Child Participation
Child Participation
Our Impact
1.1 Million
Children and youth in our sponsorship communities took action to help end violence against children
5,000+
Children and young people actively participate in regional networks in Latin America
20,000+
Children and adolescents reached with awareness-raising actions by children and young people in Brazil as part of the social accountability movement called MJPOP
Child participation is key right and a core principle of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
It states that children and young people have the right to express their opinions freely. People have a duty to listen to children's views and to help them take part in any activity that matters them. This includes activities in their family, school, and local community, as well as public services, institutions, government policies, and judicial procedures.
At World Vision, we prioritise the meaningful, safe, and appropriate participation of children and young people. This is essential for sustained child well-being and for creating democratic societies with informed and engaged citizens.
We believe children and young people can make a big difference. They can take part in decision-making processes as their abilities improve and they become more independent. Children and young people learn to communicate opinions, take responsibility and make decisions. This helps them to develop a sense of belonging, justice, responsibility and solidarity.
Our work focuses on child and young people’s participation, which is in line with World Vision’s International Board's endorsement of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Organizations are publicly supporting the rights of children and young people. They should be heard and their opinions should be taken into account on matters that affect them. They are entitled to freedom of expression, thought, association and access to information. This should be done while respecting the roles and responsibilities of parents and other people in authority.
We are looking forward to the new frontiers of child and young people’s participation. Our organization has grown in its understanding and practice of participation and representative voice, and has improved methodologies and ways of working, and set new goals to continue guiding work in those areas.
Young People’s Voice, Agency And Civic Engagement | PODCAST
Listen to this podcast featuring Carlos, World Vision’s young leader who was interviewed by the legendary children’s rights advocate Gerison Lansdown. Carlos shared his work as a children’s rights activist and researcher, and member of the Children and Youth Monitoring Public Policy group (MJPOP) supported by World Vision Brazil.
Our Approaches
Young Leaders for Change
This approach aims to support children and young people to engage in a global network of young advocates to actively participate in initiatives across the globe to make systematic change on social justice issues relevant to them. Young leaders are defined as active agents of change who actively contribute to global change; thus, they are supported to mobilise themselves to make their voices heard in actions and policy debates at the local, national and global levels.
Child-led Mobilisation
This is an approach that aims to open up spaces for children and young people to engage in social movements and participate in public policy debates through grassroots and awareness-raising initiatives. Child-led Mobilisation provides children and young people with the space and tools to develop strategies and undertake their chosen actions to make their communities and countries a better place for everyone.
Child-led Research
This approach facilitates the engagement of children and young people in leading their own research on issues that impact their daily lives. This approach provides children and young people with new avenues to influence decision-making by using the findings of their own research to put pressure on stakeholders and decision makers on issues relevant to them.
Amplifying Children Voices Digitally
This approach seeks to empower and provide spaces and opportunities for children and young people to enhance their skills, tools and knowledge to use social media and digital publishing to amplify their voices and influence donors, public opinion, stakeholders and decision-makers.
