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Children not only see the world differently than adults do; their abilities
to share their observations differ with age. Words and phrases might
come relatively easily for adults or older children, while cameras or
crayons are often the most expressive media for younger children.
As part of an ongoing commitment to learn about the lives of children
by listening to their ‘voices’ – in whatever voice
they are most comfortable using, most of the photographs and drawings
in The State of the World’s Children 2003 were created
by children and young people. Read more...
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Many myths surround the idea of child participation. One such myth is
that child participation means adults handing over all their power to
children. But in reality, participation means giving children more responsibility,
according to their evolving capacities, carefully consulting them and
taking their views into account. When children’s views are sensitively
solicited and sincerely understood, they may reveal things that adults
would never have grasped independently. They can profoundly change policies
or programmes, and in some cases protect children from future harm.
Read more...
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The Convention on the Rights of the Child does not explicitly set forth
children’s right to participate – except as a goal for children
with disabilities. However, there is a ‘cluster of participation
articles’ that provides the argument for the child’s right
to participate. The cluster includes articles 5, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 21, 22, 23 and 29. Read more...
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A group of girls in Mathare, Kenya, is blazing a trail for female participation
in the world’s most popular sport: football. The Mathare Youth
Sports Association (MYSA) sponsors hundreds of football teams, offering
education scholarships, running an HIV/AIDS education programme, a photography
project and numerous other community-service initiatives. Read
more...
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Children are speaking up around the world on legislative matters that
affect them – and in many nations, governments are learning to
listen. For example, a Student Parliament was born in Timor-Leste (East
Timor) out of a vigorous campaign launched by UNICEF and its partners
to educate young people about democracy. And in South Africa, children
were consulted and accorded equal footing to participate with adults
in the law reform process. Read more...
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UNICEF and its partners conducted one of the largest multi-country surveys
of children in 72 countries across East Asia and the Pacific, Europe
and Central Asia, and Latin American and the Caribbean. The findings
revealed that far too many children and young people lived in harsh
realities. Government officials from many countries acknowledged that
the polls brought home the importance of listening to children’s
voices and of taking their views into account when making decisions
that affect their lives. Read more...
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The impact of children’s participation in the media can be seen
throughout the world. In Albania, Troç, a news show
produced by children and broadcast on national television, is proving
to be one of the most innovative and influential forms of youth participation
in the region. In Brazil, children and young people learn how produce
videos, comic books, newsletters and radio programmes at the Casa Grande
Foundation. And children aged 9 to 12 in China were selected by the
China Central Television to be trained as young TV journalists at the
Galaxy Teenagers’ TV Media Training School. Read
more...
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Some 400 young people participating in the Children’s Forum, an
event preceding the UN Special Session on Children, agreed on the statement
entitled ‘A World Fit for Us’ to be presented to world leaders.
As the Special Session commenced on 8 May 2002, two young delegates
selected by their peers stood before the UN General Assembly and delivered
their message. For the first time ever, children formally addressed
the UN General Assembly on behalf of children. Read
more...
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