1

Reinforcing Child Participation

Sweden

A report commissioned by Save the Children Sweden for the CSO Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

- March, 2012 -

Cover illustration by adolescent girl, member of Voice of the Young, The Gambia:“…This drawing shows that the child has lots of noble ideas, while the adult’s bubble is blank. This means the adult is willing to listen to what the child is saying. We (children) know what we want better than anyone else… please, listen to us.”

2

Save the Children SwedenEastern and Central African RegionP. O. Box 19423, 202 KNHNairobi, KenyaTel: +254 (0)20 386 5888/90/391 8000

Fax: +254 (0) 20 386 5889

Website: www.savethechildren.se

This Publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee or prior permission for teaching purposes, but not for resale.For copying in any other circumstances, prior written permission must be obtained from the publisher and a fee may be payable.

Author: Penny Ward - Mutengo Consulting

Creative Design & Layout: Chez Promotions Limited

3

Contents:Acknowledgements 4Abbreviations 5

1.0 Background to Study 71.1 Purpose and Aim of Developing Child Participation Guidelines 71.2 Methodology 8

2.0 The ‘Participation’ Articles 9

3.0 Existing Guidelines for Child Participation 133.1 What is “Meaningful and Effective” Child Participation? 133.2 Promoting Meaningful Participation 16

4.0 Examples of Promising Practices from the Field 194.1 Child Participation and the CSO Forum 194.2 Suggested Child Participation Guidelines from African Civil Society Initiatives 20

5.0 Case Studies – Promising Practices Regarding Child Participation 335.1 Children’s Voices – Kenya 335.2 MAEJT – West Africa 355.3 Voice of the Young – The Gambia 395.4 Children on the Move – South Africa 415.5 Children’s Consultation on the Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities

– Yemen44

Reinforcing Child Participation - Conclusions and Recommendations 47

Appendix 1: Practical Resources of Child Participation 49Appendix 2: Minimum Standards for Consulting Children 50Appendix 3: Example of Child Protection Policy and Procedures 52Appendix 4: Guidelines on the selection of Child Participants 62Appendix 5: List of Interviewees 64

References 65

4

AcknowledgementsMutengo Consulting would like to thank David Mugawe and Sidikou Moussa, from the CSO Forum’s Management Committee, and Susan Mbugua, from Save the Children Sweden’s East and Central Africa Regional office for their support and input in conducting this study.

5

AbbreviationsAC African Charter (on the Rights and Welfare of the Child) ACERWC African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child ACRWC African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child AMWCY African Movement of Working Children and YouthAU African UnionCR Child RightsCSO Civil Society OrganisationMAEJT Mouvement Africain des Enfants et Jeunes TravailleursUNCRC United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

6

7

Background to Study

Children involvement in policy discourses as ‘policy actors’ is a phenomenon that has recently gained momentum. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC)

have propelled much of the debate on children’s participation in the public sphere. The UNCRC has introduced participation as the third ‘P’, alongside the existing two ‘Ps’ – “provision and protection”. Development and policy actors have identified participation as a facet of meaningful social development. Moreover, academics have constructed new ways of conceptualising children, recognising them as competent social actors and social participants. However, while discourses on children’s participation have reached global scales, the practical application of child participation at the national, regional, pan-African and international level remains vague.

Of critical concern has been how to ensure meaningful child participation at regional and pan-African forums, where key policy decisions are made on their behalf. A number of key platforms have emerged that inform policies on children’s rights at the pan-African and national level. The Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), for example, has enabled organisations working on children’s rights to engage with the mechanisms of the ACRWC and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), thus acting as a catalyst for advocacy on children’s rights. While the CSO has made considerable progress in informing the ACERWC on key recommendations on children’s rights across the continent, the voice of children in this forum has been evidently absent. The situation has raised pertinent questions on the role of children’s voices as articulated in Articles 12 of the UNCRC and Article 7 of the ACRWC in public decision-making.

There is a need for meaningful child participation at regional platforms, such as the CSO Forum and the formulation and adoption of guidelines on child participation, as a mechanism of ensuring systematic and meaningful child participation.

1.1 Purpose and Aim of Developing Child Participation Guidelines

The aim of developing child participation guidelines for the CSO Forum is to ensure that:• Child participation is a right that is realised by children;• A conducive and sound environment exists for children to freely express their

opinions and participate in various CSO Forum activities;

1.0

8

• There is consistency in the manner in which children are brought in to participate at the CSO Forum and its associated events;

• The CSO Forum institutionalises processes that will lead to greater awareness for children’s participation; and

• The CSO Forum provides guidance and support to civil society institutions, in the area of child participation at its forums.

As a result, a study was commissioned by Save the Children Sweden to conduct extensive primary and desk research to ascertain the views of children that will inform the development of appropriate guidelines on child participation for the CSO Forum.

The objectives of the study include:i). To review existing child participation guidelines by international child-led organisations,

such as UNICEF and Save the Children, partners at country level, government institutions and other mechanisms that have enforced child participation such as UNGASS process, child participation at the sessions of the CRC, the NGO working group amongst others;

ii). To identify and document national good practice methods on child participation processes from different regions which can be emulated;

iii). To focus on how child participation processes can feed into regional processes in a systematic manner;

iv). To identify how to ensure that the most marginalised children are included and incorporated in child participation mechanisms (children with disabilities, refugee children, OVC amongst others); and

v). To get children’s views on child participation, namely how they would envisage child participation at the CSO Forum and the Sessions of the ACERWC and what added value this would bring.

1.2 Methodology

The study was conducted by Mutengo Consulting between September and November 2011. The process started with a literature review of child participation manuals and guidelines. Interviews were conducted with a range of child rights practitioners and key informants. In addition to the interviews, five child participation initiatives, one in every region in Africa, were selected for more in-depth study and country visits.

The case studies included, Children’s Voices in Kenya; Mouvement African des Enfant et Jeunes Travailleurs (MAEJT) Senegal; Voice of the Young in The Gambia; Children who cross boarders in South Africa and the regional Children’s Consultation on the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities in Yemen.

As of November 2010, the eight countries yet to ratify the ACRWC include: Central African Republic; Djibouti; Democratic Republic of Congo; Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic; Somalia; Sao Tome and Principe; Swaziland and Tunisia. See www.acrwc.org

9

The ‘Participation’ Articles

All national governments in Africa, with the exception of Somalia, have signed and ratified the UNCRC. All African Union member-states have signed the ACRWC and all, save eight countries have yet to ratify the Charter. Both the UNCRC and the ACRWC oblige

duty bearers to fulfil a series of rights associated with children’s participation in society. These ‘participation’ rights have never previously been incorporated into international instruments, hence the fact that they are often hotly contested and their implications energetically debated.

In a recent meeting to discuss global progress towards the fulfilment of children’s rights, the UN Committee on the Rights Child defined the principle of participation as a ‘fundamental value’ underlying the entire Convention:

“The right of all children to be heard and taken seriously constitutes one of the fundamental values of the Convention. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has defined article 12 as one of the four general principles of the Convention… which highlights the fact that this article establishes not only a right in itself, but should also be considered in the interpretation and implementation of all other rights.” 1

While, the Committee emphasises the need for child participation to permeate all processes and relationships, it does not elaborate how this should be done. This trend is more clearly detailed in the table 2 below, which explores specific children’s rights contained in both the UNCRC and ACRWC:

2.0

10

Child Right

Specific Wording Reference

Freedom of expression

“In all matters and to disseminate his opinions subject to such restrictions as are prescribed by laws”

ACRWC. Art 7

“For this purpose, the child shall be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial or administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law.”

UNCRC Art. 12

Freedom of association

“The right to free association and freedom in peaceful assembly in conformity with the law.”

ACRWC Art. 8UNCRC Art. 15

Freedom of thought, conscience and religion

“Parents, and when applicable, legal guardians, shall have a duty to provide guidance and direction in the exercise of these rights having regard to the evolving capacities, and the best interests of the child.

ACRWC Art. 9

“ State parties shall respect the rights and duties of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.”

UNCRCArt. 14

Access to information

“Freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art or any other media of the child’s choice.”“Expression of this subject to certain restrictions… such as are provided by law.”

UNCRCArt. 13

Responsibility of the child

“Every child shall have responsibilities towards his family and society, the State and other legally recognised communities and the international community.The child, subject to age and ability… shall have the duty

a) to work for the cohesion of the family, to respect his parents, superiors and elders… and to assist them in case of need:

b) to serve his national community by placing his physical and intellectual abilities at its service.

c) to preserve and strengthen social and national solidarityd) to preserve and strengthen African cultural values in

relations with others… in the spirit of tolerance, dialogue and consultation, and to contribute to the moral well-being of society

e) to preserve and strengthen the independence and integrity of his country

f) to contribute to the best of his abilities, at all times and at all levels, to the promotion and achievements of African Unity.

11

This lack of specificity results in important implications and choices for implementing institutions, especially civil society organisations. Examples of these issues include :2

a). How far does “Freedom Of Expression” Extend?The right of children to express themselves is not limited to child-related concerns, but applies to “all matters” including judicial and administrative hearings that affect the child. Thus, the issue is not whether or not children should be given the opportunity to articulate their views, but at what stage in the decision-making process their views should be sought, and the manner this should be done. At times the ‘participation’ articles are mistakenly interpreted as requiring children to be directly involved in all aspects of policy formulation, legal reform or programme planning. However, this is not the case. Instead, they oblige the state to adapt decision-making procedures in ways that ensure children’s opinions are incorporated, whether through direct sourcing or by adults bringing children’s views to the table. Thus, the advantages and challenges of direct versus indirect representation need to be considered on a case by case basis.

b). How do we Judge The Weight of Children’s Views?The state is obliged to give children’s views “due weight in accordance with age and maturity” (UNCRC) and both instruments refer to the need to take children’s “evolving capacities” into account when determining the level of guidance required by parents or guardians. Three criteria are given by these instruments to determine whether or not children are competent to form an opinion or make a decision, these include age, maturity and evolving capacities. However, several studies repudiate the use of age and the concept of “universal stages of development” as the basis for determining capacity. Research across Africa also shows that adults have vastly different ideas about when children are able to do or should be permitted to do certain things. While such disagreements continue to persist, they can also help to challenge adult assumptions and gradually extended participation to younger groups of children, especially those below the age of 10 years.

c). What are the Limits of Participation?Frequently, processes or platforms that involve children in their proceedings expect the same level of participation and commitment as that of adults. However, Milne3 points out that when “making children colleagues we must bear in mind that we should not impose participation on children any more than we should on adults” because the aim is not to blindly put children first, but “to create a society that is inclusive of young citizens.” Thus, children’s decision to participate should remain voluntary throughout the process.

d). What are African Children’s Responsibilities?Implicit in the ACRWC and the UNCRC is the notion that both adults and children have special duties and rights with respect to each other as well as the underlying principle of human dignity. The ACRWC also makes explicit reference to the responsibilities of children in Article 31. However, it is important to consider both rights and responsibilities; especially where there is a tendency to perceive children as ‘rights claimants’ and to make the mistaken assumption that adult rights are to be ignored in this context. Instead, mutual intergenerational dialogue, that is appropriate to children’s evolving capacities and cognisant of the social status and power of adults, needs to be promoted in order for children to be adequately mentored by adults rather than silenced or excluded.

12

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

13

Existing Guidelines for Child Participation

Understandings and definitions of child participation differ widely across the child rights sector and even within organisations. A wide range of guidelines, manuals and resources concerning various aspects of implementing child participation exist.

3.1 What is “Meaningful and Effective” Child Participation?

Despite the general acceptance of child rights and rights based approaches, there is no commonly agreed definition of ‘child participation’. However several authors have contributed various useful ideas to this debate. For example, Boyden and Ennew4 note that in defining child participation a key distinction should be made between participation in the sense of ‘taking part in, being present, being involved or consulted’ as opposed to ‘participation in the sense of knowing that one’s actions are taken note of and may be acted upon’, thus leading to empowerment.

Save the Children’s definition of child participation5

The International Save the Children Alliance defines participation as ‘having the opportunity to express a view, influence decision-making and achieve 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 participation is a way of working and an essential principle that cuts across all programmes and takes place in all arenas – from home to government, from local to international levels.’

