 'Rights Respecting' stuff actually means.

Firstly, a bit about me. I'm in year 11 at Colfox (so I would be taking my GCSE exams if they were going ahead), and I'm interested in all sorts of different things - such as public speaking, writing, drama, computer coding. I particularly like helping people and organising different events, projects and campaigns. Currently, I'm a member of the Unicef UK Youth Advisory Board, and we do lots of projects to raise awareness of children's rights.

But what are children's rights and human rights anyway, and why are they so important? What does being a 'Rights Respecting Town' mean?

After World War 2, world leaders came together to form the United Nations. They established human rights to honour the legacy of millions of fallen soldiers, prevent future conflict and help make a better, healthier, safer world for everyone. Simply put, rights are the essentials of life - the things we take for granted. These include freedom, equality, protection, healthcare and more; and we can use rights to protect these essentials and improve our lives and the lives of others.

Living in a pandemic, human rights have never been more important. Now more than ever we need world leaders to come together and take action on universal threats to humanity such as coronavirus and climate change.

Bridport is the first Rights Respecting Town in the UK, so this idea is not tried and tested - it's all-new and pioneering. Essentially, the idea is to make Bridport a better place - a fairer, safer, kinder community. For example, making town playgrounds accessible to people with disabilities. We want Bridport to be the best place for everyone - so please get in touch! We've got contact details and more info available at our website.

Thanks for reading.

--- Eddie Rose, 15, Bridport Rights Respecting Town team