Enabling Child and Youth Participation in Poverty Eradication

1
Enabling Child and Youth Participation in Poverty
Eradication

• International Forum on the Eradication of Poverty
  
• 15-16 November, 2006
• Tracy Dolan
• Program Advisor
• Christian Childrens Fund

2
Who is CCF?

•   Christian Children's Fund creates an
  environment of hope and respect for children in
  need in which they have opportunities to achieve
  their full potential, and provides children,
  families and communities with practical tools for
  positive change.

3
Child Participation as part of CRC

• What does the Convention on the Rights of the
  Child say about participation?
• the child who is capable of forming his/her own
  views (has) the right to express those views
  freely in all matters affecting the child
• this right shall includethe freedom to seek,
  receive and impart information of all
  kindseither orally, ,in writing or in print, in
  the form of art or through any other media of the
  childs choice.

4
CCFs Commitment to Promoting Child and Youth
Agency

• How does CCFs work reflect the concept of child
  and youth agency?
• CCFs Children and Poverty Study
• Childrens Involvement in Program Planning
• Childrens Involvement in Governance

5
Children and Poverty Voices of Children

• Why ask children?
• Adult vs. child perspectives on poverty
• How do children experience poverty - Deprivation,
  Exclusion, Vulnerability

• Children do very little to alleviate poverty,
  they dont have proper awareness or knowledge of
  it (Adult, Sri Lanka)
• We work so that the boys can go to school
  (Adolescent girl, Sierra Leone)

6
Childrens Involvement in Community Development
Programs

• Childrens contribution to community development
  planning in Zambia
• Children and youth as part of program review and
  reflection in Ecuador

• What conditions need to be in place to involve
  children in planning?
• How do they contribute to planning?

7
Children and youth in Los Bancos, Ecuador make
plans to review progress of youth programs
8
Children in Governing Positions

• Child participation in adult management vs. child
  leadership through child/youth federations

9
Lessons Learned

• Children can contribute meaningfully to community
  development
• All kinds of children need to be heard
  including those who are often invisible

• Adults need to learn how to support childrens
  participation in poverty eradication
• Participation needs to be more concrete not
  just a concept children and adults need real
  tools