3.0

Studies on child participation frequently warn against processes that are merely ‘decorative’ or ‘tokenistic’. Instead, child participation which includes the genuine involvement of children is often described as “meaningful” and is attributed to the active demonstration of the following principles :6

• Provide children with a genuine opportunity to influence decision-making while being based upon honesty and clarity about the extent of, and limits to, that influence;

• Ensure that children are able to freely express their views and opinions and have them treated with respect;

14

• Treat children as partners when taking part in an event they have been invited by adults;• Encourage the involvement of socially excluded and discriminated groups and ensure

that their voices and experience in discussions are given equal weight.• Enable children to negotiate their participation to reflect their own preferences and

working methods; • Be a process of learning and discovery (both personal and collective) which enables

children to receive new information, understand what it means and then use and respond to it on the basis of their own experience (The four senses: ‘Hear, See, Do, Discover’):

• Be a process which encourages sharing experiences; • Be flexible enough to respond to the expectations of children; • Promote the best interest of the child and enhance the personal development of each

child; • Build self esteem and self-confidence in children so that they can feel they are able to

contribute and have opinions which are worth listening to.

As noted in the General Comment No. 12 ,7 for participation to be effective and meaningful, it needs to be understood as a process and not a one off activity. Past experience has led to broad consensus on the basic requirements which have to be reached for the effective, ethical and meaningful implementation of Article 12 of the UNCRC. Thus the following practice standards have been developed to establish a safe and meaningful environment for child participation. All processes in which children are heard or participate must be:

i). Transparent and informative - children must be provided with full, accessible, diversity-sensitive and age-appropriate information about their right to express their views freely and how this participation will take place, its scope, purpose and potential impact. Their views should be accorded due attention.

ii). Voluntary - children should never be coerced into expressing views against their wishes and they should be informed that they can cease involvement at any stage.

iii). Respectful - children’s views have to be treated with respect and they should be provided with opportunities to initiate ideas and activities. Adults working with children should acknowledge, respect and build on good examples of children’s participation, for instance, in their contributions to the family, school, culture and the work environment. They at the same time need an understanding of the socioeconomic, environmental and cultural context of children’s lives. People and organisations working for and with children should respect children’s views with regard to participation in public events.

iv). Relevant - the issues on which children have the right to express their views must be of real relevance to their lives and enable them to draw upon their knowledge, skills and abilities.In addition, space needs to be created to enable children to highlight and address the issues they themselves identify as relevant and important.

15

v). Child-Friendly - environments and working methods should be adapted to fit into children's capacities. Adequate time and resources should be made available to ensure that children are adequately prepared and have the confidence and opportunity to contribute their views. Consideration needs to be given to the fact that children will need differing levels of support and forms of involvement according to their age and evolving capacities.

vi). Inclusive - participation must be inclusive, avoid existing patterns of discrimination, and encourage opportunities for marginalised children, both girls and boys to be involved. Children are not a homogenous group and participation needs to provide opportunity for all, without discrimination on any grounds. Programmes also need to ensure that they are culturally sensitive to children from all communities.

vii). Supported by Training - adults need preparation, skills and support to facilitate children's participation effectively, to provide them, for example, with skills in listening, working jointly with children and effectively engaging children in accordance with their evolving capacities. Children themselves can be involved as trainers and facilitators on how to promote effective participation; they require capacity-building to strengthen their skills in, for example, effective participation, awareness of their rights, and training in organising meetings, raising funds, dealing with the media, public speaking and advocacy.

viii). Safe and Sensitive to Risk - in certain situations, expression of views may involve risks. Adults have a responsibility towards the children with whom they work and must take every precaution to minimise the risk of children getting involved in violence, exploitation or any other negative consequence of their participation. Action necessary to provide appropriate protection will include the development of a clear child protection strategy which recognises the particular risks faced by some groups of children, and the extra barriers they face in obtaining help. Children must be aware of their right to be protected from harm and know where to go for help when they need it. Investment in working with families and communities is important in order to build understanding of the value and implications of participation, and to minimise the risks to which children may otherwise be exposed.

ix). Accountable - a commitment to follow-up and evaluation is essential. For example, in any research or consultative process, children must be informed as to how their views have been interpreted and used and, where necessary, be provided with the opportunity to challenge and influence the analysis of the findings. Children are at the same time entitled to clear feedback on how their participation has influenced any outcomes. Wherever appropriate, children should be given the opportunity to participate in follow-up processes or activities. Monitoring and evaluation of children’s participation needs to be undertaken, where possible, with children themselves.

16

3.2 Promoting Meaningful Participation

Other development practitioners have also documented a variety of practical guidelines and checklists. For example, the following table describes “real” verses “false” participation :8

What is real participation? What is false participation?

Is it voluntary? Real participation is something a young person should want to do.

If children and young people are made to take part against their will, or forcibly "volunteered" into committees.

Is it equitable? Real participation is inclusive; it does not discriminate on the basis of sex, wealth, rural/urban location, ethnicity, disability, etc.

If activities are only practically accessible to rich or urban young people or only boys are asked questions, or only the ‘smart ones’ are selected for meetings.

Is it valued? Real participation requires all participants, including children and young people, to be valued, listened to and taken seriously.

If children are present, but get little chance to participate. When they do, people don't listen carefully or take children’s views into account.

Is it respectful? Real participation means addressing each other with respect and care, not derision or paternalism.

If the chair of the meeting ignores the children or speaks to them in a way that shows he/she does not value their presence or what they have to say.

What's the point of it? Real participation requires young people to see the value of doing the exercise.

If children are simply told what to do, they don't really know or understand why they are doing it.

Does it matter? Real participation happens when the area or issue is important or of interest to young people.

If children are made to participate in something that they don't care much about and feels like a waste of their time.

Does it make a difference? Real participation means young people's contributions have an influence and make a difference.

“Parents, and when applicable, legal guardians, shall have a duty to provide guidance and direction in the exercise of these rights having regard to the evolving capacities, and the best interests of the child.

Are the physical arrangements fair and conducive? How the seating is arranged makes a big difference

If the adults sit in chairs while children are on the floor, the room's periphery or under the hot sun

Is it done in a language that children and young people understand well? Real participation requires young people to feel competent and comfortable in the medium of communication.

If discussions are held in English in a rural district, or the manner is very formal and full of ‘big words’.

17

What is real participation? What is false participation?

Are the rules fair for all? Real participation is done in a manner in which everyone can participate equally and comfortably, and often involves children and young people making the rules.

If some adults dominate, while children don't get a chance or are cut off too early. People are made to contribute in ways they do not know or like.

Are the children participants adequately informed and prepared? Real participation means children and young people have had enough time, opportunity and support to prepare.

If adults have experience and information whereas the children and young people are just pulled in with little sense of what is happening and limited time to prepare.

Are the allowable roles fair? Real participation assigns roles and responsibilities fairly, and allows everyone to play a role they are capable of whenever possible.

If teachers make all the decisions and rules while children just answer questions, or children are made to park bicycles and serve tea.

What's the level? Real participation goes beyond show and allows young people to initiate ideas, make decisions and take actions to the maximum extent of their capability.

If children are told to participate in certain ways without having a say in the content or method of participation, or children are only consulted when they are also capable of responsible decision making.

Is it honest? Real participation respects ethics, avoids manipulation and is clear in its purpose and methods.

If children are not told the truth or deliberately left in the dark about what is happening.

Is it safe? Real participation takes all steps to ensure no participation is endangered.

If confidentiality is not maintained where appropriate, such as when the child who tells the truth about something is punished.

What happens afterwards? Real participation is clear and transparent about how the output of the participation will be taken forward, and how it connects with other processes. It often aims to institutionalise participation for sustainability.

If children participate actively on something important but it is not clear what follow-up will take place or what will be done with their contribution. Session reports are not shared checked with children.

See Appendix 1 & 2 for other useful examples of minimum standards and guidelines for child participation in international meetings.

18

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

19

Examples of Promising Practices From the Field4.1 Child Participation and the CSO Forum

The CSO Forum on the ACRWC is a platform that provides a meeting point for child-focused organisations in Africa working on diverse child rights issues to find a common understanding on selected thematic issues. Thus the Forum brings together

advocates to work around an overarching theme and one or two sub-themes, develop recommendations and communiqués that are presented to the ACERWC during its Sessions for consideration, adoption and implementation. The Forum also provides an opportunity for capacity building and networking. As a unified voice, the Forum continuously speaks to the ACERWC and other AU human rights institutions on key issues affecting children in Africa and urges them into action to yield positive results for children. The CSO Forum has made considerable progress in bringing child-focused CSOs together to share information and experience, creating avenues of communication between CSO and the ACERWC, making key recommendations to the ACERWC on pertinent issues affecting children’s rights and therefore acting as a catalyst of broader advocacy on children’s rights at the pan-African level.

However despite the above laudable achievements, children’s voices have been largely absent in the proceedings, recommendations to the ACERWC as well as input into the choice of thematic topics that guide discussions at the Forum. Participants at the CSO Forum have continuously expressed concern over the lack of child participation at its gathering and that of the ACERWC. They have expressed their trepidation on the challenges they face when trying to explain the theme for the Day of the African Child to children and pleaded that the language of the yearly theme be simplified for easy communication to children.

The CSO Forum has suggested that children should be encouraged to attend and meaningfully contribute at both the CSO Forum and the pre-sessions of the ACERWC. Children’s engagement at these key forums should be done in a systematic manner.

As a group that advocates for child rights, and represents the interests of children, the CSO Forum would like to create an environment that is conducive for child participation that enables and encourages the ultimate self-representation of children at policy platforms such as the sessions of the ACERWC.

4.0

20

As a result, Save the Children Sweden identified the need for a clear approach and methodology on how to meaningfully involve children at public policy decision making platforms such as the CSO Forum and the sessions of the ACERWC. In addition, the guidelines will provide best practices that will stimulate action towards providing a safe environment that promotes child participation of children at different levels (national and community level) of public policy decision making.

The following section outlines promising practices gained from various civil society organisations and processes across Africa that should inform the CSO Forum’s approach to child participation.

4.2 Suggested Child Participation Guidelines from African Civil Society Initiatives

The following lessons and guidelines regarding child participation have been gathered from a variety of sources, including the personal experiences of child and adult interviewees and from children's participation at several international and regional meetings ,9 including the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Children (May 2002), the Junior 8 Summits ahead of the G8 Summit (July 2005, June 2006, June 2007, July 2008 and July 2009). Based on these experiences the following guidelines for meaningful child participation have been suggested:

4.2.1 Before the Meeting

i. When organising a regional meeting specifically for children, involve children themselves in the preparation and planning process.• For example Children’s Voices, a national platform created for children to raise child

rights issues in Kenya, is led by both an adult and a children’s steering group. The children’s steering group identifies a theme for annual meetings as well as planning the event, assisting with facilitation during the proceedings and thereafter evaluating the meeting. The children’s steering group is assisted by a separate adult steering committee, which provides technical support and advice regarding resource mobilisation. This structure helps to ensure children have a great deal of input and control over the design and content of the event as well as actively taking part in activities. (See 5.1 for more information.)

• Child members of the Mouvement Africain des Enfants et Jeunes Travailleurs (MAEJT) noted that children representatives who attend regional gatherings need to bring to meetings consensus opinions of the other children that they represent. As one member noted, “We represent the views of other children, so we need to come to meetings prepared.”(See 5.2 for more information)

• Many CSOs felt it was important to spend time agreeing on goals and principles regarding child participation beforehand, especially if several different organisations were going to be involved in the process. As one interviewee emphasised, “You need to agree on a clear goal before the meeting and to know what you want to achieve… you also need to be clear about the value of child participation, why you want to involve children and how best to establish a real interaction between children and adults.”

• Several people noted that for child participation to move beyond tokenism, conscious time and resources needed to be devoted to the preparation of both child participants and their related organisations, including CSOs and networks.

See Appendix 5 for list of interviewees contacted during this study.

21

At least we have time to discuss it with him

Sorry,I can only giveyou 5 minutes &

I‛m busy

DOOR

I hope it

goes well

Children’s participation requires sufficient time, funding and planning if it is to be meaningful and good quality

• As one interviewee noted, “Don’t rush the preparation phase.” Many organisations noted the need to give sufficient time for preparation and briefing children beforehand. For example, members of the children’s steering group of Children’s Voices meet weekly for eight weeks prior to the annual meeting to discuss issues related to the annual theme and to develop an adequate understanding of concepts in order to fully engage with the topic.

• Many other NGOs gave examples of holding one to two day pre-sessions or national workshops prior to attending major events, in order to discuss issues and concepts with child participants, to ensure they are well briefed to engage with rights issues and develop their own, informed recommendations or memoranda.

