- Young people in Latin America call not to hinder the leading participation of children in the issues that affect the development of their life projects.
- Girls, boys and adolescents from all over the planet are affected by the climate crisis, violating their rights.
As an exercise of rights, through the protagonist participation of girls, boys, adolescents and young people, movements related to the future have been created in the world, such as caring for the environment and combating the climate crisis. To reflect on the impact of childhood and youth, the Initiative Weaving Childhood Networks for Latin America and the Caribbean transmitted through Ollin.Tv the Webinar How do girls and boys participate in actions in favor of the environment? It was joined by youth activists from Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico.
Juan Martín Pérez García, Regional Coordinator Weaving Childhood Nets, recognized the great leadership of girls, boys and young people actively participating, exercising their rights. He highlighted the importance of adults listening to young people, thus promoting participatory citizenship or early citizenship. "Unfortunately, we are not always educated to participate", referred.
Joselyn from Mexico, mentioned that environmental education has to be a topic of conversation and action in homes, but also in academic activities, since children can also contribute with small actions to caring for the environment, for example, cleaning of parks or beaches.
On behalf of the Guardians for Life Movement in Colombia, Camilo participated, who pointed out that through movement and participation, young people assert their voice, even pointing out their disagreements related to the legislation on caring for the environment.
For Carlos from the Network of Observers and Defenders of Rights of Mexico, the impulse that is given from civil society to the participation of children is also an invitation to adults to join the care of the environment, which also provides the opportunity to know the rights of children, so that they can be respected.
In traditional social representations, girls, boys and adolescents are considered immature in their development process, incomplete people, placing them only as objects of protection, thinking that only in the future is when they will be able to decide and actively participate, "One of the greatest difficulties is for children to participate in the face of adult fear"; This was stated by Juan Martín Pérez.
For Nicky Bravo of the Movement for Children and Youth in Ecuador, it is essential to understand participation as a right, which should not be affected when it is put into practice, therefore, it is necessary to update international laws and frameworks that guarantee the participation of children, for which social transformation is necessary, where nature is also recognized as a subject of rights, just as it is done with people.
For Joselyn, grown-ups have failed in their "Ethical role" to accompany them, by denying them the support and the space for their opinions to have an impact on the political agendas. In this sense, Camilo assured that young people are capable of debating their ideas and knowledge with the adult world, "The young people of today, we are protagonists", Indian.
The young people who participated in this Webinar, pointed out that today they take action because they are the present and the future, citizens of their countries and the planet, future decision makers, hence the importance of involving them and giving them the opportunity to accompany the transformations, with the contribution of their ideas and knowledge.
The conclusions point out that training is an exercise in citizen empowerment, which generates strengthening and manages to promote significant changes, including through digital culture, making visible what the authorities are not seeing.
To continue talking about the topic, How do girls and boys participate in actions in favor of the environment ?, we put at your disposal some time on the agenda for an interview with Juan Martín Pérez García, Regional Coordinator Weaving Childhood Networks.
Watch the full broadcast here:
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About:
Ollin.TV is an Internet television channel created as part of Weaving Childhood Networks in Latin America and the Caribbean, an initiative co-financed by the European Union, which seeks to contribute to the strengthening and consolidation of a platform for the defense of children and adolescents in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of Children's Rights Mexico AC / Weaving Childhood Networks and in no case should it consider that it reflects the views of the European Union.
Press contact: Alejandra Gallardo / public [email protected]