Children and young people’s participation: Challenges and opportunities Nigel Thomas University of Central Lancashire ICA:UK Conference ‘Building Strong Communities through Participation’ Manchester Metropolitan University, 22 January 2011 The Centre for Children and Young People’s Participation promoting and researching participation, inclusion and empowerment

Aims of A Handbook To open a window on current practice around the world To give a platform to critical and theoretical work To create a space for dialogue −between theory and practice −between ‘majority’ and ‘minority’ worlds −between adults and young people To ask what we can learn from how participation is understood and practiced in different contexts around the world

Seven Key Themes 1.Diversity of participation 2.Participation in context 3.‘Voice’ and agency 4.Institutions and community 5.Self-determination and autonomy 6.Values, processes, learning and outcomes 7.Spaces for dialogue and the role of adults

1. Diversity of participation Contributing to family and community Taking part in associations and activities Identifying and responding to community issues Peer education Building individual and collective capacity Self-help and advocacy Conflict resolution and peace building

2. Participation in context Participation does not mean the same thing to everyone Participation is structured by cultural values and practices Participation can be seen as an obligation as well as a right

3. ‘Voice’ and agency ‘Having a say’ in public decision-making is only part of the story Children also participate as members of a community sharing roles and responsibilities Here ‘agency’, not ‘voice’, is the key concept – doing is as important as talking

4. Institutions and community Participation embedded within communities seems to acquire a higher level of meaning Difficulties with participation initiatives that ‘mimic’ adult-based governance structures Sahabagithvaya (‘joining in with others’) in a communal culture of participation Participation rooted in community activism, but with ‘buy-in’ from the powerful?

5. Self determination and autonomy Knowing they can deal with the future is a primary concern for many young people Importance of ‘tino rangatiratanga’ – self- determination and agency in making choices and decisions in one’s own life Examples from ‘majority world’ often show greater belief in young people’s abilities, willingness to let go and take risks

6. Values, processes, learning and outcomes Participation is about learning as well as change Process is as important as outcomes Structures alone cannot guarantee success – quality of relationships is also important Importance of dialogue and of intergenerational cooperation

7. Spaces for dialogue and role of adults Adults are crucial to children’s participation Children’s participation involves negotiating power and relations with adults. Importance of ‘spaces’ in which participation happens Key role of adults in creating enabling environments for children to develop their own means of expression and participation Need to move from focus on ‘voice’ to participation actively co-created by children and adults together

Two examples from abroad Child reporters in Orissa (Lalatendu Acharya) Coffee growers in Nicaragua (Harry Shier)

Child reporters in Orissa

How to involve poorest and most marginalised children in the process of participation? Schoolchildren trained in news reporting skills and engaged in thinking about development issues Started by selecting 100 children from 10 schools and villages Each group of 10 formed a team supported by a teacher Children were aged 8 to 14

The children noted down their daily observations and thoughts in diaries They also collected and noted down the views and thoughts of other children

The diaries were used to produce a monthly newsletter sent to key decision-makers Later the children began using post cards so that their reports could reach the district administration more quickly

Reports have influenced decision-making The children have also been influential at village level – persuading parents to enrol children in school – putting families in touch with services There are now more than 5,000 child reporters across Orissa. ‘The child reporters write about their homes, their village, people in their village, their understanding of the world around them and their dreams.’

Coffee growers in Nicaragua

CESESMA: founded in 1992 as an environmental education action group Mission: To promote and defend the rights of children and young people, through awareness-raising, reflection and action in partnership with rural children and young people, and other members of the community Harry Shier joined in 2001: My experience of working with child coffee-plantation workers in Nicaragua has revealed how narrow the concept of child participation was that I brought from my previous work in the UK.

Central to CESESMA’s strategy are young community education activists – promotores and promotoras Mainly aged 12-18, they are trained to run learning groups with younger children in their communities

‘A leadership role and a platform for active organisation and engagement in community development activities and direct action in defence of children’s rights.’

Can it happen here? Much participation in the UK tends to be focused on public services Often is consultation rather than participation – agenda set and decisions made by adults Are we the victims of our prosperity? Children’s lives in UK are privileged, organised, supervised and managed, in comparison to poorer countries

Participation and protection In the UK, adult concerns about protecting children may get in the way of their participation rights. In other places, participation may be a way for children to achieve their protection rights. In contrast to assumptions about adults as protectors of children, what is striking in many places is how adults are failing children through abuse and neglect, war and poverty, discrimination and prejudice. Where children cannot rely on adults to act for them we see how, through forms of participation, they can develop their own capacity to act. It is important to acknowledge the potential for children to contribute directly to social change. From the Conclusion to A Handbook of Children and Young People's Participation

Challenge of hard times Effects of ‘slash and burn’ policies: – Fewer resources available for participation work – More need for participation work – rising tension over allocation of resources May also be opportunities to rethink and do it differently Maybe we can learn from other parts of the world?

Nigel Thomas Professor of Childhood and Youth Research School of Social Work University of Central Lancashire Preston PR1 2HE (+44)(0)