• Securing sufficient budget to hold such events is regarded as a critical first step. Many organisations manage to build some preparation activities into on-going project activities such as weekly child rights club meetings. These activities do not require separate resource mobilisation. However, transporting children and chaperones to distant venues or across international borders requires additional funding and these activities need to be planned for in advance. As one interviewee cautioned, “Without adequate funding, nothing happens!”

ii. Adults need to be informed that children will participate in the meeting and they should be asked to be considerate and willing to listen to them and encourage children’s participation. (Picture below by male Voice of the Young member, 18 years).

22

iii. ‘Child and young people-friendly’ information is essential in order to give children the same access to information as adults. • For example, prior to a national conference regarding the Convention on the Rights

of Disabled Persons in Yemen, a child-friendly version of the Convention and other materials were developed by Save the Children and circulated to child participants in preparation for pre-session workshops and issues faced by children with disabilities. (See 5.5 for more information).

iv. Language is a major barrier to children’s participation in international meetings. Proper attention needs to be given to the translation of materials and the availability of interpreters.• At a recent Regional Follow Up Committee meeting of the Mouvement Africain des

Enfants et Jeunes Travailleurs (MAEJT), ‘whisper’ translation was provided by three youth interpreters in three languages, to ensure all children easily undersood and communicated during the proceedings, which were conducted in French, English and Portuguese.

• At the regional Children’s Consultation on the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities in Yemen, sign language, English and Arabic interpreters were present and information packs were also made available in Braille to ensure all children could actively participate in the workshop, regardless of home language or ability.

v. Child participatory processes are vulnerable to adult manipulation. There is a need to take measures to guard against this and to integrate into the process tolerance and respect for other people’s opinion.

vi. Child protection must be built into every aspect of the planning for an event or process involving children.• • It is gratifying to note that all the organisations involved in this study mentioned

having developed some form of child protection policy and the procedures to be followed when involving children in national or regional events. (See Appendix 3 for examples.)

4.2.2 During the Meeting

i. Children need to have a clear role when taking part in a meeting.• As mentioned in 4.2.1 above, the goal of child participation and the role of children

in the process should be discussed and agreed during briefing sessions with child participants prior to the meeting. This provides an opportunity for children to input their own ideas as well as clarifying mutual expectations.

ii. Children want to be taken seriously by adults.• Child members of various networks noted the following signs that adults were prepared

to listen to children and take them seriously:

iii. Children want to be treated as partners when taking part in a meeting where they have been invited by adults.

23

“Adults sit together with children and listen to our opinions…”;“In meetings that are child-led… children speak first, then youth animators speak and the adults speak last…”;“They (adults should) turn their mobile phones off… this is a sign of their commitment… they are serious about listening to us…”

I want to Contribute

CHILD ADULTS

SHUT UP!!!

(Picture above by male Voice of the Young member, 18 years)

iv. Children want to take part in mainstream events, and not just in parallel activities and this is why a Children's Forum is usually held prior to the actual meeting or summit.• Various children interviewed during the study emphasised the need for children to

take an active part in meetings. As one member of MAEJT noted, “We cannot exchange ideas when we are separate … when we are together (with adults) we can express ourselves and tell them about our reality.” Another member cautioned against token inputs from children, “Sometimes we are only given a short time to present and we can’t explain the situation properly… we need to be given enough time to share our experiences and give our views…”

• Most interviewees described events that had included parallel sessions in which children and adults discussed workshop issues separately. However, the most successful events brought both children and adults together on the final day of the process. At these joint sessions children had an opportunity to engage directly with adults, ask questions and present their own recommendations or memoranda.

• One member of MAEJT described a constructive relationship between children and adults during meetings, “Youth animators are there to back us up, to help us be organised and to express ourselves, but they must not dominate or make decisions for us… children themselves must decide what they will say and how their opinions will be presented...”

24

v. Children need to be able to meet in their own space; time and ways appropriate to their age e.g. use a variety of methodologies such as drama, art, role play, music, plenary and smaller working group sessions. • Pre-sessions or parallel sessions (sometimes held at different times or in different

locations) were perceived by both adult and child interviewees to be a useful way in which children can share ideas and discuss issues at their own pace and in a more child friendly manner, without involving highly technical or formal presentations. However, these sessions should not be seen as a replacement for children speaking for themselves. As one interviewee noted, “Don’t involve children in adults’ technical discussions, but at the same time don’t speak on children’s behalf… rather design a children friendly process…” that will combine both parallel and group sessions.

vi. Children want to work with the media. They should be supported to do so and, at the same time protected from it.

vii. Use experienced child friendly facilitators to design an active, stimulating agenda.• Several CSO staff noted the value of using skilled and creative facilitators to integrate

child participation into meetings. “Facilitators who have experience working with children will know not to use PowerPoint, lots of writing or flipcharts… instead they play lots of games, use painting and drama to help children discuss topics and share experiences… they know how to go about helping children to prepare a statement or recommendations without involving lots of writing.”

viii. Use a suitable venue that has natural light and flexible space that can be adapted to suit different activities.• Interviewees recommended choosing venues that were safe for children; had natural

light and were spacious enough to enable adults and children to move around, play games as well as having seating for discussions or report backs.

• One interviewee described the negative effects of an inappropriate venue on child participation, “The selected room for the workshop was a night club, located next to a casino. Despite (our) attempts to make the room child friendly, the dim lighting, the stop lights, a large stage and numerous low couches… made it an extremely difficult space. Facilitators were forced by the size of the room to use microphones at some points… The children complained about the spotlights, the dim light and lack of windows which made them very sleepy and dimmed concentration…”

ix. Adults accompanying children and young people to meetings need to be clear about their responsibilities, but also given opportunities to use their skills and experience when the children are busy elsewhere. • While formal chaperone responsibilities are covered in child protection policies and

procedures, the further involvement of adults in the planning and implementation of the event is often not considered by event organisers. Where possible the skills and experience of adults accompanying children should be more extensively used during events.

x. And finally, the process must be fun!• “Fun is an important part of any children’s participatory process – it must be a positive experience for

children!”

25

4.2.3 After the Meeting

i. Follow up needs to be planned and budgeted for during the planning stage of any consultation with children and young people. • During a roundtable meeting on NEPAD and Children in 2008 the relevant high level

AU representatives did not attend. Thus, the recommendations made at the meeting were difficult to follow up thereafter. As a result, future meetings have made a concerted effort to include key decisions-makers in the planning as well as the event, to ensure greater commitment and buy in from the beginning and to facilitate follow up activities.

• Many interviewees noted that a follow-up process after an event was as important as the event itself. It also appeared to be the aspect of child participation that organisations struggled with the most. As one practitioner noted, “There is a need to think through the whole follow-up process beforehand, especially if it is part of a broader advocacy campaign... we are not strategic enough on how we involve children in advocacy… we tend to focus too much on involving children in individual events or presentations without thinking about how they are involved in the longer term process…” Another interviewee said, “I don’t know what they (government officials) do with all the recommendations… it is a challenge…”

• Another respondent remarked: “We put so much effort into getting children’s views on these issues, but there is no follo- up (after the conferences)… the children actually ask the same question… they want to know ‘what happened to our memorandum from last year’… but the minsters don’t respond… they just push it back to their departments…”

ii. Follow-up to meetings with key decision makers need to be an essential part of the process of children’s participation – not an afterthought. • The challenge of ensuring follow-up and accountability of decision makers to children

further emphasises the need for child participants to be organised or to be part of a representative structure or network. Being part of a structure not only facilitates feedback by child participants to their peers after an event, but also aids ongoing communication with the children the structure represents and creates an organised entity that is more difficult for decision makers to ignore. As one interviewee noted, “Government will not be accountable back to a particular group unless you have strong pressure from different sources… it is important to have structures to back children up…”and “An umbrella network of all child rights clubs and groups is a good starting point… NGOs need to help children get organised… countries with these structures go much further...”

iii. Ensure linkages between the outcomes of children’s meetings and future work/ programmes with children.• Forming a structure to follow up on outcomes and feed results into ongoing programme

activities has proved to be an effective way of ensuring that linkages are maintained and a reasonable level of accountability achieved. One useful example included the Voice of the Young’s ‘advocacy group’ Established in 2007. This is a small sub-group of eight children nominated by Voice of the Young members to follow up on recommendations or plans made at various meetings or events in which Voice takes part. Members of the advocacy group are selected for their interest in and experience with particular advocacy issues as well as their public speaking skills. The group meets monthly to plan activities, write letters, prepare statements or lobby for meetings with key officials. While response rates have been slow and challenging to maintain, the group has had some success over the last four years regarding influencing national policies and legislation affecting children in The Gambia. (See 5.3 for more information.)

26

iv. Stay in touch with children and provide them with regular updates on the follow-ups.

v. Ensure linkages and regular exchange of experiences between children through the use of internet, teleconferences, sms and snail mail.

vi. Systematic evaluation is essential to improve practice and to learn more for the future. • Several organisations mentioned a variety of ways in which evaluations of meetings

were conducted, ranging from half day debriefing meetings with organisers/child participants to more formal external evaluations. Although systematic evaluations were less common and infrequently documented by organisations, all interviewees emphasised the need for a conscious review of child participation, especially after key meetings or conferences. As one interviewee noted, “We need to do evaluations and debriefings of events with both adults and children… they are important for our own learning, for documenting lessons and for institutionalising good practices in our organisations.” Thus, a far greater attempt should be made to evaluate and document child participation experiences, and not only when mistakes have been made or challenges faced but also where success has been realised.

(Picture by female Voice of the Young member, 16 years)

27

Comments on Child Parliaments/ Children’s Assemblies

Since the ratification of the UNCRC in 1989, many countries in Africa have established child parliaments in an attempt to promote child participation. However, perceptions of these structures are mixed and several interviewees raised serious concerns about their effectiveness. For example, a recent evaluation of child parliaments in three countries in West Africa concluded that, while there had been some success in developing child parliamentary structures, individual member’s public speaking, networking skills and raising awareness of child rights and child participation, these structures still had significant weaknesses, such as :

• Limited supportive legislation, policies and vague legal status of child parliaments, especially regarding child protection, the provision of logistics, technical assistance and financial support;

• Lack of a medium or long term strategy for working with child parliaments. Typically support is provided for sporadic, ad hoc events, such as elections or celebration of national days, as opposed to longer term programme interventions;

• Instrumentalisation of child parliaments to advocate for priority issues only on government or ‘parent’ INGO agendas;

• Limited appreciation and negative adult perceptions of child parliament work, especially by traditional leaders and conservative members of society;

• Uniform profile of child parliament members, who do not represent a diverse range of children, especially vulnerable or marginalised groups;

• Limited accountability of child parliamentarians to their peers.

Similar concerns were expressed by some interviewees in Kenya, who perceived that recent national elections of child assembly members in some areas of the country were poorly organised, rushed and undemocratic, as the electoral process tended only to focus on in-school children in urban areas.

For these reasons, some CSOs cautioned against relying on child parliaments as key national structures for promoting child participation at regional or Pan African levels.

4.2.4 Follow-up

i. Adults sometimes see child and adolescent participation in a meeting as an end point, whereas for most child participants the meeting means a beginning: a beginning of new relationships, networks and dialogue with adults, etc.

ii. If an evaluation is done of the meeting, make sure that child participants are involved too. Children would also like to know the impact of their participation in the meeting.

iii. Children often express a wish to be involved in implementation of decisions taken at the meeting. Try to find ways that this can be accommodated as much as possible.

iv. Try to ensure that child participants have an opportunity to share what they have discussed and learned at the meeting with their peers at home. This could mean organising a follow-up youth meeting in your locality or country. Feed back to existing community activities, etc.

v. Internet networks could be one way to continue to share ideas and experiences for participants. Adults need to be prepared to guide young people in this process.

28

Common child participation pitfalls to avoid :12

• Urban bias of selected child participants;• Mainly involving older children (15 – 18 years) – because

they are perceived to be “easier to work with”;• Mainly involving in-school children from urban areas –

because they are easier to access;• Language bias – mainly involving/selecting children who can

speak English or French;

4.2.5 Selection of Participants for an International Meeting

i. It is strongly advised that the organisers involve children themselves in the selection process. By selecting their peers, children become part of the process and it is easier for them to identify with the work to be undertaken including follow up afterwards. (See Appendix 4 for more detailed guidelines on participant selection).

ii. Involve children who are already actively involved in regional, national or international initiatives leading to the meeting that will be held should inform each other on the outcomes of these meetings and to share experiences at the international level.

iii. The selection of child participants needs to be sensitive to issues of representation and inclusion, in order to both maximise the experience brought into events and to promote the sustainability of outcomes.

iv. Involve children with an interest, direct experience or expertise in issues that pertain to the outcome of the meeting.

v. Involve children who will be able to speak on behalf of a broad cross-section of their country’s children.

vi. Embrace children with a solid understanding and experience of issues related to children and young people in their country.

vii. Include children who are part of existing peer groups and who can feed back their experiences, and propose ways of action to other children when they return after the meeting they are taking part in.

viii. It would be desirable for children to have a working knowledge of one of the languages spoken at the meeting, or to be accompanied by a delegate who volunteers to interpret for them (in case they speak a local language). However, language should not be a barrier to child participation.

