Human Rights and Social Equality. CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION AS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR OWN HUMAN RIGHTS. Josefina Fernández i Barrera. University of Barcelona. Department of Social Work.

 To identify a complex issue like children’s participation in Social Affairs.  To analyze how children can influence to generation of new ways of participation  To relate children's participation to citizenship

 Participatory observation (children’s assemblies, school councils)  In depth interviews to adults  Theoretical framework from bibliography, other researches being done and experiences about children’s participation

 Non-discrimination, or universality (article 2)  Best interests of the child (article 3)  Right to life, survival and development (article 6)  Respect for the views of the child (article 12). (Right to participate) 4

 To express their own views freely in all matters affecting them in accordance with their age and maturity (Art.12)  Freedom of expression (Art. 13)  Freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Art. 14)  Freedom of association and freedom of peaceful Assembly (Art. 15)  Privacy in the home, family and correspondence (Art.16)  States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life (Art. 31)

 People who has not reached the majority of age. (Under 18)  The notion changes depending on the historical moment  Each society creates their own stages of life  They are a possible group of pressure (lobby)

 Citizenship has to do with several rights and responsibilities which are common to all the members of the society (Dahrendorf, 1990)  Active citizenship is the process through people who lack power have a dialogue among them in order to understand which are the reasons for their lack of influence or power and consequently analyze their possibility to act collectively with the aim to change the statu quo and the social environment (Young, 1992)

To protect means to keep safe, defend, guard, to prevent to be injured. The notion of child protection comes from the existence of someone weaker (the child) in front of some other who is stronger (the adult).

To participate is the right to speak up socially and politically without the limits of the minority of age. It is something that we can do voluntarily with the desire to express our own ideas. We know it means also responsibility and being involved. To participate means sharing, helping, to express solidarity, to communicate, to reach common decisions, to work together with others, to know new people, to share opinions and collaborate. To participate is to have our own opinions, to say what you think and being listened. It is also to take part in decision making. Barcelona’s Children’s Council, 1997.

 Participant observation in two different children’s homes (in the same building)  10 and 11 assemblies (one per week)  Children from 5 to 12 in Assembly A and from 14 to 8 in Assembly B  Participation of different educators in Assembly A (rotating) and the same ones in Assembly B

 It is an space shared with children and educators. It is a place to take decisions, to relate, to learn and to participate. The subjects to discuss can be proposed for everybody. They can be about day to day life in the home, norms, organization, information. The decisions once taken are compulsory for each member of the group. (Vicens & Gordaliza, 1997)

 Participation and ages  Minority of age  The adults’ visions about participation

 The family  Education  Free time and Associations  The city

 Social Policies have been more involved in the protection of children than caring for their participation  The UN Convention on the rights of the child has been crucial to make children more visible as subjects of rights  Children are very interested to participate when they have the opportunities and spaces to do so

 Participation has been too often considered only in relation which children’s councils and children’s parliament: Participation must be considered in any place or situation  Age has been often been considered as a limit for participation while, as Ennew (2000) points out, age is a social construct and not always related to maturity  Adults are very ambivalent about considering children as subjects of rights and citizens

 Children's spaces to participate are always related with their free time without adult monitoring. Adults have a difficulty to accept this possibility for self organization of children.  Family is very important to make possible children’s participation  School systems sometimes are too rigid to allow children to participate and have their own voice

 Children must be considered as citizens. Social Policies should make possible the visibility of children and their participation in any of the areas where they are present. Children’s participation in social, health and justice services should be considered always as they are clients/users of these services.

 Children should take part in the notion of “the best interest of the child”(Art.5)  Public Administration should promote the right of children to participate (Art. 11)  Children are citizens and they should be listened in all matters affecting them (Art. 53)  Right of association and assembly (Art.35)  Organization of the Local and National Council of Children (Art. 27)

Thanks for your attention!