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ECV2020 Keynote Speaker 1 ‘Voice is not enough’: The Lundy model and early childhood

This is a presentation by Laura Lundy, Centre for Children’s Rights, Queen’s University Belfast, UK Presented online at the Charles Sturt University Early Childhood Voices 2020 Conference

Research ON children, ABOUT children, WITH children and BY children: Before and after the COVID factor

This is a presentation given by Harry Shier at Research Week Webinar, Western Sydney University, Parramatta NSW, 20 October 2020.

Child Rights Education: A Study of Implementation in 26 countries

This research report investigates the extent to which Child Rights Education (CRE) is being implemented in countries where UNICEF conducts its fundraising activities. The headline findings indicate that, whilst there has been some progress in relation to what is taught, with over half of the countries including children’s rights in the curriculum for all or some children, there has been less progress in relation to ensuring teachers are prepared to teach CRE, and a similarly low level of monitoring of the quality of provision. A general survey across 26 countries was followed up with focused case studies of aspects of practice in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany (Hessen), Hong Kong, Israel, and Scotland, and the good practice observed in these case studies was used to inform the construction of a set of benchmarking statements, to help educators measure their progress against the best that is being achieved.

Strengthening Participation of Children and Young People with Disability in Advocacy

Participation by children and young people in advocacy and change-making can not only improve and foster positive change in their own lives, but also influence the lives of others.  When young people’s participation is supported, meaningful and engaged, multiple benefits accrue. Their perspectives and experiences bring a unique contribution and can result in rights-based empowerment, enacted citizenship and improved relationships. This has the potential to shape policy, to increase the relevance and responsiveness of organisations they use, and to influence change in their communities in positive ways. However, there are significant issues and a range of barriers that discourage, prevent or actively exclude children and young people with disability from participating. A culture of low expectations, social and cultural barriers, relationship and identity difficulties and practical hurdles exist for many young people. As a result, many are precluded from participation, particularly around change-making activities. With this paper we explore ways in which participation by children and young people with disability could be deepened and strengthened to support their  involvement in advocacy and change-making at a range of levels. The paper provides a framework for understanding participation for young people with disability. It identifies current barriers to creating opportunities for young people from different perspectives — young people themselves, family, community, and service contexts. We showcase exemplars and outline strategies about how to plan, implement and evaluate meaningful participation which can also work as a practical resource for those working with young people in a range of domains. These ‘how to’ strategies take into account the broad scope needed to accommodate the diverse range of capabilities and preferences of children and young people.

What Next? Ways Forward for children and young people’s participation

The purpose of this study is to review key theoretical perspectives and practice in relation to children’s and young people’s participation. This review is being undertaken in order to enhance World Vision’s understanding and practice in the field of participation. Our desire is that the findings from this study will contribute to the development and implementation of World Vision’s Strategic Direction for Child and Youth Participation. This will be one among other vehicles that will enable our staff to tap into the largest demographic force in the world today as we rally behind our vision of life in all its fullness for every girl and boy.

Children and Young People’s Participation in Scotland: Frameworks, standards and principles for practice

This research report documents an inquiry into the viability of the construction of a set of a national quality standards and a framework for children and young people‟s participation (hereafter we use the term „framework‟) in Scotland. At the time of writing this research there was no nationally agreed framework for children and young people‟s participation in Scotland or any widely agreed model for the monitoring and evaluation of this work. The development of a form of national framework in Scotland was seen by Scotland‟s Commissioner for Children and Young People as a possible way of providing the opportunity for improved agreement on standards, goals and processes, and participation indicators for monitoring and evaluation. A national framework was also seen as potentially providing a platform for organisations to better understand the process of involving children and young people in a participatory way and assist them in evaluating the outcomes and effectiveness of their work in this area. Therefore, this research sought to inform Scotland‟s Commissioner for Children and Young People‟s work. The development of some form of national participation framework in principle offered the hope for it to be a guide for better practice, a way of generating baseline information for the evaluation of children and young people‟s participation over time, and as a way of realising children‟s rights in practice as part of the unfolding of a more democratic society. The research is based on the presumption that a national framework would need to be informed by existing theories (for example, Hart, 1992; Treseder, 1997; Shier, 2001; Mannion, 2007), by empirical research on existing practices in organisations from home and abroad (for example, Mannion, 2003; Johnson, 2011), and, by a fresh consideration of existing frameworks (after Cutler, 2003; Welsh Assembly, 2007; Badham and Wade, 2008; Lansdown, 2005, 2011; O‟Kane, 2011) and their current uses. This report does not set out to provide a comprehensive literature review or theoretical overview of the debates in this area (though clearly is informed by these). Instead, the report‟s contribution is based on an empirical study and comparison of ten current frameworks of participation and interviews with ten key stakeholders. The design of the study is such that practice in local Scottish, regional UK, and international contexts is reviewed and may, therefore, have wider relevance for readers internationally.

Children’s Rights and Journalism Practice: a Rights-based Perspective

The objective of this paper is to provide the trainee journalist with the concepts and the information that will help develop responsible news reporting skills that appreciate and respect children's rights.

Child Participation in Local Governance: A Case Study of Harare Junior Council

The essence of this study was to examine the institution of child participation in Zimbabwe with a distinctive focus on Harare Junior Council. Child participation has become an important phenomenon in the era of sustainable governance with increased calls for governments to create child participation structures in local governance. The research sought to investigate on various factors which included the role played by Junior Council in promoting child participation in local governance, legislation guiding junior council operations, the function and roles of Junior council and the challenges faced by the Junior Council. A combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques was employed to investigate the objectives of the study so as to acquire a holistic collection of data that is valid and reliable. Sampling techniques included purposive sampling, simple random sampling and convenience sampling. Interviews and questionnaires were rolled out to a sample size of 100 respondents and observations made of selected respondents. The research findings were presented through a thematic analysis and the findings indicated a gender imbalance between male and female children taking part in child participation processes, the omission of the disabled and vulnerable children in society and the lack of explicit legislation guiding junior council operations and subsequently lack of commitment by Government to support junior councils. Recommendations were derived from these findings and suggestions made for further research of a comparative analysis of Junior Council operations in Zimbabwe.

Conceptualising conflicts between student participation and other rights and interests

This paper delineates the conflicts that can arise between students’ participation rights and other human rights and presents a model that conceptualises these conflicts. It fills a gap in the developing literature on participation rights in education, which has yet to systematically address the possible ramifications of practices that implement these rights. The paper describes how students’ participation may constrain various other children’s rights: the right not to participate, not to be discriminated against, and to be protected from violence and abuse. In addition, it discusses possible clashes between the one-size-fits-all model of student participation and the rights of children and parents to culturally adaptable education. The paper also analyses how neoliberal practices of participation, such as high-stake student perception surveys, may undermine the social interest to empower teachers, which is intertwined with children’s best interest and their right to education.

A handbook of children and young people’s participation : perspectives from theory and practice