In addition, when selecting children for participation in a meeting, it would be advisable to have a balance in the following areas:

• Gender • Religion • Rural versus urban place of residence • In and out of school • Socio-economic background • Ethnic background • Disabilities, etc.

29

Common child participation pitfalls to avoid :• Not allowing enough time in the agenda for preparation and

briefing of children beforehand;• Overpreparing children – thus their presentations come

across as “scripted” or “rehearsed”;• Overreliance on formal presentations and speeches as main

output of child participation – “we should use different methods to enable children to express themselves more naturally and authentically”;

• Meeting proceedings are too official and include too many formal presentations – too little time is allocated for one-on-one interactions between adults and children;

• Lack of accountability and reporting back to children and children’s groups – feedback loops post-events are weak; advocacy initiatives are slow, especially in resource constrained environments, thus children seldom hear how their ideas and recommendations have been taken into account or responded to.

4.2.6 Other Practical Considerations13

a). Preparing Children and Young People for Participation in a Meeting In the spirit of true participation, children should be properly informed and guided by adults prior to their participation in the meeting. Check children’s expectations and explain the limits of a meeting. Provide participants with child friendly documentation pertaining to the meeting and explain when necessary. Sometimes participants can communicate with one another through the web (UNICEF uses ‘Voices of Youth’ and other internet-based youth platforms). However, be sensitive to those children who do not have access to the internet and ensure that they get information via post. Where possible also use telephone briefings or a nominated trainer/focal person.

b). Facilitation of a Meeting Where both Adults and Children take PartThe success of any meeting depends largely on the facilitators. Many NGOs with experience of facilitating such meetings emphasised the necessity of identifying a set of selection criteria for facilitators before hand, such as:

• Fully qualified and with demonstrable experience in working directly with children;• Use a mixture of adults and young people to facilitate sessions;• Familiar with the use of participatory and experiential facilitation techniques;• Multicultural and from the same regions of the world as the participants; • Gender balance;• Sensitive to disability, diversity and culturally specific issues related to the context of the

meeting;• Able to work with different age groups and facilitate intergenerational dialogue.

30

It is usually an advantage if facilitators speak a common language as this will help them during their preparations. The number of facilitators needed will be determined by the number of participants. If the meeting is for children only, a child friendly venue will be important.

c). Languages and Interpretation for Children at a Meeting Some issues to consider:

• If the meeting is conducted in several languages, simultaneous or whisper interpretation must be available.

• Simultaneous interpretation works well but also makes a meeting static as a formal seating arrangement is often required.

• 'Whisper translation' (where one person translates what is being said to a small group of participants) is another option. However, this type of interpretation takes a lot of time and slows down the pace of the meeting, so participants need to be informed that they have to be patient and respectful when others speak.

• Children who speak languages other than the official languages at the meeting should have a personal interpreter.

d). Chaperones Protection Issues In most instances children under the age of 18 will have to be accompanied by an adult who could ensure their safety and wellbeing while participating in your meeting. It is important that the responsibilities of the chaperone are fully explained and agreed upon before departure to the location of the meeting and within their delegation, including the child participant and his/her parents/guardians. There is a need for the signing of a parent/guardian consent form by both parents/guardian and the chaperone and a confirmation in writing the responsibilities of the chaperone.

The chaperone should ideally be someone who knows the child, who speaks the same language and with whom the child has a trusting relationship. Gender balance should also be considered - girl delegates should be accompanied by a woman - unless otherwise agreed upon with the young person’s parents/guardians. The responsibilities of the chaperone will start from the time the child leaves his/her parents/guardians to travel to the meeting and will end when the child has safely returned to his/her parents/guardians at home.

Chaperones sometimes function as personal interpreters. If this is the case, it should be pointed out to the adults that they should not dominate or speak on behalf of the child.

e). Preparation for Media Coverage: • Agreed guidelines regarding interaction of children and media.• In a recent seminar conducted by Save the Children UK regarding children who cross

borders, the facilitation team asked children to make recommendations about what questions they would be uncomfortable being asked by the media and guidelines for taking photographs. The children said, “Tell them not to ask us where our parents are” and agreed on a “no faces and no names” policy for photographs, newspaper articles and quotes. The journalists were then briefed by the facilitator prior to engaging in the seminar with the children. (See 5.4 for more information).

31

• Ask children before the meeting whether they would like to be interviewed by media or not.

• Children should sign a media consent form. • Media interviews or the presence of media should not disrupt the meeting. Set specific

times when the meeting is open to the media.

32

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

33

Case Studies – Promising Practices Regarding Child Participation

5.1 Children’s Voices – Kenya

Children’s Voices was started in 2000 by Children for Children, a UK-based charity organisation, with the aim of giving children a voice, celebrating children’s creativity and empowering them to educate their peers. The celebrations are conducted annually

throughout the world. Initially Childlife Trust coordinated the annual event in Kenya, but during the last few years several other NGOs have become involved, such as Plan International, World Vision and Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children (KAACR).

In Kenya, the involvement of the private sector in funding child participation has been very positive. Media, marketing, PR and advertising companies are keen to support space that gives children a voice. Investments in capacity building regarding child participation has taken centre stage, especially as CSOs strive to better their skills at involving children in a meaningful way.

5.1.1 Objectives of Children’s Voices in Kenya

The objectives of Children’s Voices include:• To create a forum for enabling children’s voices to be heard.• To enhance diverse forms of expression among children.• To enhance child participation.• To provide links to other children’s organisations at a global level.

For the last 11 years, various Children’s Voices conferences have been held annually in different regions in Kenya, including the Coast, Northern, Western, Central and Eastern regions. Events are coordinated by various NGOs, such as Childline, Girl Child Network, World Vision, Plan International and Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children. Typically the conferences last between one to three days and usually involve between 200 – 3000 children aged between 7 and 17 years.

5.0

34

5.1.2 Organisation

Organising NGOs involved in a conference work together with children to design and implement activities. Coordination of the event is undertaken by both a children’s steering group and an adult’s steering group. Members of the children’s steering group are usually selected from among children’s groups already working with the coordinating NGOs, such as child rights clubs. For example each child rights club will nominate representatives to be part of the children’s steering group, consisting of approximately 20–30 children between grades four and eight in primary and secondary school.

The child rights clubs cover a variety of areas, thus, members of the children’s steering group are intentionally nominated from a variety of contexts to ensure the inclusion of a wide range of boys and girls from different religious, ethnic, formal and informal areas as well as children with special needs. A new steering group is formed each year, but members can serve for more than one year, provided they are below 18 years old. This ensures there is some continuity and institutionalisation of skills within the group.

However, in 2011, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare called for the formation of a national children’s assembly (similar to a national child parliament). Under the guidance of the District Children’s officer, NGOs were asked to support the election of child representatives in every county.

However, children’s assemblies are now in place in most regions in the country. In Nairobi, the main duty bearers, such as governors, speakers and various deputies were nominated by their peers to form the children’s steering committee which undertook the planning and facilitation of the local Children’s Voices event, held at the end of October. The integration of the two structures is seen as positive, as one NGO staff member highlighted: “We have reduced the number of parallel structures… it makes Children’s Voices stronger and has enabled better involvement of children.” Another interviewee remarked: “I hope the children’s assemblies will mean more organised linkages with government… we need to go beyond just having an event… they (government minsters) must take the memoranda seriously.”

Each NGO involved in Children’s Voices is responsible for ensuring child protection policies and procedures are observed during meetings leading up to and during the actual Children’s Voices event. Each NGO has a child protection policy and ensures that the relevant consent forms are signed by adults, parents and guardians and that the protection procedures are followed, especially when children travel or are accommodated overnight at a venue.

5.1.3 Child Participation and Promising Practices

Children are involved in identifying the annual theme, designing of the event, deciding which key decision makers to invite as well as being responsible for facilitation. The day prior to the Children’s Voices event, members of the children’s steering group converge and they are trained facilitation techniques by NGO staff.

35

While each event may follow a slightly different agenda, the following activities usually take place: on the first day of the Children’s Voices event, participants gather at the venue, wearing T-shirts and carrying banners bearing slogans related to the annual theme. The group then marches through the community to publicise the event and raise awareness regarding the issue. The afternoon may be spent on sports activities, with different children’s groups competing against each other.

In the morning of the second day, participants are usually broken into smaller groups of 30-40 children, with two child facilitators, one adult supporter and one adult rapporteur assigned to each group. The child facilitators assist participants to workshop the selected theme, discuss child rights issues and identify recommendations. During lunch break, the child facilitators and adult rapporteurs work together to combine the recommendations into one common memorandum. In the afternoon, children have the opportunity to meet with key decision makers and government officials invited to the event, to ask questions and to present their recommendations. For example, the Children’s Voices conference, held in Nairobi, has consistently been attended by the second in command of the Government of Kenya (or Vice President), key ministers and other officials, such as the Secretary for Children, Director for Children Services, and the CEOs of various corporates, INGOS and NGOs. . The ministers and officials are briefed beforehand, “We tell them ‘no speeches’… we tell them that the children have come to speak to you!”

The Children’s Voices conferences have contributed to several child rights processes in Kenya, such as lobbying for the finalisation of the Children’s Act, the review of the Education Act, restricting the advertising of alcohol and cigarettes on billboards in close proximity to schools and putting in place measures to better protect children in emergency situations, in the wake of 2007 post-election violence and input of children’s views into the new constitution and the National Plans of Action. Several CSOs also use the Children’s Voices events to feed into other activities and programmes, especially advocacy campaigns regarding policy reform and raising awareness of child rights issues.

5.2 MAEJT – West Africa

The Mouvement Africain des Enfants et Jeunes Travailleurs (MAEJT) or the African Movement of Working Children and Youth (AMWCY) was established in 1994 in West Africa. As of October 2011, MAEJT had 250 associations and 140,000 members in 21 countries across Africa.

71% of members are working children below 18, and 56% are girls. Members work in a variety of areas, such as artisan apprentices, domestic employees (especially girls), trading/selling, providing services (e.g. hairdressing, shoe-shining, porters), restaurant workers, entertainment, manufacturing, animal husbandry, fishing, or self-employed.

36

5.2.1 Objectives of MAEJT

The objectives of the movement include:• Promoting and reinforcing implementation of the 12 rights of working children and

youth;• Improving the living and working conditions of working children and youth; • Building communication capacities of members and associations;• Building members capacities by setting up profitable income generating activities (IGAs);• Strengthening members, associations and animators training;• Developing collaboration between working children and youth, local authorities,

international institutions, NGOs and other movements;• Organising working children and youth at the national level in order to undertake

common activities and national programmes;• Participating in discussion and lobbying the United Nations on behalf of the village.

5.2.2 The 12 Rights of Working Children and Youth

The 12 rights identified by MAEJT are specifically related to the situation of working children and youth of Africa and are the backbone of the movement. These rights are also perfectly compatible with children’s rights as defined in the UNCRC and the ACRWC.

• Right to train in order to learn a trade;• Right to remain in the village (no exodus);• Right to work in a safe environment;• Right to a light and limited work;• Right to sick leave;• Right to be respected;• Right to be listened to;• Right to enjoy oneself, to play;• Right to health care;• Right to express and organise oneself;• Right to learn to read and right;• Right to equitable justice in case of problems.

5.2.3 Organisation

MAEJT has developed clear criteria which new groups must meet in order to join the movement. These criteria include, being active for at least one year, providing an annual report and having an action plan.

To date working children and youth have formed about 2,200 grassroot groups or clubs in villages and neighbourhoods across Africa. These grassroot groups join hands to form associations within common locations or towns. Associations come together to form a national coordination at country level. Together these associations and national ‘coordinations’ form the core of the movement.

37

The General Assembly (“African Meeting”) of the movement takes place every three years and the African Commission, which consists of one national delegate (below 18) per country, meets annually. A Managerial Executive Group, consisting of six delegates meets four times a year. Several other working groups have been formed to support the work of the movement, including programme follow up, technical support, child mobility and communication.

National delegates must be between 14 and 17 years old, and typically serve for three years or until they are over 18. The criteria for selection of national delegates include: being an active participant of a group or association, being capable of expressing yourself freely, being well informed about MAEJT and its work, and knowing how to talk to older people.

