Child and older carer participation in events: Are we really learning?

Regional Inter-agency Task Team (RIATT-ESA) on Children and AIDS working paper

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Child and older carer participation in events: Are we really learning?.pdf

This paper explores the concept of child participation in conferences and events. It reflects on the recent child participation process in the Regional East and Southern Africa Inter agency Task team on Children and AIDS (RIATT-ESA) conference that took place from 27th September to 2nd October 2008 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It will also reflect on the older carer consultation process that took place alongside the child consultation process.

Participation is considered a human rights based approach to development as expressed in development theories such as those by A. Sen and P. Freiro. Participation is a process and the results depend on what extent it is truly effective and meaningful as referred to in the Hart’s “Ladder of Participation,” see fig. 14. Adults are the duty bearers for children and therefore they have responsibilities for which they must account to children. In addition, children as rights holders also have a right to participation in for example, decision making, consultations and programme implementation.

This paper was written by Nicola Ward (UNICEF ESARO) and Vivi Stavrou (REPSSI) with contributions from Douglas Lackey (Help Age International), Lucy Hillier (Save the Children UK) and Velephi Riba (Save the Children Sweden). written on behalf of the RIATT Conference child participation task team (RIATT CPTT) which led the children’s consultation process leading up to the RIATT conference