What is participation? How would you describe what it is to participate? How does it make you feel when you get to participate?

What is participation? ”Participation is the involvment of people in the decisions and processes that affect their lives, including sharing information, consulting, managing, making decisions and taking action.” (Tearfund ”Child Participation”)

What is participation? ”Participation is about having the opportunity to express a view, influencing decision-making and achieving change. Children’s participation is an informed and willing involvement of all children, including the most marginalised and those of different ages and abilities, in any matter concerning them either directly or indirectly. Children’s involvment is a right and a way of working and an essential principle that cuts across all programmes. The involvement and participation of children should therefore take place in all arenas – from homes to governments, from local to international levels.” (From ”Getting it right for Children”, Save the Children)

Ladder of Participation

Taking a leading role Child-initiated and directed Collaboration & Partnership Jointly initiated by children and adults Child-initiated, shared decisions with adults Adult-initiated, shared decisions with children Consultation Children are consulted and informed Informing Children are given a task and told what is required of them Tokenism Decoration Manipulation

Why Child Participation? 1. Biblical basis God’s view of children (Gen. 1:26-27, Deut. 7:11-14, Ps. 127, 128) Jesus’ attitude to children (Matt. 18:1-6, 19:13-15) Holistic child development (Luk. 2:40-52, Matt. 21:14-16) 2. Legal reasons CRC (art. 12: Children must be asked to give their opinions about all matters affecting them, including in legal and administrative proceedings. This should take into account the age and maturity of the child.)

Survival and Development (art. 6) Non- discrimination (art. 2) Participation (art. 12) Best interest (art. 3)

Why Child Participation? 3. Logical reasons What can we as development organisations do? empowering families to care for and listen to their children giving children an opportunity to participate in community life, such as helping them to set up a children’s club or council involving children as stakeholders in projects enabling children to represent their concerns in conferences or consultations at local, regional and international leves.

The Evolving Capacities of Children Children acquire cognitive, emotional, social, moral and physical competencies Depending on their life experiences: the social, cultural, economic and emotional environment in which they grow up…

The Evolving Capacities of Children and the CRC CRC = a principled framework for promoting this process: Ensuring necessary environment to stimulate the best opportunities for development (right to survival and development, right to adequate standard of living, the right to play, to education, and to protection from harmful work) Recognises the child’s ”emancipatory” rights: that as competencies develop so too must the child’s entitlement to take increasing responsibility for the exercise of their own rights Acknowledges that children are entitled to protection from harm where they lack knowledge, understanding or experience with which to protect themselves (recognising children’s ”unevolved” capacities)

Implications for practice All children can participate Adults can learn from children’s experience Participation enhances evolving capacities Experience is as significant as age Respectful adult support is essential Participation in a protective process Discrimination impacts on the realisation of capacity Children have strength to offer other children

Wheel of Participation RESPECT Support ResponsibilityOpportunity

Child Participation – 7 practice standards 1.An ethical approach: transparency, honesty and accountability 2.Children’s participation is relevant and voluntary 3.A child-friendly, enabling environment 4.Equality of opportunity 5.Staff are effective and confident 6.Participation promotes the safety and protection of children 7.Ensuring follow-up and evaluation

Wheel of Participation + 7 practice standards RESPECT Support Responsibility Opportunity Transparency, honesty and accountability Equality of opportunity Child-friendly, enabling environment Staff are effective and confident Promotes safety and protection Ensuring follow-up and evaluation Relevant and voluntary Ensuring follow-up and evaluation

Prepare adults Recognise and address negative attitudes towards children Recognise each child as an individual Recognise children’s strengths as well as weaknesses Prepare the children Develop positive relationships Promote understanding by informing about social issues etc. Agree with children their roles and expectations for their involvement Prepare the wider community Raise awareness about the benefits of child participation Enable children to present their ideas and activities Prepare ourselves and partnerorganisation Child protection policy and training Train staff on how to communicate with children Think about how child participation will affect the way the organisation works Preparation Checklist

A)How do we prepare for child participation: Adults Children The wider community Partners and our own organisation B) What can we do to promote child participation within our own organisations? Discussion

Three pillar strategy Pillar 1 Direct actions on violation of children’s rights and gaps in provision Pillar 2 Strengthening the capacity of duty-bearers to meet their obligations (policies, practice, legislation) Pillar 3 Strengthening the capacity of children, their carers and civil society to claim rights and hold others to account Child rights situation analysis Organisational capacity

Why CRC? Helps define the conditions a child ought to live in Universal – known, instrument, legitimacy, RBA Relevant because of God-given value