Two NGOs, PLAN International and Environmental Development Action in the Third World (ENDA), currently support MAEJT via a three year agreement. At a regional level ENDA also supports MAEJT in its programme management, lobbying, communication and training.

a). Africain des Enfants et Jeunes Travailleurs (AEJT) in RwandaAs mentioned above MAEJT consists of organised groups of children at various levels. For example, in Rwanda, children from the same residential or working areas have come together to form groups. The children discuss the 12 rights of working children and ways in which they can improve their living and working conditions in their communities. There are approximately 35 active grassroot groups across Rwanda, accounting for an estimated 2,400 members. These children are involved in a range of activities, such as rearing small stock, e.g. rabbits, agriculture, small scale vending, e.g. selling food or mobile phone airtime, tailoring, motor cycle repairs or traditional dancing.

Grassroots groups within the same town or area come together to elect an ‘area’ committee to represent them. In Rwanda there are three such committees, i.e. AEJT Kigali, West Rwanda and South Rwanda. These committees meet at a national level and elect one representative per area to form a national committee.

According to Marcel Sibomana (voluntary AEJT Youth Advisor), the grassroots groups and committees have been successful in involving children in changing adults attitudes in their communities, “Children are playing a role in changing opinions… children’s voices are being heard through these neighbourhood groups.” The groups are child-led, as children take responsibility for forming their own structures and managing their own work plans, which include designing and running their own workshops for parents and community leaders, regarding the 12 rights of working children and raising awareness regarding the situation of working children. Solidarity between group members is also an important element of the organisation, “Children support each other if they have problems.” The groups have also been able to mobilise funding from various donors, such as Save the Children Sweden and UNICEF, to conduct workshops and community awareness activities.

In Rwanda each group of children has access to at least one volunteer youth advisor, usually a former AEJT member. The youth advisors assist the groups to develop work plans, mobilise resources, report on activities and they play a key role in maintaining communication across the national network as they can facilitate access to mobile phones and money for air time.

38

b). MAEJT PublicationsMAEJT produces two regular publications:

• “WCY face the challenge” – an annual news bulletin of MAEJT published by ENDA, Jeunesse Action in Dakar. The editorial committee is made up of working children and youth with assistance from the ENDA staff.

• The bulletin includes articles, interviews, impressions, portraits, poems and games produced by children and youth from member countries. It is aimed at the general public and decision makers and is intended to inform them about the life and daily challenges working children and youth face. The bulletin is published in both English and French.

• “Calao Express” – is a monthly electronic (via email) news bulletin published by ENDA, Jeunesse Action in Dakar, which was first released in 2005. It contains a great deal of information on MAEJT activities as well as their supporting institutions. It is available in French, English, Portuguese, Italian and German.

• Other reports – MAEJT has also published several reports on issues facing working children and youth in Africa, such as child migration and ICT safety. Details of these reports are contained on the website: www.eja.enda.sn

5.2.4 Child Participation and Promising Practices

Child members (under 18) form and run grassroot groups and clubs at neighbourhood and village level. While groups and associations do receive technical support and advice from youth advisors (usually older/former MAEJT members over 18 years), children are responsible for mobilising members, planning activities, securing own resources, implementing action plans and supporting each other to address the problems working children face in their communities.

Children are also responsible for forming national and regional structures within the movement and generally running the organisation from local to Pan African levels.

As Aimé Bada (ENDA Jeunesse in Action) emphasised, “It is a principle of MAEJT that children are involved in and are responsible for coordinating the movement. Children are involved in every step that concerns their well being and the realisation of their rights… from determining what priorities they want to address… to how they will address their rights.”

This approach to child participation is well established within the movement. “In all our meetings priority is given to children… younger children speak first, then older children and (youth) animators… and then adults speak last. This gives space for children to talk and makes sure that children, as well as adults, are listened to and respected.” (female MAEJT member, 17 years).“Our participation has trained us to express ourselves and to understand issues, even if we never went to school.” (male MAEJT member, 15 years).

In addition to forming and managing groups and associations, children identify issues within communities, initiate their own training programmes and facilitate meetings for parents, community leaders and local authorities. Marcel Sibomana (Youth Advisor - Rwanda) noted that in this way, “Children have played a significant role in changing opinions in society and promoting the 12 rights (of working children)… children are big actors in the communities where associations work.”

39

The establishment of such a well connected child-led network across more than 20 countries in Africa has been a significant achievement, especially as the movement has mobilised a large number of grassroots neighbourhood groups as well as functional national and regional structures which effectively address the rights of working children and youth.

5.3 Voice of the Young – The Gambia

Voice of the Young or in short Voice, was formed in 2002 by the Child Protection Alliance (CPA), which is a national network of CSOs whose mandate is to protect child issues. Voice of the Young is an independent network of children within CPA and serves as the mouth-piece of children in all operations of the Alliance.

5.3.1 Objectives of Voice

The objectives of Voice include:• To raise awareness and increase knowledge of children and the general public on issues

of child rights promotion and protection in The Gambia.• To empower children with necessary skills to be able to participate meaningfully

and actively in making decisions on matters that affect their lives and welfare.• To empower children to be able to participate in the identification of their rights and protection issues that affect their lives, and in finding solutions to these issues.

• To grow in children a sense of responsibility towards their parents, community and country and respect for adults and those in positions of authority.

5.3.2 Organisation

Voice members are typically between 12 and 18 years and come from several schools in the Greater Banjul Area. In addition, Voice clubs that have been established in schools in two regions in The Gambia, i.e. Lower River Region and Central River Region. The current membership of Voice of the Young in the Greater Banjul Area is approximately 114, while that of the Voice Clubs is about 400. Nearly half of the members are girls.

In 2004, CPA established 24 Voice Clubs across the country. To ensure efficiency, greater impact and better coordination, in 2006 the Clubs were reduced to 12 and focus was directed towards Lower and Central River Regions. The decentralised structure of Voice of Young was deemed important to ensure that children in both rural and urban areas are empowered and able to participate in decision-making at school, family and communities levels. The clubs are run by children with the support of teacher coordinators.

Training activities have been conducted for the executive members of these clubs and their coordinators to enable them to understand child rights and how to disseminate information to other students and members of the community. Similar capacity building workshops have been organised for the school principals and Chairpersons of the Parent-Teacher Associations. In this way Voice has established sound working relationships with education officials as well as school principals in order to address child rights issues.

40

The clubs develop their own plans, are funded by CPA from financial support provided by Save the Children Sweden and implement their own activities within their school or communities, such as radio programmes, intergenerational dialogues and social mobilisation regarding their preferred child rights issues.

Clubs are receive funding of up to US$450 per year to cover the cost of their activities. Members are responsible for reporting on the use of funds and progress of activities. The CPA Youth Coordinators visit the schools bi-annually, to monitor and evaluate activity implementation.

Voice of the Young in the Greater Banjul Area is led by a national executive body of 15 core members. The Executive Body meets every two weeks at CPA offices to plan activities and implement decisions on behalf of Voice. The president of the Executive automatically becomes a member of the CPA Board and represents the interests of children within the Alliance.

Members of the Executive Body are elected annually for a period of one year and must be less than 17 years and 6 months old at the time of election. When children turn 18, they are no longer eligible for membership of Voice. Instead they become ‘ceremonial members’ and help to mentor younger or newer members of Voice. Some Voice members have become fulltime CPA secretariat staff, and work as youth coordinators.

The Voice Clubs in schools have similar governance structure and arrangements.

5.3.3 Child Participation and Promising Practices

Voice holds a bantaba twice a year in Great Banjul and in one other location upcountry. ‘Bantaba’ is a Mandinka (local language in The Gambia) meaning ‘a place where people gather to discuss and share ideas’. Typically a bantaba is a two-day intergenerational meeting organised by Voice members in conjunction with the CPA secretariat. The meetings focus on child protection issues, such as sexual abuse and corporal punishment.

On the first day of a bantaba, children gather at a central place, wearing T-shirts and carrying banners bearing slogans related to the theme of the meeting. The group then marches through the community and distributes leaflets to publicise the bantaba and raise awareness about child protection issues.

An opening ceremony is then held at which government officials are invited to make speeches and children give presentations. This is followed by a series of intergenerational small group discussions, which give children and adults the opportunity to discuss issues and share ideas for solving problems.

These discussions culminate in a set of recommendations. The recommendations are then presented by children to relevant government officials.

41

The second day usually set aside for sport events and drama, quiz and debate competitions between Voice clubs on child rights and child protection issues. And the bantaba concludes with a prize-giving and a closing ceremony.

One of the challenges that Voice has faced since its inception, has been how to ensure follow up on recommendations and getting feedback regarding how issues have been addressed by various government departments. Thus, in 2007, an advocacy group was formed by Voice to tackle this problem. This group consists of eight children, five executive members and three general members, nominated by Voice to follow up on recommendations or plans made at various Voice meetings or events. Members of the advocacy group are selected on the basis of their interest in and experience with particular advocacy issues as well as their public speaking skills. The group meets monthly to plan activities, draft letters, prepare statements and lobby for meetings with key officials.

Response rates have been slow and challenging to maintain. As one member of Voice explained, “Getting policy makers to sit with us is difficult. But we have built a profile and the government knows who we are. They allow us to articulate our views.” As a result the group has had some success over the last four years regarding influencing national policies and legislation affecting children. For example, the group has successfully lobbied the government of The Gambia to ratify the two optional protocols of the UNCRC, to approve the Anti-trafficking Act, to prepare a periodic state party report to the UNCRC and proposed the establishment of a Ministry of Children. However, more contentious issues, such as the prohibition of corporal punishment in all settings and eradication of sexual tourism involving children, have been a big challenge to surmount.

5.4 Children on the Move – South Africa

In 2009 Save the Children UK organised a regional seminar on children who cross borders in southern Africa. Glynis Clacherty designed and facilitated the seminar in conjunction with 14 children from The Suitcase Project based at the Sophiatown Community Counselling Service in Johannesburg, South Africa, Save the Children UK and the Forced Migration Studies Programme at the University of the Witwatersrand.

5.4.1 Objective of the Conversation

“Traditionally children’s participation at a seminar of this nature usually includes a presentation by children in a plenary. This allows for the few more confident children to speak to attentive adults. We thought that this time we would try something different – a conversation between children and adults.” 14 The intention was to design a process that would empower children to make a meaningful input regarding recommendations for children who cross borders as well as to interact authentically with decision makers in a one-on-one basis within an ethical and protective environment.

42

The children used the situations they had drawn to create a three-dimensional ‘conversation piece’ with cut-outs of their original drawings and open-ended symbols, such as hands, people, additional images and no-entry signs etc. Working with collage, paint, crayon and printing, the children used their artworks to depict their responses to the following statements:

• Problems I faced in this situation;• Ways I was able to help myself;• People/things that helped me;• How I could have been helped more.

Each child’s artwork was placed in a box to frame it. “The children decided that these boxes should all have an arrow space as it depicted only a step in their journey and there was ‘more to come’.” 16

On Monday morning the group left the campsite and set up an exhibition of their ‘conversation boxes’ at a seminar venue. Each piece was to be used as a tool for creating a conversation between the children and adults. Initially the media and then later other adults, who had been invited to the seminar, met with the children, each of whom stood alongside their ‘conversation box’ ready to talk about the artwork. To conclude the seminar, the children presented a statement regarding children who cross borders, which they had prepared based on discussions that had taken place over the weekend.

Example of a Conversation Box (South Africa)

5.4.2 Child participation and promising practices

To facilitate the child-adult conversation a three-day process was designed to create a ‘conversation box’ through which children could share their ideas. The process started on a Saturday morning at a local campsite. The 14 participating children were asked to draw charcoal sketches on long pieces of paper to tell the story of the different places they had lived. Each child then chose one of the situations and used oil pastels on canvas to draw a more detailed picture. “Some children chose the time they crossed the border informally, others chose a refugee camp, others their home in their country of origin and some the many places they had lived in South Africa.” 15

43

“The response of the adult participants was very positive. It was clear that it was the first time some of them had interacted directly with migrant children. Some were quite emotional and obviously shocked by what they heard. Throughout the seminar adults referred in discussions to the conversations they had with particular children. It was clear that the personal contact made an impact.”

A week later the organising team met with the children who had been involved in the seminar to report back on the process and to get the children’s feedback regarding the process. “What they said was enlightening. All the children enjoyed the camp… they had fun! Fun is an important part of any child’s participatory process – it must be a positive experience for children! They also talked about how it had been difficult to think about their stories… that they had felt sad, as they had to think a lot about their situation to do the artwork.”

