Adolescence

FOCUS ONPreparing adolescents for adulthood and citizenshipA young girl is interviewed by16-year-old journalists fromthe Young People’s MediaNetwork, which promotesyouth participation in mediatraining and the establishmentof youth networks,Tbilisi, Georgia.An active role for adolescentsin decision-making in families,communities and societiesAs they mature and develop, adolescentsand young people seek to more activelyshape their environment, their societyand the world they live in and willinherit. Preparing adolescents foradulthood, and particularly for theircitizenship responsibilities, is the keytask for families, communities andgovernments during this stage of theirdevelopment. For adolescents to beactive and empowered citizens, theymust be aware of their rights and haveopportunities for civic engagementthrough a variety of institutions thatencourage basic civic values suchas fairness, mutual respect andunderstanding, justice, tolerance andaccountability for one’s actions.economic growth and more cohesive communities. When young people areinvolved in broader peer and community initiatives, they bring into play freshperspectives and a strong sense of commitment that can result in innovativesolutions, especially in the midst of complex crises. Youth engagement canenhance collective action, increasing pressure on governments to providegood public services and driving social, economic and political change.Finally, evidence shows that participation is one of the best ways ofinforming children of their rights, especially their right to protection fromviolence, harm and abuse. This knowledge, in turn, is crucial to ensuringthat these rights are respected. Enabling adolescents to access a broadspectrum of information – on topics such as family planning, accidentprevention and substance abuse – is a very cost-effective way forstates to promote health and development.Despite the benefits of enabling children to exercise their participationrights, and despite the formal commitment of governments to do so, theprinciple is not yet being implemented effectively or consistently. Many longstandingpractices and attitudes, as well as political and economic barriers,continue to impede adolescents’ right to be heard – especially for those whomay have difficulties expressing themselves, including adolescents withdisabilities and minority, indigenous and migrant children.The Convention on the Rights of the Child broke new ground by establishingchildren’s right to be heard (Article 12), giving children and adolescents theright to express their views freely on all matters affecting them – especiallywithin the family, school and community – and to have those opinions dulytaken into account. This and the other ‘participation rights’ enumerated inthe Convention enable adolescents to exercise progressively more controlover decisions that concern them, in line with their evolving capacities.Participation thus stands alongside the principles of universality, the bestinterests of the child, and child survival and development as one of thecornerstones of the Convention.In addition to being a fundamental right, participation stimulates the fulldevelopment of the child’s personality and capacities. Young people learnbest when they have real choices and are actively involved in dealingwith their circumstances. Participation boosts confidence, builds skillsand empowers children to protect their own rights. It allows adolescentsto step out of the passive roles to which they were relegated as youngchildren and gives them opportunities to create knowledge rather thanmerely receive it. It empowers adolescents to plan and implement theirown projects, to lead and, accordingly, to be accountable for their actions.Mounting evidence shows that active adolescents have fewer problemsthan their peers, are more skilled and tend to develop a greater senseof social responsibility. Involvement in social organizations also opensthe door to economic opportunities, making it especially valuable foradolescents from previously excluded groups.Encouraging participation not only empowers adolescents, it also hasnumerous benefits for the societies in which they live. Investment in wellinformedand empowered citizens can lead to healthier populations, strongerEngagement in youth service and publicpolicy initiativesOver the past two decades, and particularly during the past 10 years,many countries have adopted innovative and successful initiatives toencourage adolescent and youth participation. Several have gone on toform youth councils or parliaments to foster dialogue about relevant issueswhile offering youth leaders a formal, consultative relationship with thegovernment. A survey of 22 youth councils in industrialized and developingcountries reveals that the top three priorities for most such bodiesare increased youth participation, international cooperation and greaterengagement in the direction of youth policy.While national youth councils do not have the power to dictate a country’syouth policy, they can successfully influence decision-making. In Lithuania,for instance, young people form half of the Council of Youth Affairs,which formally advises the Department of Youth Affairs as it prepares andimplements national youth policies. In South Africa, adolescents contributedto a ‘Children’s Charter of South Africa’ and provided substantial inputs tothe drafting of the 2005 Children’s Act, which includes child participation asone of its founding principles.Children should be encouraged to create their own, child-led organizations,through which they can carve out a space for meaningful participation andrepresentation. An excellent example of such an organization is the AfricanMovement of Working Children and Youth (AMWCY), which in 2008 hadassociations in 196 cities and villages in 22 countries of sub-Saharan Africa,with a membership of over 260,000 working girls and boys. Strengthenedby the active participation of children who have experience of the issues it66THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2011