Unfearties

Unfearties are individuals who are courageous in discussing children’s issues, are making a difference in children’s lives, and who are willing to speak up for, and stand alongside, children.

Unfearties stand with children to make rights real in day to day life by:

Helping children to be happy, healthy and safe.
Listening to children.
Modelling and living the values of trust, kindness, empathy, respect for human dignity in everyday life.
Seeing children as capable and valued members of their communities.
Creating space for children to share ideas.
Promoting greater awareness & understanding of children’s rights.
Challenging infringements of children’s dignity.
Contributing to an atmosphere of love, understanding and happiness.
Standing together with children to campaign for change and support their calls to action.

Before, I didn’t feel like I could voice my concerns, but being an Unfeartie helps my confidence as I know there are other people who share my ideas; it makes me feel the courage I need to speak out for children.

Unfearties mascot

Join us!

To mark Children’s Parliament’s 21st birthday, we initiated the inspiring and brave band of Unfearties. Since 2017, more than 1000 people, including doctors, nurses, teachers, parents, carers, civil servants, local authority workers, third sector practitioners, United Nations deputy high commissioners, and even the First Minister of Scotland, have joined the movement.

Sign up today to join our Unfearties Network. Once you are a member, we will send you a special Welcome Pack!

We want to connect you with other Unfearties across Scotland – and the wider world – so we will send you an Unfearties Pack. Our newsletter features updates and spotlights new resources from across the Unfeartie network, helping to celebrate the incredible work of you and your colleagues.

We’ve compiled a Youtube playlist, so you can learn more about what Unfeartiness means to our network.

Person listening to a child's opinion

Are you an unfeartie?

Join our movement to make children’s human rights real everyday.

Takes 3 Minutes

John Carnochan
“Every child needs to be cherished and nurtured. Every child needs to be respected and listened to. It can be easy to ignore children, that’s why they sometimes need some help and that’s what Unfearties do; they listen to children, respect children and speak out on their behalf. I’m proud to be an Unfeartie.”
John Carnochan
Fiona Duncan, Chair of The Promise Scotland
“Those of us who have opportunities to influence change, have a responsibility to listen to children, to support them to be heard and to speak out alongside them, especially when those listening don’t want to hear.”
Fiona Duncan, Chair of The Promise Scotland
Dr Suzanne Zeedyk
“I am so excited to be an official Unfeartie. Children have so much to teach us. They restore to us a sense of wonder and joy, curiosity and trust – qualities that the world too easily strips away as we grow into adults. I want to help build a world that listens to children’s voices, not only because it matters to them but because it matters to all of us who were once children ourselves.”
Dr Suzanne Zeedyk
Amal Aldoseri, Independent Expert and ex-Member of the United Nations
“I rate the work of Scotland’s Children’s Parliament very highly. I was impressed with the way they brought children’s genuine participation right to the heart of the UN. I’m delighted to sign up as an Unfeartie to stand alongside Children’s Parliament and all Unfearties across the world who are working hard to ensure children’s rights are understood by adults and experienced by all our children.”
Amal Aldoseri, Independent Expert and ex-Member of the United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child

This is a small selection of our current Unfearties Network. If you wish to edit your Unfeartie entry, please get in touch.