“If you had a problem in the Black community and you brought in a group of White people to discuss how to solve it, almost nobody would take that panel seriously. In fact, there’d probably be a public outcry. It would be the same for women’s issues or gay issues. But every day, in local arenas all the way to the White House, adults sit around and decide what problems youth have and what youth need, without ever consulting us.” - Jason, 17, Youth Force Member, Bronx, NY

 Key issues  The right to participation is one of the fundamental values and guiding principles of the CRC  However, both governments and donors have tended to address child participation in rather limited ways

 Topics:  Definition of what is meant by authentic, meaningful child participation  Steps to develop an environment conducive to realizing participation rights  Interventions for integrating participation within programming

 Child participation is  The on-going process of children’s expression and active involvement in decision-making in matters that concern them.  It requires  Information-sharing and dialogue between children and adults based on mutual respect  Full consideration of children’s views, taking into account the child’s age and maturity.

Child Participation Rights Respect for children’s evolving capacities (Art. 5) Right to information (Art.17) Right to representation in criminal proceedings (Art. 40) Right to legal advice when deprived of liberty (Art. 40) Right to knowledge of the CRC (Art. 42) Right to freedom in play (Art. 31) Freedom of expression, religion, association (Art.13, 14,15) Right to be heard if separated from parents (Art. 9) Right to be listened to and taken seriously (Art. 12) Right of children with disabilities to participate (Art. 23)

 N ot only a right in itself; also a prerequisite for the exercise of all other rights  Participation protects children  Children who are silenced and passive can be abused by adults with relative impunity  Participation leads to better health outcomes  Children who have information about health & sexuality are better able to protect themselves  Participation contributes to personal development  Empowered children can become active and effective advocates for their own rights

Group Activity

 Despite widespread recognition that child participation is a fundamental human right, there still remain some powerful challenges to its universal acceptance.  For each statement, indicate whether the statement is fact or fiction  If you decide the statement is fact, provide a justification  If you decide the statement is fiction, provide a counterargument

 To be meaningful, effective, ethical, systematic and sustainable, participation must be:  Transparent and informative  Voluntary  Respectful  Relevant to children’s lives  Child-friendly  Inclusive  Supported by training for adults  Safe and sensitive to risk  Accountable

Group Activity

1. A mother playing with a very young child.  Yes, this is an example of meaningful participation, since every child can express views in accordance with his or her level of maturity.  No, this is not an example of meaningful participation since the child is too young to be able to express his/her views.

2. A child giving evidence in court.  Yes, this is an example of meaningful participation, since he is engaged in a legal proceeding that affect him.  No, this is not an example of meaningful participation

3. Children participating in sports as a required part of the school curriculum.  Yes, this is an example of meaningful participation, since the children are expressing themselves through play.  No, this is not an example of meaningful participation.

4. Children participating in an international conference on human rights.  Yes, this is an example of meaningful participation, since the children are expressing themselves and being heard in an important forum that affects their rights.  No, this is not an example of meaningful participation

 Key elements of mainstreaming child participation include  Participation rights context analysis  Child participation in programme implementation  Evaluation of participation

 Evaluation  Scope: What is being done?  Tool 3.2 provides a matrix for measuring the scope of children’s participation  Quality: How is it being done?  Tool 3.3 provides a matrix containing details of the basic requirements and benchmarks for measuring the quality of children’s participation.  Outcome: Why is it being done?  Tool 3.4 provides matrices on possible outcome indicators.

Component 1. Identify legal entitlements Component 2. Identify key stakeholders Component 3. Identify mechanisms to access information & raise awareness Component 4. Identify opportunities for children to influence agendas and participate in their daily lives

Group Activity

A broad range of measures are needed to ensure that participation is embedded & institutionalized