Message Board
Jodie Griffiths-Cook
Public Advocate and Children & Young People’s Commissioner
ACT Human Rights Commission
ACT Human Rights Commission
I am delighted to celebrate Children’s Week 2026 and the theme of children’s right to their own culture, language, and religion. These are fundamental to many aspects of how we view ourselves, how we learn, and how we relate to others. Or, as one young person put it:
“Culture and language are the building blocks of our identity. They are comfort, they are joy, they are home.”
In my role, I am fortunate to engage with children and young people from early childhood right through to young adulthood. This journey is profoundly influenced by culture, language, and religion. Research continuously demonstrates how powerful learning in your mother tongue can be for child development, how instrumental connection to culture is in healing and identity, and how important religion is to community and connection. These truly are the building blocks of who we are as individuals. As one Aboriginal young person powerfully described it:
“My blood, my people, me.”
Over half of all Canberrans have one or two parents who were born overseas, and a quarter of all households speak a language other than English at home. This diversity makes us a vibrant and strong community that can draw on a wide range of perspectives, skills, and values. It is a genuine strength.
However, I have also spoken to children and young people who have recounted painful experiences of minimising their cultural differences to avoid harassment and discrimination. They have stopped speaking their language in public, avoided bringing traditional food to school, or chosen not to wear cultural dress to events. These experiences remind us why marking Children’s Week is so important. Taking time, as professionals working with children and young people, to reflect on a single right is a powerful way to increase understanding, awareness, and accountability.
We must be intentional in our support of diverse languages, cultures, and religions. We cannot simply assume that diversity brings strength; we need to take active steps to ensure that it does. To be truly accountable to children and young people as rights holders, we must not only celebrate this right, but also address the racism and discrimination that can undermine it.
This Children’s Week, I recommit to helping create communities where every child and young person feels safe, respected, and proud of who they are. By celebrating diversity, challenging discrimination, and amplifying children’s voices, we can help ensure that every young person can enjoy this right fully and confidently. I invite you to join me in that commitment.
Warm regards,
Jodie Griffiths-Cook
Public Advocate and Children and Young People Commissioner
ACT Human Rights Commission
“Culture and language are the building blocks of our identity. They are comfort, they are joy, they are home.”
In my role, I am fortunate to engage with children and young people from early childhood right through to young adulthood. This journey is profoundly influenced by culture, language, and religion. Research continuously demonstrates how powerful learning in your mother tongue can be for child development, how instrumental connection to culture is in healing and identity, and how important religion is to community and connection. These truly are the building blocks of who we are as individuals. As one Aboriginal young person powerfully described it:
“My blood, my people, me.”
Over half of all Canberrans have one or two parents who were born overseas, and a quarter of all households speak a language other than English at home. This diversity makes us a vibrant and strong community that can draw on a wide range of perspectives, skills, and values. It is a genuine strength.
However, I have also spoken to children and young people who have recounted painful experiences of minimising their cultural differences to avoid harassment and discrimination. They have stopped speaking their language in public, avoided bringing traditional food to school, or chosen not to wear cultural dress to events. These experiences remind us why marking Children’s Week is so important. Taking time, as professionals working with children and young people, to reflect on a single right is a powerful way to increase understanding, awareness, and accountability.
We must be intentional in our support of diverse languages, cultures, and religions. We cannot simply assume that diversity brings strength; we need to take active steps to ensure that it does. To be truly accountable to children and young people as rights holders, we must not only celebrate this right, but also address the racism and discrimination that can undermine it.
This Children’s Week, I recommit to helping create communities where every child and young person feels safe, respected, and proud of who they are. By celebrating diversity, challenging discrimination, and amplifying children’s voices, we can help ensure that every young person can enjoy this right fully and confidently. I invite you to join me in that commitment.
Warm regards,
Jodie Griffiths-Cook
Public Advocate and Children and Young People Commissioner
ACT Human Rights Commission
