Beatrice and Joseph being interviewed by the BBC on their work at the conference

22 December 2009: From interviewing presidents and prime ministers to quizzing Nobel Peace prize winners, 11 Plan-supported young journalists from across the world have returned from the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen having accomplished their goal of ensuring that children’s voices were heard.

Despite massive crowds, riot police and intense security at the conference, the young journalists who came from Indonesia, Kenya, Netherlands, Sweden and the UK had great success in meeting top level delegates, sharing their views and publishing their written and video reports on major news channels.

Highlights include hitting the front page of BBC news online – twice; filing video footage for the BBC’s top evening news TV show, and getting the most watched video on Sweden’s largest national newspaper site.

Big achievement

Beatrice quizzing Desmond Tutu

Young journalists Beatrice and Joseph, both aged 12 from rural Kenya - where droughts are threatening the lives of millions of people, had never left their district before they attended the global conference.

In an interview with the BBC World Service, Beatrice says that the biggest highlight for her was interviewing Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “It’s a very big achievement, I know. Speaking to the Archbishop, he was very nice. He told his guard not to chase me away because he was quite interested in children. He said ‘Don’t chase the child away’… He told me it’s good that every child wakes up and does something about climate change.”

Watch young journalists Beatrice, Büsra (Sweden) and Annie (UK) interview Desmond Tutu.

Making connections

Annie and Aakash meet UK Energy Minster Ed Miliband

Joseph interviewed a number of top delegates including Kenya Environment Minister John Michuki, who invited him for further discussions at his offices when they return to  Kenya.

Watch Joseph’s interview, filmed by young journalist Marius (Netherlands), on BBC Online.

Listen to Annie and Aakash from the UK reflect on the conference, via the BBC School Report website.

Plan action

The young journalists were trained in basic media skills as part of Plan’s child media work, which aims to help children express themselves and realise their right to participate in decisions that affect their lives.

Plan is now calling on United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change decision makers to take a number of measures to ensure that children participate – including the provision of formal mechanisms for children to join the dialogue and contribute to decision making on climate change.

Plan is also urging governments to invest more in education so future generations have the knowledge and skills to better manage the environment and adapt to climate change.

Meet the young journalists and read their reports from Copenhagen.

Find out more about Plan’s global work on child participation.