This raises a significant point – that no matter how well prepared children are or how much therapy they have received, work of this nature will raise emotions for children. Thus, it is important to have experienced staff to accompany children throughout the process, to stop along the way to find out how children are feeling and to help them contain these emotions. This can be done effectively through games and discussions. It is essential to provide this type of professional emotional support during such processes.

Most of the children enjoyed sharing their stories with the adults:“I was proud to tell my story.”“The people were kind to me and they did not ask any difficult questions I could not answer.”

During the camp, time had been spent preparing the children to deal with difficult questions that they might be asked and to determine how much they wanted to disclose about their experiences. In a public setting, children often feel pressured to reveal details they would not normally talk about, thus it is important to prepare children to say ‘no’ or to provide them with skills and techniques to choose what to say. Both the ‘conversation box’ and the techniques practiced during the camp help children to know and control their own limits: As one child said, “It was hard when they asked ‘where are your parents?’ For me I just did this (he puts his hand up in front of him) I just did not answer. I just thought ‘I will leave that’.”

The children commented on the difference between talking to the media as opposed to the other adult participants. The journalists tended to ask much more personal and invasive questions. Thus, it is important to prepare both children and journalists beforehand. The journalists had been briefed about basic guidelines for interviewing children and they observed the ‘no faces and no names’ rule when taking photos and reporting on the exhibition. As the facilitator noted, “We know journalists need stories, especially with some human interest. They also need visuals… so you can’t say ‘no photos’. But we found that they took as many pictures of the artworks as the children themselves… those pictures were even more powerful than those that depicted children in the negative.” Thus the artwork not only helped encourage dialogue between the children and adults, but also helped protect the children’s identity and privacy in a more effective manner.

44

In general the children’s participation process was successful. It allowed adults, who make decisions about migrant children, to listen to them – but more significantly, the process enabled some of the most marginalised children, especially shy younger children, to speak directly to adult decision makers on an equal footing. As the facilitator noted, “I don’t like presentations, although they do have a role. However, we wanted to create a process where children and adults interact authentically… Talking about something like a drawing is much more effective than a presentation… everyone can participate, even if you are shy… or can’t read or write. It also helps to keep the children at the centre of the process…”

5.5 Children’s Consultation on the Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities – Yemen

In 2007 Save the Children Sweden (SCS), in conjunction with The Yemeni Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, the Arab Human Rights Foundation and the Yemeni Disability Fund for Care and Rehabilitation held a regional consultation meeting on children’s rights and the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) in Yemen.

5.5.1 Objectives of the Children’s Consultation

The three-day meeting brought together more than 70 children and adults with and without disabilities from Middle East and North Africa region to discuss the best way to use the new Convention to promote and strengthen the rights of children with disabilities. Representatives and experts from national and international organisations also attended the meeting. The aim of the consultation was to discuss discrimination issues against people with disabilities and children presented recommendations on how best these rights could be preserved and promoted in future.

5.5.2 Children’sConsultation Process

The following steps were undertaken in planning and carrying out the consultation:

Before the Consultation:Media coverage

• Before consultation: A press release was produced to announce the regional consultation;

• During and after consultation: Coverage of the consultation by radio, TV and newspapers was arranged;

• SCS MENA website covered the conference – including press statements and information about the conference.

Visibility• Banners and T-shirts were designed with key advocacy messages.

45

Pre-consultation information pack• An information pack about the consultation was produced in English and Arabic;• A visually disabled information pack was produced in Braille;• The information pack included a description of the conference e.g. background,

objectives of consultation, expected results and way ahead;• A brochure on Save the Children Sweden was distributed.

Documentary video• A documentary film maker was recruited to produce a documentary on disabled children

rights and violations for the consultation as well as for advocacy and for the purpose of subsequent communication. The film maker worked with children directly and it was the children that guided her on their challenges. She did not have a pre-written script, but rather based footage on what the children told her.

During the Consultation:Two-day parallel sessions were held separately for both adult and child participants:

• Outline of children’s consultation process (involving 40 children with and without disabilities & four adult facilitators):

• Day 1 » Children’s opening speech (Yemeni children who developed video of children

with disabilities prior to consultation) » Getting to know each other; » Ground rules & expectations; » Agenda and programme; » Child protection mechanisms; » Brief background of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities; » Children living with disabilities – show the video produced by Yemeni children

on rights and violations and hold small group discussions on violations at home, at school, in the community, in institutions and in the media. (Responses used to inform children’s speech in adults’ session);

» Debriefing discussions – feedback & voting.• Day 2

» Present child-friendly version of CRPD – in the form of a game with energisers; » Putting CRPD into practice for children – discuss stakeholders and accountability; » Using small group discussions from Day 1 – develop case studies based on home,

school, community, institution and media; » Group session on who is responsible and what roles are expected of them; » Develop recommendations – children select their representative to address adults’

session; » Children are accompanied by one facilitator to prepare their contribution to the

adults’ session.• Day 3 - Joint children/ adult session

» Children move to adults’ conference to address adults with recommendations; » Projection of video by children; » Discussion with producers of the video; » Children present their recommendations to adults.

46

Reporting• Two rapporteurs were arranged for both the children’s and adults sessions.

After the Consultation:Media coverage

• A press release announcing the children’s recommendations was produced at the end of the consultation;

• The website was updated to include conference coverage, conclusions and press releases.

Advocacy • An advocacy strategy plan and messages were developed, based on recommendations

from adults and children.

5.5.3 Child Participation and Promising Practices

What Worked Well:• Used a children friendly venue – the venue was all on the same level to enable wheel

chair access; a large, flexible space was available for children to move around or sit in small group discussions; natural light and access was provided to a safe garden outside for games and relaxation;

• Adult facilitators were experienced in working with children and able to design a creative, active programme that took into consideration the needs of disabled children. Use of flip charts and presentations was minimised during the children’s session – instead information was conveyed through games, videos, songs and energisers;

• Child-friendly versions of the Convention and games were designed to explain technical information about the CRPD in a creative and accessible manner;

• Chaperones sat with children at all times and ensured children’s safety and protection during the event;

• Sign language, English and Arabic interpreters were present and information packs were available in Braille to ensure all children could actively participate in the workshop, regardless of home language or ability;

• Planned TV, radio and newspaper coverage was used to raise the profile of the event and to publicise advocacy messages before and after the event. As a result, the Yemeni government created a special committee to oversee the implementation of the CRPD.

47

Conclusions and Recommendations

As can been seen from the case studies (see chapter 5 for detailed profiles of each initiative) and interviewees’ comments, there are numerous examples of meaningful and effective child participation across Africa. Many of the CSO Forum member organisations have

extensive experience in designing and implementing sound child participation process at a national and regional level. Thus, the Forum has a rich range of skills and expertise to draw upon. It is recommended that the CSO Forum use its available physical and human resources to integrate child participation into at least one session during the first meeting in 2012 by undertaking the following actions:

i. Form a small Task Group to help guide the integration of child participation into the CSO Forum.

ii. The Task Group should consist of four-five member organisations of the CSO Forum, preferably organisations with links to representative child-led structures in their country or region. Together, member organisations should come from at least three regions in Africa, i.e. East, West, North, South or Central Africa.

iii. Each organisation should internally nominate an adult staff member and one child representative (below the age of 18 years), with an interest in promoting and/or experience of child participation at a regional level.

iv. Adult and child nominees should be available to voluntarily serve on the Task Group for a period of 12 months.

v. Role of the Task Group: » Develop a more detailed interim terms of reference for the Task Group; » Review the guidelines suggested in this report; » Determine how the guidelines can be practically applied in the next meeting of

the CSO Forum (e.g. March 2012); » Confirm the core principles or values on which child participation should be

based within the CSO Forum. » Guide the design and oversee a simple process of involving children in at

least one session of the next CSO Forum meeting. As suggested in the guidelines above, this may include country-level consultations and/ or the involvement of a representative group of children in at least one session of the CSO Forum during a combination of both parallel and joint sessions with children and adults. A suggested topic involves identifying a theme for the 2012 Day of the African Child.

» Make suggestions regarding resource mobilisation required to fund the child participation process during the next CSO Forum meeting;

Reinforcing Child Participation

48

» Coordinate the facilitation of child participation during at least one session of the next meeting of the CSO Forum;

» Coordinate a brief evaluation of the child participation process after the conclusion of the meeting. It is suggested that the evaluation include both children and adults. Based on lessons learnt from the experience, make recommendations regarding the integration of child participation into the future workings of the CSO Forum over the longer term.

» Coordinate the documentation of the process and lessons learnt.

49

Practical Resources of Child Participation

General Comment No. 12 (July 2009) The right of the child to be heard. CRC/C/GC/12 15 July 2009, CRC Committee, Geneva.

Interagency Working Group on Children’s Participation (2007) Children’s participation in decision making: Why do it, when to do it, how to do it. ECPAT International, Knowing Children, Plan International, Save the Children Alliance and UNICEF ESARO and World Vision.

Madoerin, K (May 2008) Mobilising children and youth into their own child- & youth-led organisations. Repssi.

Save the Children Alliance (2005) Practice standards in children’s participation. Save the Children UK, London.

UNICEF (2006) Concept note on child participation for UNICEF’s Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2006 – 2009 and beyond.

UNICEF (June 2010) Children as advocates: Strengthening child and young people’s participation in advocacy fora. New York.

United Nations General Assembly (Nov 2009) Omnibus Resolution on Rights of the Child – on the theme of child participation. Third Committee, New York.

Van Beers, H. Invernizzi, A & Milne, B (2006) Beyond Article 12: Essential readings on children’s participation. Black on White Publications, Bangkok.

Appendix 1:

50

Minimum Standards for Consulting ChildrenThe following minimum standards were developed by the Interagency Working Group on Children’s Participation . The standards are organised in a step-by-step format, outlining which standards need to be met before, during and after consultation.

Before the Meeting 1. A realistic budget needs to be made that includes all possible costs for children's

participation.2. Children friendly background information on the meeting produced, translated and

shared with children. 3. A child protection policy and strategy is developed for the meeting, all Child

Participants, adult delegates and adults supporting children's participation are informed of the policy.

4. Potential Child Participants are provided with relevant information regarding their involvement in the process of the meeting.

5. A transparent and fair process is used in the selection of Child Participants for the meeting.

6. Systems are developed to ensure that in the selection process, children and young people are not discriminated against because of age, gender, abilities, language, social origin, class, ethnicity, geographical location, etc.

7. Potential Child Participants have time to consider their involvement. Processes are established to ensure that Child Participants are able to and have given their personal informed consent to their participation.

8. All Child Participants are accompanied to the meeting by a suitable adult (chaperone) who will take responsibility for their safety and welfare.

9. Consent is obtained for the use of all information provided by child participants and information identified as confidential needs to be safeguarded at all times.

10. A formal complaints procedure (run by the organisers/facilitators of the meeting) is set up to allow Child Participants to make a complaint in confidence about any issue concerning their involvement in the meeting.

11. The roles and responsibilities of all involved in the meeting (children and adults) are clearly outlined and understood. Chaperones and Child Participants (and others involved) receive briefings on their specific roles.

12. All Child Participants must be fully insured (medical and travel) during their participation in the meeting (during travel to and from the city of the meeting and stay in the city of the meeting) and should fall under the responsibility of either their sponsoring organisation or the organisation hosting the meeting.

Appendix 2:

51

13. All chaperones receive a briefing at the meeting on how to work with children and young people.

14. The meeting place needs to be accessible to disabled Child Participants.

15. A preparatory workshop for Child Participants is organised immediately before the meeting to help prepare Child Participants for the meeting.

16. Facilitators are experienced at working effectively and confidently with Under 18 Delegates and able to facilitate an environment that is non-discriminatory and inclusive.

17. During the meeting 18. The organisers/facilitators are given the responsibility for child protection issues at all

meetings. 19. Child Participants are given equal opportunity with adult delegates to make statements,

presentations and voice their opinions at the meeting. These contributions are reflected in any outcome documents from the meeting.

20. Translators are provided for Child Participants during the course of the meeting and translation of all appropriate documents needed during the meeting is provided.

21. Chaperones provide translation for Child Participants during the time they are not in the meeting sessions (during travel, before and after the consultation and on any excursions).

22. Media activities follow an ethical code. Children who speak to the media are informed and prepared. A focal person is assigned to co-ordinate work on the media.

23. No photographs, videos or digital images of children and young people can be taken or published without that person's informed consent.

24. It should not be possible to trace information back to individual children or groups of children.

25. All delegates (adults and children and young people) are given the opportunity to evaluate their participation practice during the meeting (as part of the scheduled activities).

