Youth Forum on the Right to Be Heard, Day 1: Children discuss child participation
On Wednesday morning, children expressed their ideas about child participation and broke into small groups to interview each other and share experiences about successful child participation stories in their countries.
In the children’s own words…
Why involve young people?
- Young people have different opinions and feelings than adults
- Because adults don’t know children’s views
- To stay together and have fun when not in school
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To give youth a powerful position in the media
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Para que no se sometan a un problema porque les puede causar daño
- So that they will not be affected by a problem
- Because they are the ones in the best place to say what they want
- To let young people acquire responsibility
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To get young people’s voices heard
- Youth are better placed to develop relations with each other
- Children are able to do some things adults are hesitant or reluctant to do
- Involucrar a los jóvenes permite que ellos puedan aprender de la experiencia de los adultos
- Involving young people allows them to learn from the experiences of adults
- Because they are part of the community and also for a better future
- Porque ellos son parte de la comunidad y también para un mejor futuro
- So that their voice can be heard by everyone
- Youth are better placed to listen to each other and provide advice
- Youth can easily network with each other
- Los jóvenes hacen alianzas fácilmente con otros
- Children are the experts on their situation
- Children are part of the community
- Because they know best how they feel and therefore it is easier for them to present the issue as they are, the ones who experience them
- Their voices have to be heard
- It’s important because they know their needs
- Children know best what they are experiencing
- Young people today are going to be adults in a few years, They have the right to be heard, they will make a better world for tomorrow.
- Children can help reach other children
- Because we know what our problems are, we are the ones who experience them
- No hay diferencia entre niños jóvenes, y adultos asi que todos deben estar involucrados
- There is no difference between children and young people and adults so they should be involved if adults are
What was good about involving young people?
- It shows that children are smart
- It shows that they have spirit
- It gives children the opportunity to share their views
- The change shows children’s capacity for expression and freely organising themselves
- We attended a children’s video project and there we were taught how to use a video camera
- Youth gradually take control of their own lives
- Children let adults know what they need
- Fue que los jóvenes dieron a conocer sus necesidades a diferentes autoridades
- They achieved change (maybe!)
- It was possible for children and adults to work together without losing their autonomy
- Se pudo trabajar entre los adultos e infancia sin perder su autonomia
La opinión concreta no está sujeta a la edad
- A valuable opinion does not have age
- Children are the experts on children’s issues
- Children ended up reporting what their problems are
- Niños y adultos trabajan juntos
- Children and adults work together
- Youth develop more self confidence in making their own decisions
- Qué la sociedad adulta aprenda a trabajar con las nuevas visiones de la infancia
- Youth develop their self-esteem
- Good experience for later in life
- Justice is served with participation of children
- La infancia se pudo organizar y unificarse por un objetivo común
- It gave the organisations new ideas
- It makes children proud of themselves
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Society has learned
How do young people get involved?
- They are campaigning
- They are sharing their opinions
- They are presenting the issues that they face in their local area
- Getting interviewed on TV
- Ser entrevistado por la TV
- Preparing advertising for projects
- In the mainstream media through voluntary youth service
- Youth are involved with the media in campaigns
- Niños y niñas involucrados con los medios de comunicación en campañas y en incidencia
- Youth are involved in awareness-raising themselves
- By inviting them to youth conferences, for example HIV and AIDS conferences
- The children created films to educate their peers and adults about orphans in the community
- Talk to the grown-ups
- Youth are involved in monitoring
- Youth are involved in decision-making
- The young people were a group which supported the study
- Young people make training packages
- By helping each other in their problems and everybody can be a part of it
- Porque somos electos por los propios NNA organizados y no organizados
- Because we have been elected by the organised and non-organised children
- Children are involved when they are elected by their communities and children’s organisations
- They take part in meetings with the parliament
- They go into schools to give lectures
- Social services for asylum seekers
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