The Participation of C hildren and Young P eople in H ealth E ducation

1. The Participation of Children and Young People in Health Education & Health Promotion

2. What is Participation? ‘the process of sharing decisions which affect one’s life and the life of the community in which one lives.’ (Roger Hart, 2002)

3. Health education Individual and linked to learning and behavioural outcomes Health promotion Large group and linked to societal outcomes

4. Hart’s Ladder of Participation 8. Projects Initiated by young people, sharing decisions with adults 7. Young people initiate and direct 6. Adults initiate and share decisions with young people 5. Young people are consulted and informed 4. Young people are given tasks by adults and informed 3. Involvement of young people is tokenistic (not participation) 2. Young people are used as decoration (not participation) 1. Young people are manipulated (not participation) Roger Hart, 2002

5. Three Levels of Adult-Child Relationship Level 1 • Adults workforchildren and take their views seriously Level 2 (cooperate) • Adults lead and workwithchildren Level 3 (collaborate) • Adults and children working and learningtogether in partnership

6. Why Should Children Participate?

7. Know their own reality – nuanced design of interventions • Have responsibilities, time and enthusiasm • Growth of mutual respect between generations - helps now and later

8. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child In 1989, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) created a vision combining the important ideas of: • young people as vulnerable members of society who need to be protected and provided for by family and society; and • young people who have the capacity to participate in decision-making processes and influence solutions.

9. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 12 State Parties shall assure the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child. Article 13 (the right to freedom of expression) Article 14 (the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion) Article 15 (the right to freedom of association and assembly)

10. PLAN International Attempts by adults to solve children’s problems are unlikely to succeed without taking into account the first hand experience of young people.

11. UNICEF Child participation involves encouraging and enabling children to make their views known on the issues that affect them. Put into practice, participation is adults listening to children — to all their multiple and varied ways of communicating. It ensures their freedom to express themselves and takes their views into account when coming to decisions that affect them. State of the World’s Children 2003

12. Save the Children UK A principle of effective programming ….All children, including the most marginalised and those of different ages and abilities, are entitled to be informed and get involved in any matter concerning them. Participation is about children and young people having the opportunity to express their views, influence decision-making and achieve change.

13. DANIDA “Children and young people are viewed not only as a target group and beneficiaries of aid but also as stakeholders in the development process. As a present and future resource, children and young people children and young people are thus seen as active and valuable change agents for their societies” “Hearing and respecting the participation and views of children are closely linked to protecting the child’s ‘best interests’. The principle means that children’s opinions are important and although they don’t have the chance to vote, their views and voices must rightfully be taken into account. This principle implies that children should participate in decision-making processes that affect them in ways that are appropriate. The requires a change in attitude and behaviour of both children and adults” Children and Young People in Danish Development Cooperation Guidelines, 2005

14. World Bank (2) Promotes the well-being and development of young people. It is by questioning, expressing views and having opinions taken seriously that young people develop skills, build competences, acquire confidence and form aspirations – all part of a virtuous circle leading to development. Strengthens the commitment to and the understanding of human rights and democracy. Young people need to experience and experiment with the rules of democracy, Protects young people. For example, in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention well-informed and knowledgeable young people engaging in peer-to-peer activities are central to preventing the disease from spreading.

15. World Bank (1) Youth participation is a process whereby young people influence, and share control and responsibility over decisions, plans and resources, which affect them. It leads to better decisions and outcomes. Young people have a body of experience unique to their situation – and they are social actors with skills and capacities to bring about constructive resolutions to their own problems.

16. How is ‘participation’ delivered on the ground?

17. Participation Framework 1 A stepwise approach developed from The Child-to-Child approach linking learning with life

18. Participation Framework 2 Design For Change Contest Feel the change Imagine the change Do the change Share the change Continue the change http://dfcworld.com

19. Participation Framework 3 Community and/or School Led Total Sanitation Pre-triggering Selecting a community Introduction and building rapport Triggering Participatory sanitation profile analysis Ignition moment Post-triggering Action planning by the community Follow up Scaling up and going beyond CLTS www.communityledtotalsanitation.org

20. Triggered children work as a powerful internal pressure group within communities. They help consolidate the gains of triggering in the main village by rallying, putting pressure on their parents to stop defecating in the open, construct latrines and use them. • In my experience, some of the innovative things done by children following CLTS triggering include the following: preparation of an action plan to improve the sanitation situation in the school campus; fix responsibility for keeping the school toilets clean; class-wise supervision by older students; ensure the availability of soap and water outside the school toilet; forming sanitation club including teachers as members. From, ‘Igniting Little Minds for Total Sanitation’, Prepared by: Amrit Mehta Knowledge Links, India

21. A bit more on one way to start

22. Opportunities Chart

23. Example of an Opportunities Chart

24. Example of an Opportunities Chart

25. Example of an Opportunities Chart

26. Example of an Opportunities Chart

27. Example of an Opportunities Chart

28. The harm children can suffer from other children at school

29. Health Education: A Diagnostic Tool

30. Each wheel pumped up and helping the bus to move forward!

31. NGO workers finding things out from street children This approach works not just with the poor but with the poorest of the poor” – NGO worker, Kebele 12, Addis Ababa

32. Further Resources Go to www.clarehanbury.com Click on Toolbox(left button) Find many practitioner resources plus another clickable link through to references and some downloadable papers. Contact me for follow up!

33. Thank–You! Clare Hanbury 32 Market Street Swavesey Cambridge CB24 4QG clare.hanbury@zen.co.uk www.clarehanbury.com