Post by account_disabled on Feb 20, 2024 11:06:16 GMT
How many times have you heard this phrase? Surely many times and it is very likely that you have used it yourself. At Educo we are firm defenders of its content, however, what does it really mean to participate when we talk about childhood? Today we want to talk to you about one of our main areas of work: child participation. Child participation can be defined as the ability for boys and girls to decide on issues that affect them. To achieve this, children must have access to public spaces in which they can use their voice to claim their rights and express their opinions and ideas. How do we really involve boys and girls? When we talk about child participation, we can refer to it as a right, as a process or simply as the need for boys and girls to be an active part in any activity or process. In any of these cases, at Educo we believe that child participation should have some characteristics. Among them, we highlight the following: C hildhood must be the protagonist in participation. This means that when we intend to apply a participatory approach, children must be at the center. Thus, in addition to being the main characters of the process, boys and girls become, to the extent possible, its driving force. This requires allowing them to take the reins and thus have the space to self-manage, do and redo as they deem necessary. Child participation is a transformative process . The full participation of boys and girls represents a change in relation to the starting situation, either because problems identified by them are resolved, or because the process itself is valuable to us, inviting us to grow and see things from another perspective. manner.
Participation must be experiential. Although children's participation is used as a training tool, it will be much richer if it combines theory and practice in complete experiences. Not only the knowledge transmitted by a book or an adult is useful, but personal experiences are also very valuable to generate knowledge. What channels do boys and girls have, in practice, to participate in? If there is the will and resources to do so, the levels and areas in which child participation can be developed are practically infinite. However, the most common ones could be classified into four groups: In town councils : some municipalities promote child Cell Phone Number List participation through formal structures such as children's councils or child participation commissions. It is very positive that children's participation is encouraged at the municipal level, however, it is often done within very narrow margins and already established by adults. In the family environment : although it may seem like an ideal space without limitations for children's participation, the truth is that the degree to which the participation of boys and girls is encouraged depends on several factors: the parenting model, socioeconomic conditions, family traditions or gender roles. In the school environment : despite being very necessary in schools, these are usually one of the most hostile places for children's participation. Although occasionally attempts are made to promote it through assemblies, there is hardly any possibility for boys and girls to have a real influence in the making of decisions that most affect them, such as class schedules, the curriculum or the resolution of conflicts through dialogue between equals.
In associative environments or childhood entities : the degree of participation of boys and girls will depend on the objectives, vision, values of each entity, as well as the methodological proposal that said entity carries out. They often promote or energize participation in other areas. What do we do at Educo? As an entity that works for the rights and well-being of children, at Educo we make our contribution so that participation is established in the daily reality of boys and girls. This school year we are accompanying the educational centers participating in the Activate Listening campaign in the creation of Listening Clubs . These clubs are made up of groups of boys, girls and teachers and consist of different phases, all of them aimed at the final objective of improving listening and dialogue between boys, girls and adolescents and the rest of the educational community. Another example that Educo leads and has the support of the city council is that of Sowing participation ( Sementando participación ) in La Coruña, whose main objective is to create a space for active listening between local students and local government representatives. The participation of boys and girls can drive significant and very positive changes for everyone. But to do this, society and institutions must abandon adult-centrism and begin to cultivate Active Listening, as well as make the necessary tools and resources available to children.
Participation must be experiential. Although children's participation is used as a training tool, it will be much richer if it combines theory and practice in complete experiences. Not only the knowledge transmitted by a book or an adult is useful, but personal experiences are also very valuable to generate knowledge. What channels do boys and girls have, in practice, to participate in? If there is the will and resources to do so, the levels and areas in which child participation can be developed are practically infinite. However, the most common ones could be classified into four groups: In town councils : some municipalities promote child Cell Phone Number List participation through formal structures such as children's councils or child participation commissions. It is very positive that children's participation is encouraged at the municipal level, however, it is often done within very narrow margins and already established by adults. In the family environment : although it may seem like an ideal space without limitations for children's participation, the truth is that the degree to which the participation of boys and girls is encouraged depends on several factors: the parenting model, socioeconomic conditions, family traditions or gender roles. In the school environment : despite being very necessary in schools, these are usually one of the most hostile places for children's participation. Although occasionally attempts are made to promote it through assemblies, there is hardly any possibility for boys and girls to have a real influence in the making of decisions that most affect them, such as class schedules, the curriculum or the resolution of conflicts through dialogue between equals.
In associative environments or childhood entities : the degree of participation of boys and girls will depend on the objectives, vision, values of each entity, as well as the methodological proposal that said entity carries out. They often promote or energize participation in other areas. What do we do at Educo? As an entity that works for the rights and well-being of children, at Educo we make our contribution so that participation is established in the daily reality of boys and girls. This school year we are accompanying the educational centers participating in the Activate Listening campaign in the creation of Listening Clubs . These clubs are made up of groups of boys, girls and teachers and consist of different phases, all of them aimed at the final objective of improving listening and dialogue between boys, girls and adolescents and the rest of the educational community. Another example that Educo leads and has the support of the city council is that of Sowing participation ( Sementando participación ) in La Coruña, whose main objective is to create a space for active listening between local students and local government representatives. The participation of boys and girls can drive significant and very positive changes for everyone. But to do this, society and institutions must abandon adult-centrism and begin to cultivate Active Listening, as well as make the necessary tools and resources available to children.