Conference Considers Children as Partners
Throughout the world, children are subject
to laws, conditions, and situations that affect them profoundly but offer
little opportunity for input by the youngsters themselves. This week, international
experts will gather at UVic to listen to children who have managed to gain
a say in how their schools, workplaces and even health care systems operate.
“Children as Partners,” a summer experts seminar, is hosted by
UVic’s Institute for Child Rights and Development in partnership with
the governments of Canada and British Columbia, UNICEF, UNESCO, Save the
Children Alliance and Child Rights Education International.
“We want to look at creating partnerships between children and adults to produce healthy child development and involve youngsters more meaningfully in their lives and society,” says Institute director Dr. Philip Cook. “It’s not about kids being disrespectful. It’s about supporting children’s dignity while protecting the rights of adults. If we want society to be made up of responsible citizens, we have to involve kids early.”
“Children as Partners” takes its cue from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that signatories respect the rights of children’s parents, guardians and families to provide for their youngsters while maintaining awareness of “the evolving capacities of the child.”
“There’s a rapidly growing awareness and acceptance of kids’ participation, and that starts within the family. I’m not saying that a child’s opinion should be the final one but at least listen to what they have to say,” says Cook. “From past work with sexually exploited youth, we’ve learned that often the kids without any power in their lives are the ones who make poor choices when faced with tough decisions.”
Among the youngsters at “Children as Partners” will be children who participated in planning policy for a charter school in San Francisco, youngsters who influenced the working conditions of their workplace in India, and girls from Swaziland and Kenya who convinced health care providers to recognize that HIV-AIDS prevention messages were aimed at and coming from adults when, in fact, youth were more at risk.
“Children as Partners” opens with an evening reception Aug. 13 and continues with speakers, workshops and group discussions until Aug. 16. For more information about the seminar visit web.uvic.ca/icrd/conference.html
“We want to look at creating partnerships between children and adults to produce healthy child development and involve youngsters more meaningfully in their lives and society,” says Institute director Dr. Philip Cook. “It’s not about kids being disrespectful. It’s about supporting children’s dignity while protecting the rights of adults. If we want society to be made up of responsible citizens, we have to involve kids early.”
“Children as Partners” takes its cue from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that signatories respect the rights of children’s parents, guardians and families to provide for their youngsters while maintaining awareness of “the evolving capacities of the child.”
“There’s a rapidly growing awareness and acceptance of kids’ participation, and that starts within the family. I’m not saying that a child’s opinion should be the final one but at least listen to what they have to say,” says Cook. “From past work with sexually exploited youth, we’ve learned that often the kids without any power in their lives are the ones who make poor choices when faced with tough decisions.”
Among the youngsters at “Children as Partners” will be children who participated in planning policy for a charter school in San Francisco, youngsters who influenced the working conditions of their workplace in India, and girls from Swaziland and Kenya who convinced health care providers to recognize that HIV-AIDS prevention messages were aimed at and coming from adults when, in fact, youth were more at risk.
“Children as Partners” opens with an evening reception Aug. 13 and continues with speakers, workshops and group discussions until Aug. 16. For more information about the seminar visit web.uvic.ca/icrd/conference.html
-- 30 --