1. Youth Participation: education for democracy & citizenship Micha de Winter University of Utrecht The Netherlands

2. ©mdw 20022 Participation as a new pedagogical paradigm: Children & young people are fellow- citizens, who need respect, involvement, rights and duties Children & young people are fellow- citizens, who need respect, involvement, rights and duties They are capable social actors, to express needs, opinions, solutions They are capable social actors, to express needs, opinions, solutions They need adults not to act or think for them, but with them They need adults not to act or think for them, but with them They need dialogues, no monologues They need dialogues, no monologues

3. ©mdw 20023 JANUSZ KORCZAK How can we love children? The message that he left behind for us is that children need absolute acceptance and appreciation of the way they are here and now, not to be judged as the people they should become.. (Bruno Bettelheim)

4. ©mdw 20024 Definition: Children’s participation is a process in which children and young people (learn to) become actively involved in decision- making concerning their own living-environment Children’s participation is a process in which children and young people (learn to) become actively involved in decision- making concerning their own living-environment

5. ©mdw 20025 Elements: Information Information Communication Communication Decision-making Decision-making Involvement & Commitment Involvement & Commitment

6. ©mdw 20026 4 important reasons: 1. Convention for the Rights of the Child 1. Convention for the Rights of the Child 2. Child Development 2. Child Development 3. Democratic citizenship in the making 3. Democratic citizenship in the making 4. The quality of policies, services and provisions for young people 4. The quality of policies, services and provisions for young people

7. ©mdw 20027 Ladder of participation (Hart) (1) Manipulation (1) Manipulation (2) Decoration (2) Decoration (3) Tokenism (3) Tokenism*********** (4) Assigned but informed (4) Assigned but informed (5) Consulted and informed (5) Consulted and informed (6) Adult-initiated, shared decisions with children (7) Child-initiated and directed (8) Child-initiated, shared decisions with adults

8. ©mdw 20028 The connectedness-factor Appreciation, being respected, feeling welcome Appreciation, being respected, feeling welcome Positive expectations Positive expectations Non-discrimination Non-discrimination To make a difference in the social context To make a difference in the social context Active involvement Active involvement Crucial for wellbeing, development, health & opportunities Crucial for wellbeing, development, health & opportunities

9. Practices of Youth Participation: creating a participatory environment as the laboratory for democracy representation (councils, panels, elections etc.); child- and youth research; direct involvement; participatory research

10. ©mdw 200210 Example: participatory research with young people Method: peer-research (yp as co-researchers) Method: peer-research (yp as co-researchers) subject: what do young people think about their own neighbourhoods? How do they think their situation can be approved? subject: what do young people think about their own neighbourhoods? How do they think their situation can be approved? Results: young people miss caring connections with adults; anonymous environment creates unsafety; if you feel like a number, you act like a number Results: young people miss caring connections with adults; anonymous environment creates unsafety; if you feel like a number, you act like a number Solutions: more caring adults around that show positive interest in you(th), smaller, less ‘factory- like’ schools Solutions: more caring adults around that show positive interest in you(th), smaller, less ‘factory- like’ schools

11. And above all: more dialogue with us Young people emphasised that they wish to be involved in the process of analysing socalled youth-problems, and in trying to find solutions. “if they are also our solutions, they work better”

12. ©mdw 200212 Pitfalls and dilemma’s involvement of parents, educators and/or policy- makers is crucial involvement of parents, educators and/or policy- makers is crucial child-participation often causes anxiety: are we losing power to children? child-participation often causes anxiety: are we losing power to children? Child-participation is a learning process (both for children and adults!): adults are absolutely necessary. Child-participation is a learning process (both for children and adults!): adults are absolutely necessary. participation thus is a pedagogical process of mutual learning for democracy participation thus is a pedagogical process of mutual learning for democracy

13. ©mdw 200213 Conclusion: (non)formal education for democracy requires an educational atmosphere that mirrors the basic principles of democracy: child/youth participation