Voices of Activists and Academics
Working with children in communities
Vicky Johnson, Tessa Lewin, Andrew West
Over the past three decades, research and intervention processes have been left wanting by the lack of the substantive inclusion of children and young people, as well as the challenge of adultism − the ongoing and systematic disregard of many children and youth in decision-making.
This book is inspired by the dedication of people across global contexts who have worked with children in communities to improve their lives, many of whom started out as youth activists. The inspirational authors of the chapters, many more who also work across global contexts with children in communities, and the editors own varied journeys in academia and activism have formed the basis of this book. All involved have tried to express a vision where conditions are improved to attain child and youth rights and intergenerational justice.
In each chapter, practitioners and academics from many global contexts share their experiences of being youth activists and working with children and young people in a participatory way, broadly based on rights-based approaches emerging from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
A collection of interviews with field experts carried out as part of Rejuvenate, a partnership programme co-led by the Institute for Development Studies and the University of the Highlands and Islands, form the basis of the chapters of this book. Its chapters will inspire and support those working or seeking to work with children and young people in communities, from academic, local, national and international policy and practice, across different country and institutional perspectives.
Published: 2024
Pages: 326
eBook: 9781788533904
Paperback: 9781788533881
Hardback: 9781788533898
This book is inspired by the dedication of people across global contexts who have worked with children in communities to improve their lives, many of whom started out as youth activists. The inspirational authors of the chapters, many more who also work across global contexts with children in communities, and the editors own varied journeys in academia and activism have formed the basis of this book. All involved have tried to express a vision where conditions are improved to attain child and youth rights and intergenerational justice.
In each chapter, practitioners and academics from many global contexts share their experiences of being youth activists and working with children and young people in a participatory way, broadly based on rights-based approaches emerging from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
A collection of interviews with field experts carried out as part of Rejuvenate, a partnership programme co-led by the Institute for Development Studies and the University of the Highlands and Islands, form the basis of the chapters of this book. Its chapters will inspire and support those working or seeking to work with children and young people in communities, from academic, local, national and international policy and practice, across different country and institutional perspectives.
| Introduction: Scaffolding child and youth rights | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| PART 1: HISTORICAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT | |||
| Chapter 1. Introduction to Historical and International Context | |||
| Chapter 2. From Understanding Children’s Experience of Environments to Finding Ways to Help Them Participate In Changing Them | |||
| Roger Hart | |||
| Chapter 3. What You Miss By Missing Out: Different Gender and Age Perceptions and Experiences | |||
| Edda Ivan-Smith | |||
| Chapter 4. Working with and for girls | |||
| Swatee Deepak | |||
| Chapter 5. Holistic Child Protection | |||
| Ken Justus Ondoro | |||
| Chapter 6. Understanding Domestic Work and Children Organising | |||
| Jonathan Blagbrough | |||
| Chapter 7. Journey to Understand Children’s Participation and Citizenship: A personal view. | |||
| Tom Cockburn | |||
| PART TWO: PRACTICE FROM REGIONAL CONTEXTS | |||
| Chapter 8. Introduction to Practice from Regional Contexts | |||
| Chapter 9. Challenges in Overcoming Social Norms and Tackling Child Migration | |||
| Annania Admassu: Ethiopia | |||
| Chapter 10. Building Successful Participation | |||
| Fassil W. Marriam Kidane: Uganda: East Africa | |||
| Chapter 11. Engaging with Urban Informal Childhood: Lessons from an Informal Settlement | |||
| Yaw Ofosu-Kusi and Phil Mizen: Ghana | |||
| Chapter 12. Changing Concepts: Mobilizing Peace, Accountability and Education | |||
| Shubhendra Man Shrestha: Nepal | |||
| Chapter 13. Involving Children: Pathways of Participation and Terminology | |||
| Harriot Beazley: Indonesia | |||
| Chapter 14. Reflections from an Engaged Researcher In Brazil | |||
| Irene Rizzini: Brazil | |||
| Chapter 15. We already have the answers | |||
| Jessica Nowlan and Tenaya Jones: United States of America | |||
| Chapter 16. Reflections from Community Work Practices Promoting Children’s Well-Being | |||
| Gabriela Trevisan: Portugal | |||
| PART THREE: YOUTH ACTIVISM INTO THINKING | |||
| Chapter 17. Introduction to Youth Activism into Thinking | |||
| Chapter 18. Supporting Youth Organising | |||
| Eric Braxton | |||
| Chapter 19. Youth as a Political Force for Peace | |||
| Lakshitha Saji Prelis | |||
| Chapter 20. Go work your magic | |||
| Chernor Bah | |||
| Chapter 21. Making governance work | |||
| Blair Glencorse | |||
| Chapter 22. Think twice: Travelling between academia and practice in children’s rights | |||
| Karl Hanson | |||
| PART FOUR: THINKING FORWARD | |||
| Chapter 23. Thinking Forward: Introduction | |||
| Chapter 24. Supporting youth agency, decision-making, and action in community-led child protection | |||
| Mike Wessells | |||
| Chapter 25. Humanising Child Well-being Interventions: the beginning of a journey | |||
| Beniamino Cislaghi | |||
| Chapter26. Reflections on children’s participation practice: Looking back and forward | |||
| Claire O’Kane | |||
| Chapter 27. “Living rights” or why working children know about their rights | |||
| Olga Nieuwenhuys | |||
| Chapter 28. How ready are we to partner with young people? | |||
| Kavita Ratna | |||
| CONCLUSION: CHILDREN IN COMMUNITIES AND INTERGENERATIONAL JUSTICE | |||
| Andy West, Vicky Johnson, Tessa Lewin |
'The need to involve children and youth in making the decisions that have a critical impact on their lives and wellbeing has never been greater. This inspirational book brings to a wide audience the voices, views and visions of children, and those who work with and support them, through research and interventions in a diverse range of contexts. Putting children and youth at the centre, it makes an important contribution to attaining child and youth rights and intergenerational justice.'
Professor Peter Taylor, Acting Director, Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
'The participation rights of children has been one of the most popular and yet controversial in child rights discourse since the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989. This book addresses one of the most contentious elements in child participation – the adult-child relationship – drawn from over 30 years of participation ideas and practices from around the world. Based on experiential wisdom and lessons learnt in engaging with children, the chapters in this book redefine and reimage how meaningful adult-child dialogue and partnership can lead to the sustainable participation of children and young people and reshape the landscape of protecting and promoting children’s rights and wellbeing. For those who are interested and engaged in this field, this book is a valuable resource to promote inter-generational dialogue and partnerships between adults and children towards achieving human rights for all children in the world today.'
Victor P. Karunan, Visiting Professor in Social Policy, Thammasat University; Development Studies, Chulalongkorn University, and Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Tessa Lewin Tessa is a Research Fellow at IDS. She is a development professional with over 20 years of experience working on participatory action-research projects both as a researcher and visual practitioner.
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