1 June marks the International Day for the Protection of Children. This day is an excellent opportunity to reaffirm the importance of the rights of children around the globe. In particular, it is extremely important to remember that it is necessary to listen to the voices of children and consider their opinions, especially in those issues and decisions that directly affect them. On the eve of the International Children’s Day, the Council of Europe Project “Combating violence against children in Ukraine” presents the Ukrainian translation of the Council of Europe Handbook on children’s participation “Listen – Act – Change” for professionals working for and with children.
The Council of Europe’s Recommendation CM/ Rec(2012)2 on the participation of children and young people under the age of 18 sought to make this right real in the member states of the Council of Europe. Our Organisation has also made major strides in embedding child participation in its work by ensuring that children can influence its standard-setting, monitoring and capacity building work and by bringing their voices and powerful messages at its international events. The consecutive Council of Europe Strategies for the Rights of the Child have thrust forward actions to promote the participation of children in all settings. This Handbook therefore represents a substantive contribution to the current Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016 to 2021).
This Handbook is for professionals who work with children in schools and other education settings, hospitals and other health care settings, alternative care settings, child protection services, immigration and asylum, family support and pre-school services. It is for social workers, teachers, judges, lawyers, immigration officers, psychologists, civil servants, youth workers and day care workers. The aim of the Handbook is to assist these – and other - professionals in understanding and supporting children’s right to be heard. It offers practical approaches to support professionals to “do” children’s participation and make it work. The Handbook explains what the term “children’s participation” means and demonstrates how professionals can support the children they work with – both as individuals and as groups – to participate in decisions that affect them. The Handbook promotes an approach which has at its core a process that establishes dialogue between the adult professionals and children.
The Council of Europe Handbook on children’s participation “Listen – Act – Change” is available for download at the following link: https://rm.coe.int/prems-008521-child-participation-handbook-2021-ukr/1680a2aa8a