After the Meeting 1. Child Participants are given the opportunity to feedback and use their experience of

participating in the meeting with their peers, or with projects they are connected to and with local communities or organisations.

2. Child Participants are included in distribution lists for all follow-up documents from the meeting.

3. UNICEF National Committees and/or field offices provide support to Child Participants in order that they can be involved in follow-up activities from the meeting.

52

Example of Child Protection Policy and ProceduresSanaa, Yemen29th-30th October 2007 Child Protection Procedure

StatementChild abuse is a global phenomenon. It occurs in all countries and in all societies. It involves the physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect of children. It is nearly always preventable. The Inter-agency Group (Save the Children, UNICEF supporting children’s involvement in the CRPD conference is committed to prevention and a timely and appropriate response to any situation raising child protection concerns or instances of child abuse and accidents/incidents affecting children. This procedure outlines specific steps to ensure safe participation of children in this international event.

BackgroundAbuse and violence against children occur globally and in all settings. Accidents and incidents affecting children usually occur suddenly and unexpectedly. These are events which cause disruption to the normal functions of work and bring significant danger or risk. They include events that involve:

• Assault, including physical or sexual assault• Severe verbal aggression, including threats• Robbery or destruction of personal belongings• Traffic accident• Serious injury• Natural disaster e.g. earthquake, flood, electrical storm• Fire• Bomb or hostage threat• Explosion, gas, or chemical hazard etc.

In many instances Emergency Services such as police, fire department or emergency medical personnel may be involved in the critical incident response phase and have their own procedures for dealing with children and young persons affected by the incident. It is essential that all their actions are fully aligned with specific needs of children and respecting confidentiality of disclosures.

Steps to Ensure Child Protection i. Awareness and alertness: Anyone involved in international events involving children

needs to be briefed on forms and nature of abuse, importance of child protection and their respective role in the event. Supportive adults bear responsibility to undertake risk

Appendix 3:

53

assessment, create safe environments and provide assistance needed, while keeping alert throughout duration of children’s involvement.

ii. Disclosing child abuse or harm: In case of abusive incidents or accidents affecting their physical or mental wellbeing, children should immediately approach their accompanying adults or a designated child protection focal point. They will organise and provide immediate and appropriate assistance in accordance with the nature of incident, while ensuring confidentiality of sensitive issues disclosed.

iii. Taking action: Having assessed the specific kind of support needed, assistance to children affected by the incident is offered without delay, which may also involve arranging medical assessment. Family should be contacted and informed of the incident and assistance provided. Incident report is compiled to document details of the incident and clinical support persons from appropriate services are contacted and consulted with. Principle of ‘best interest of the child’ is applied throughout the process.

iv. Follow-up and debriefing: Relevant services should be approached in the aftermath of the incident to develop appropriate supports for children and others directly affected by or involved in the incident. Depending on the circumstances, this may involve:

» holding incident debriefing session(s) for all those directly affected by or involved in the incident

» arranging for extended counselling as required » supporting relevant persons responding to the incident » holding a review meeting for the purpose of reviewing the incident from an

administrative perspective to guide future responses to similar events

Child Protection Focal PointsChild Protection Focal Points, Jumanah Zabaneh and Aisha Saeed, are available throughout the duration of the conference (29th -31st October) to ensure the safety and well being of the Under 18 delegates. Any concerns will be addressed in confidence keeping the best interest of the child in mind.

Rules of Behaviour All delegates and support staff at the conference are asked to abide by the following ‘Rules of Behaviour’. Adults and children at the event Must Never:

• Hit or otherwise physically assault or physically abuse children • Develop physical/sexual relationships with children • Develop relationships with children which could in any way be seen as exploitative or

abusive • Act in ways that may be abusive or may place a child at risk of abuse • Use language, make suggestions or offer advice which is inappropriate, offensive or

abusive • Behave physically in a manner which is inappropriate or sexually provocative • Sleep in the same room as a child (if this has not been agreed by their Parent/

Guardian)*• Do things for children of a personal nature that they could do on their own • Permit or participate in, behaviour of children that is illegal, unsafe or abusive • Act in ways meant to shame, humiliate, belittle or degrade children, or otherwise commit

any form of emotional abuse

54

Discriminate against, show differential treatment, or favour particular children to the exclusion of others. This is not an exhaustive or exclusive list. The principle is that delegates and staff should avoid actions or behaviour that could be seen as poor practice or potentially abusive.

*Adults are not permitted to sleep in the same room or bed with children. With the previously agreed permission of both guardians, Under 18 and young participants may share rooms with other Under 18 and young participants. Accompanying Adults stay in the same hotel, as the Under 18 participant in their care, but stay in separate rooms. Only with written and signed agreement from the Under 18 Delegate and his/her Guardian(s), may Accompanying Adults share a room with the Under 18 participant(s) (of the same sex) under their care.

55

Please give this form to your Accompanying Adult. The Accompanying Adult will bring this form to Sanaa where he/she will give it to the logistics team.

Consent Form for Participants

You have been invited to attend a Children’s Consultation on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) in Sanaa between the 29th – 30th October 2007 hosted by Save the Children Sweden .

What you will be expected to do as a Participant and what other people will do should be explained to you before you agree to go to this event. This is called informed consent. When you have been chosen as a Participant you will be asked to sign this consent form. Signing this form means that you agree to go to this consultation and that you know what to expect once there.

If you have a big problem whilst you are away from home, for example you are ill, have an accident or miss your plane, there will be money available to sort out the problem so that you can get the medicine you need, go to hospital or catch another flight.

Your parents and Accompanying Adult have also been asked to sign this consent form to show that they agree with all this too.

I (name)...............................................................................................................................................................................................have talked about the above event to key adults and understand that................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

(name of Accompanying Adult) will travel with me to the events in Sanaa and will keep me safe and well.

Please TICK the boxes if your answer is YES:

Someone has asked me if I agree with the choice of Accompanying Adult for me.

Someone has talked to me about how my Accompanying Adult will look after me.

I will do what my Accompanying Adult asks me to do to ensure my safety and well being

I agree to go on this trip

I understand that I am allowed to say if I don’t want to go on this trip

I understand that if I decide to take part in media work at this Consultation I will receive media briefings on how to do interviews and may appear in photographs, films, videotapes audio-tapes, or other forms of recording at the event and my home/local area.

Signature of Participant...............................................................................................................................................................

If I have any problems about being with my Accompanying Adult I can contact another member of staff from my sponsoring organisation. When in Sanaa I can contact the child protection focal points, whose details I will be given before travelling.

If I become ill, have an accident or other emergency whilst I am away from home Save the Children my Accompanying Adult will help organise any medical treatment I might need.

I will be given contact names, addresses and phone numbers of people I can contact in emergencies for each city I stay in.

56

Accompanying Adult (Chaperone) Guidelines

Minimum standards that help and protect children are being applied to this event. They are based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and on four key principles of children’s participation:

• An ethical approach: Transparency, honesty and accountability. Adults involved in this event follow ethical and participatory practice and put children’s best interests first

• A child friendly environment: Children experience a safe, welcoming and encouraging environment that enables participation of all

• Equality of opportunity: Child participation work will encourage those groups of children who normally suffer discrimination and who are normally excluded from activities to be involved in the process

• Participation promotes the safety and protection of children: Child protection policies and procedures form an essential part of participatory work with children

Your role as an Accompanying AdultYou have been selected by a sponsoring agency to accompany a Participant to Save the Children Sweden’s Children Consultation on CRPD , which will be held in Sanaa in October 2007. Accompanying Adults play an important role in taking the primary responsibility for the safety and welfare of the Participants in their care at all times.

These responsibilities of the Accompanying Adult start from the time when the Participants leave their parent/carers to travel and only ends when they are safely handed over to their parent/carer on their return. The way in which Accompanying Adults take care of Participants should be appropriate to their age, maturity and disability.

Responsibilities include:1. Supporting the Participants during travel to and from Aden to Sanaa, including transport

within Sanaa to the venue of the consultation, travel to your hotel, local travel in Sanaa for other meetings, excursions etc.

2. Ensuring Participants have emergency phone numbers on them at all times during travel. Accompanying Adults should give orientation to the use of phones in different cities visited to Participants should also be given phone cards or adequate cash to ensure they have an independent means to call their embassy or consulate if they have a problem during travel.

3. Informing about and explaining the role of the Child Protection Focal Person at the meeting to Participants, as well as how the formal complaint procedure for the meeting works.

4. Being physically near the Participants and aware of their whereabouts at all times.5. Being aware of Participants’ physical and emotional needs and assist in meeting those

needs as appropriate or make every effort to meet those needs in meetings with the organisers and other Participants.

57

1. Making sure that Participants are able to communicate with other groups of children. In some cases Accompanying Adults may also have to act as translators for the Participants during the workshop. If this is the case, we request that you also read the Guidelines for Translators.

2. Acting as a translator so that the Participants have the opportunity to participate in discussions and activities outside the meeting (in the mornings before the meeting, after the meeting, during leisure activities and so on).

3. Administering correct medication and dosage to Participants when necessary. 4. Liaising closely with the Child Protection Focal Person to keep the meeting organisers

informed of any difficulties that Participants might be experiencing.

Giving Participants any other physical and emotional support that they might need. Accompanying Adults should keep copies of the Participants Consent Forms with them at all times (which include written permission from their parents/carers to act on their behalf for medical emergencies).

Supporting Participants to take the best possible advantage of the opportunities available.

Child Protection PolicyA key element in working to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people is the promotion of their rights. A Child Protection Policy has been developed for the Children’s Consultation on CRPD . Accompanying Adults are expected to adhere to and promote this Policy.

Keeping in mind the Convention on the Rights of the Child, children at these meetings have the right:

• To have their health, safety and well-being, and their best interest considered as the top priority.

• To have their welfare and development promoted and safeguarded so that they can achieve their full potential.

• To be valued, respected and understood within the context of their own culture, religion and ethnicity, and to have their needs identified and met within this context and within the context of their family wherever possible.

• To be listened to and to have their views given careful consideration, and to be encouraged and helped to participate in decisions which affect them.

In order that these rights are respected, when Accompanying Adults, facilitators and adult support workers are in contact with young people, they should:

• At all times treat children and young people with respect and recognise them as individuals in their own rights.

• View children in a positive manner and value children as individuals who have specific needs and rights and a particular contribution to make.

• Work with them in spirit of co-operation and partnership based on mutual trust and respect.

• Value children’s views and take them seriously.• Work with children in ways that enhance their natural capacities and capabilities, and that

develop their potential.• Do their best to understand children within the context in which they live.

58

Duty of Care

In addition to the general principles of good practice in work with children and young people, Accompanying Adults have the responsibility and legal duty to ensure the Participants safety while they are away from home.

Children and young people can be at risk of harm or abuse from different sources. The Accompanying Adult is responsible for minimising the risk of Participants being harmed by promoting good practice and by identifying and managing potential risks.Any child protection concerns and complaints should be reported to the Child Protection Focal Points who will handle them in strictest confidence and ensure that they are properly dealt with and responded to.

A key element in working to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people is the promotion of their rights. A Child Protection Policy has been developed for the Children’s Consultation on CRPD. Accompanying Adults are expected to adhere to and promote this Policy. Keeping in mind the Convention on the Rights of the Child, children at these meetings have the right:

Code of Ethics

It is important for Accompanying Adults to:• Be aware of situations, which may present risks and take the appropriate action.• Make sure that a culture of openness exists between the Accompanying Adults and the

Participants so that it is possible for the Accompanying Adult to raise and discuss any issues or concerns Participants may have.

• Make sure that there is a sense of accountability with other adults so that poor practice or potentially abusive behaviour does not go unchallenged.

In general it is inappropriate for an Accompanying Adult to:• Spend excessive time alone with any Participants, away from other people• Take Participants to places where they will be alone together.

Rules of BehaviourAdults and children at the workshop must never:

• Hit or otherwise physically assault or physically/psychologically abuse Participants • Develop physical/sexual relationships with Participants • Develop relationships with Participants which could in any way be seen as exploitative or

abusive • Act in ways that may be abusive or may place Participants at risk of abuse• Use language or gestures, make suggestions or offer advice which is inappropriate,

offensive, abusive or exploitative• Behave physically in a manner which is inappropriate or sexually provocative• Have Participants stay overnight in the adult’s room (* unless this has been previously

agreed with both the Participants and his/her Parent/Guardian/Carer) or sleep in the same bed as any Participants.

59

• Save the Children strongly advisers that adults are not permitted to sleep in the same room or bed as a young person. We understand that in some cases young people may agree to share a room with an Accompanying Adult and we therefore strongly recommend that prior to travelling the supporting organisation ensures that written and signed agreement from the Participants and his/her guardian(s) is obtained.

