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Description
Our project aims at raising the awareness of children and adolescents about their rights and opportunities for direct participation and having their voice heard. The project is needed because it will create a favourable environment for children and adolescents, who will be able to learn about their rights and have the ability to uphold them through direct participation, as well as support other children and young people at risk. This is how the project will contribute to the specific goal. The project will help set up a stable network of children and adolescents, who will be trained to respond and uphold their rights, be aware of and hold accountable key institutions responsible for protection of children’s rights. The project will help children and adolescents acquire knowledge about their rights, create a community for exchange of skills and practices, influence children’s and young people’s emotional development and their integration in the society. 15 children and adolescents will be the direct participants in the planned project activities. Key institutions (5) and the parents (15 parents) of the children and adolescents can also benefit from the project outcomes. The project will help improve the interaction between the children and their families within the frame of children’s rights and involvement. Children will have the opportunity to form and share their opinion on major issues, develop their communication skills, empathy, presentation and group work.
Summary of project results
With the implementation of the project, active children''s participation was ensured through learning and doing. We were also able to improve the interaction between parents and children, and support and communication skills were created between children and youth of different social status, and the children themselves were able to develop their communication and presentation skills. The children had the opportunity to form and express their opinion on significant issues, to develop communication skills, empathy, presentation and group work, to debate and present. Our organization upgraded its current child participation program, increased the knowledge and skills of children and youth for more active direct work and advocacy, as well as created conditions for popularizing rights among interested institutions through the lens of children and their voice. Our main way of working was the team approach and work with each young person and child, as well as direct group work with the participants. The use of various role-playing games, debates, formats such as "World Cafe", games and others created conditions for the inclusion of each youth according to his level. The various events with interested parties gave the opportunity for children and young people to be able to express themselves and formulate their proposals and ideas about how important it is to be heard and to participate, to declare and defend a position.