Our goal was to make sure children are treated as equal and equally active citizens, and that their opinions are listened to and considered. The reasons are twofold: we believe it’s helping children’s well-being, and that it is an integral part of developing a fully democratic society. According to Berkshire Partnership research from 2010, children are still not valued as equal and equally valuable citizens. Dąbrowa Górnicza, a city where we operate, has been diagnosed as needing to increase the civic engagement among its citizens in the affairs of the city and its cultural life. We responded to those needs by engaging children we consider to be young citizens and whose development is an investment in an active and engaged citizenry.
We have organized a series of 48 workshops entitled “Paticipation? Revitalization? Democracy? – What’s Up with That?” for 160 children ages 7 to 14, during which they learned about democracy, participation, and being civically involved. We also organized classes focused on children’s rights, student rights, as well as short research walks entitled “Kids in Action” with elements of an urban game. During walks, children explored areas of Dąbrowa Górnicza that remain undeveloped and came up with ideas on how to utilize those spaces in real time. We also monitored schools for student rights violations and reacted appropriately.
Lastly, we have created a forum entitled “Youth Have a Voice” dedicated to children and teenagers. Before the event, we met with our young participants to prepare them for collaboration and actual participation. During the forum, young people navigated the debate on their own and on the topics of their choosing. The event was meant to be a single-day conference, but in the end it stretched into 10 events lasting throughout the entire month. As a result, young people learned new skills (debate and argumentation), expanded their knowledge (including about their own rights), increased their confidence, and began to believe their opinions matter.