• Do things for Participants of a personal nature that they can do for themselves• Condone, or participate in, behaviour of Participants, which is illegal, unsafe and

abusive.• Act in ways meant to shame, humiliate, belittle or degrade Participants, or otherwise

commit any form of emotional abuse.• Discriminate against, show differential treatment, or favour particular Participants to the

exclusion of others.

*Adults are not permitted to sleep in the same room or bed with children. Save the Children strongly advises that adults are not permitted to sleep in the same room or bed as a young person. We understand that in some cases young people may agree to share a room with an Accompanying Adult and we therefore strongly recommend that prior to travelling the Country Programme ensures that written and signed agreement from the Participants and his/her guardian(s) is obtained. With the previously agreed permission of both Guardians, Participants may share rooms with other Participants of the same gender.

Accompanying Adults, facilitators and adult support workers must avoid actions or behaviour that could be seen as poor practice or potentially abusive.

• Participants should also be briefed about child protection issues • Participants should be made aware that s/he is also free to contact any other adult

present at the workshop should they have any questions or if their Accompanying Adult is not available or appropriate

Emergency SituationsIn the event of any emergency situation, parents/guardians of Participants will be contacted immediately. In addition, contact will be made with any relevant authority within the home country to inform them and, where relevant, to negotiate the safe return home of the child.

Medical EmergencyIn the event of a medical emergency, immediate medical help will be sought. The safety of all children is paramount and all necessary action will be taken to ensure this. Accompanying Adults are reminded that they must keep copies of the consent forms/medical history of the Participants in their care with them at all times.

Child ProtectionIn the event of significant harm, or the risk of significant harm to any child, protective procedures developed for the meetings will be followed and contact will be made with the appropriate local authorities.

60

There will be a child protection briefing for all Accompanying Adults at the beginning of the Children’s Consultation on CRPD.

Minimum StandardsThe Minimum Standards for consulting with children have been compiled in preparations for Save the Children’s Consultation on CRPD on the 29th – 30th of October 2007.

These are based on existing documents produced by Child Rights organisations as well as on the EAP Minimum Standards on Consulting with Children.

What are the Minimum Standards?Minimum Standards are statements that describe the minimum expectations of the ways in which adults and children should behave and conduct themselves during these events. These are guidelines, which the adults and children must adhere to in the process of preparing and participating at these meetings.

These Minimum Standards are for both adults and children.For Adults: These standards are for sponsoring agencies that are supporting the participation of children to these events. These are also for the Parents, Guardians, Accompanying Adults, Translators, Facilitators, Child Participation Coordinators, Child Protection Focal Point, Logistic Coordinator and any other participating adults to these events.

For Children: Children and Youth participating at these events.

The Minimum Standards have been put together for these events in order to facilitate meaningful participation of children based on the following principles:

1. An ethical approach: Transparency, Honesty and Accountability.

Everyone involved in the preparation and the facilitation of these events follow ethical, participatory process, putting children’s best interest first.

2. A Child Friendly Environment

Everyone work towards creating a safe, welcoming, inclusive and encouraging environment that enables meaningful participation.

3. Equality of Opportunity

All children should have equal opportunity for participation regardless of their age, background, ethnicity, capabilities, class, caste or other factors. Specially encourage participation of those children who are usually isolated or discriminated against.

61

4. Participation promotes safety and protection of children

Both adults and children follow Minimum Standards and corresponding guidelines and procedures that promote safe and enabling environment for children’s participation.

During the Participation Workshop everyone is recommended to adhere to the following Minimum Standards before, during and after the event.

Before the EventParticipation is a fundamental right of every child. These standards are aimed at promoting participation that is meaningful and beneficial to children.

• Background and agenda for the event with clearly defined objectives for children’s participation

• A Child Protection Procedure and a Complaint Procedure to report concerns in confidence for the events

• Informed consent by the Participants to attend the events• All Participants are sponsored by a national or international agency covering the costs

of travel, accommodation, travel and medical insurance, for both the child and the Accompanying Adult

• Sponsoring Agencies get the informed consent of Parent/Guardian for the child to travel and participate at this event

• All Participants are accompanied to the events by a suitable adult who will take responsibility for their safety and welfare

• Facilitators are experienced on working effectively with children• All forms are completed and returned

During the Event• All participants keep a copy of the Information Card with them at all times• Child Protection Focal Point is present during the meetings and the Participants and

Accompanying Adults are briefed about the procedure• The meeting is facilitated well and the participants get equal opportunity to participate• Participants get a brief Media briefing and have to give consent to engage in Media

activity

After the Event• Save the Children take the responsibility of the follow-up activities after the events

62

Guidelines on the selection of Child Participants The Convention on the Rights of the Child applies to children up to the age of 18. Therefore, it is recommended that children up to the age of 18 are selected for participation in the meeting.

When selecting children for participation in the meeting, it would be advisable to have a balance in the following areas :19

• Age of participants (up to 18 years) • Gender • Religion • Rural versus urban place of residence • In- and out of school • Socio-economic background • Ethnic background • Disabilities, etc.

Selection Criteria also Include: • It is crucial that all children get opportunity to participate in such meetings. However, we

must reach to the most vulnerable and marginalised girls and boys and enable them to participate in such meetings.

• Life experience and community involvement: All child delegates should have direct experience or expertise in issues and current involvement in activities in their school or community that pertain to at least one - preferable more - themes of the meeting.

• Many groups of children tend to get excluded from attending international meetings. Therefore, children from the following backgrounds are encouraged to participate in the meeting: children from rural areas, children with disabilities, gay and lesbian children, children from ethnic minority groups, working children, and children from a variety of 'classes' or castes and religion.

• Wherever possible, child delegates should be mandated by their peers at the national level to attend the meeting as they will speak on behalf of a broad cross-section of their country's children. In addition, National Committees or Field Offices will be expected to organise briefings for child delegates on UNICEF and the themes of the meeting.

• The child delegates should have a deep understanding and experience of issues related to children and young people in their country.

• The child delegates should be part of existing peer groups and feed back their experiences, and propose ways of action to other children when they return to their home country after the meeting.

• Media: Young people should be willing to speak publicly and to have their pictures taken, and to make representations to the media (based on their consent).

Appendix 4:

63

• Gender: Where possible it would be preferable that a boy and a girl be selected. However, it is recognised that this may cause difficulties for some countries. Child delegates and their chaperone should be aware that some of the meetings will take place in a large mixed group although some single sex small group activities may be provided if necessary.

• Language: Although the official language will be English, child delegates will not be expected to speak English. During the meeting activities all child delegates will be provided with interpretation for their 'main' language/mother tongue. Chaperones will be expected to provide interpretation for child delegates during the rest of the time (travel to and from the meeting, mornings, evenings, excursions).

• Relationships: It may cause difficulties if pre-existing intimate relationships exist between participants. Child delegates and chaperones should not be sexually involved with each other or be members of the same birth family. This does not exclude child delegates who have personal friendships. Further, it is required that the chaperone have a strong positive relationship with the child delegates in their care.

• Medical Issues: An experienced medical professional will need to be present or easily available during the meeting. High level of nursing or medical care for child delegates with serious infectious illness can not be provided - unless in emergency situations. All participants are required to have full medical insurance coverage during the dates of their travel and meeting.

• Disability: Children with disability are welcome as participants. If the disability means that the child requires a high level of personal or nursing care their needs will be difficult to be met - depending on the location and facilities available at the meeting. We do not wish to exclude children with learning difficulties but selectors need to make a realistic assessment of the young person's capacity to participate in a complex multi-lingual and international environment.

• Religion: Child delegates of all faiths are welcome; any particular requirements for child delegates (e.g. dietary needs, space for prayer or particular requirements for sharing bedrooms etc) should be communicated in advance to the organisers.

• Chaperones: No child delegate under 18 years of age will be accepted that is not accompanied by a chaperone. The chaperone should be known to the child and meet the criteria for selection.

• Child delegates should not be children of NGO staff, UN agency staff, diplomats or politicians.

• Suggestions for selecting children: it is strongly advised that you include children themselves in the selection process. By selecting their peers, they will become part of the process and it will be easier to identify with the work to be undertaken.

64

List of IntervieweesThe following groups and individuals were consulted during the course of this study:

Name Organisation Location

East AfricaRev. Leah Ambwaya National Chair for Child Participation – NGO Child Rights Committee KenyaCaroline Chebet Child Protection Officer - KAACR KenyaFlorence Kinyua Child Rights and gender Advisor - Plan International KenyaDavid Mugawe Management Committee – CSO Forum & African Child Policy Forum EthiopiaCarol Nalianya Okumu National Child Rights Coordinator – World Vision KenyaMarcel Sibomana Youth Advisor – Mouvement Africain des Enfants et Jeunes Travailleurs

(MAEJT)

Rwanda

West AfricaAimé Bada Head of Training – Environmental Development Action in the Third World

(ENDA)

Senegal

Regional Follow Up

Committee Members

14 members – Mouvement Africain des Enfants et Jeunes Travailleurs

(MAEJT)

West Africa

Bakary Badjie Programme Officer – Child Protection Association (including six members of

CPA staff)

The Gambia

The Voice of the Young 9 core member & 6 members of Voice of the Young The GambiaStefanie Conrad WARO Regional Deputy Director for Programmes – Plan International Burkina Faso Åsa Rapp Baro Regional Advisor Child Rights Governance – Save the Children Sweden SenegalEustace Cassell National Director – Child Fund The GambiaIsatou Jammeh Child Care Officer – Department of Social Welfare, Government of The

Gambia

The Gambia

Salifu Jarsey Child Protection Specialist – UNICEF The Gambia

National Youth Parliament 8 members – National Youth Parliament The GambiaMoussa Sidikou Management Committee - CSO Forum Niger

Southern AfricaGlynis Clacherty Clacherty and Associates South AfricaJanet Prest-Talbot Child Rights Centre South AfricaLucy Hillier Focal Person – Regional Interagency Task Team on Children and AIDS,

Eastern and Southern Africa

South Africa

Veli Riba Regional Programme Officer - Save the Children South AfricaCarol Nalianya Okumu National Child Rights Coordinator – World Vision KenyaMarcel Sibomana Youth Advisor – Mouvement Africain des Enfants et Jeunes Travailleurs

(MAEJT)

Rwanda

East AfricaUlrika Soneson-Cilliers Regional Advisor Child Rights Governance – Save the Children Denmark South Africa

North AfricaIbrahim Faltas Regional Civil Society Programme Advisor – Save the Children Sweden Palestine

Appendix 5:

65

References1UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (2009) Report of meeting to discuss global progress towards fulfilling children’s rights. New York.

2Ibid. p23 - 26.

3Milne, B. (1996) Children’s rights and the changing face fo work in the field. PLA Notes 25 February. IIED p 38-42.

4Boyden J. and Ennew J. (1997) Children in Focus – a manual for participatory research with children. Rädda Barnen, Stockholm. p33.

5International Save the Children Alliance (2005) Practice standards in children’s participation. Save the Children UK, London. p4.

6UNICEF (June 2010) Children as advocates: Strengthening child and young people’s participation in advocacy fora. New York. p13.

7General Comment No. 12 (2009) The right of the child to be heard, CRC/C/GC/12 15 July 2009, CRC Committee, Geneva.

8Rajani, R (2001) The participation rights or young adolescents – a strategic approach. Working Papers Series, INICEF. New York.

9UNICEF (June 2010) Children as advocates: Strengthening child and young people’s participation in advocacy fora. New York. p19 – 23.

10Clacherty, G (May 2009) Report on children’s participation in the regional seminar on children who cross borders in southern Africa. Save the Children UK. p7.

11Plan International (March 2011) Child Parliament Research.

12Pers comm. with Mr Salifu Jarsey, Child Protection Specialist – UNICEF. 21 Oct 2011.

13UNICEF (June 2010) Children as advocates: Strengthening child and young people’s participation in advocacy fora. New York. p19 – 23.

14Clacherty, G (May 2009) Report on children’s participation in the regional seminar on children who cross borders in southern Africa. Save the Children UK. p2.

15Ibid. p3.

16Ibid. p5.

17Ibid p7.

18Interagency Working Group on Children’s Participation (2007) Minimum standards for consulting with children. ECPAT International, Knowing Children, Plan International, Save the Children Alliance and UNICEF ESARO and World Vision. Bangkok.

19UNICEF (June 2010) Children as advocates: Strengthening child and young people’s participation in advocacy fora. New York. p51 – 53.

66

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................