Fifteen years ago, there was an outcry about the fact that half of the world's population was not adequately consulted and involved in decisions that affected them - gender equality were the words on everyone's lips. But a different half of the world's population still continues to be ignored in decisions about development - children under 18 years of age.

International development non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and donors slip easily into the language of participation and involving civil society in decision-making. However, we are less comfortable with facing up to the fact that participatory processes require those in charge to give up some of their power. This is a challenge at the best of times, but much more so when those concerned are children, and when those required to give up some of their power are adults.

We may question why some of the scarce resources vital for fighting global poverty, stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS and educating every child should be spent on increasing children's participation in development. We may question the value of a child's perspective, whose life experience is shorter than an adult's. We may question the implications for our work if we were to involve children more in decisions.

So Why Should We Involve Children at All?
The fact is that as we struggle to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, we cannot afford to ignore the contributions of the world's 2 billion children, the majority of whom will be adults by the time 2015 arrives. A crisis like HIV/AIDS demonstrates what happens when the young are routinely ignored in the planning and development of responses. The age at which HIV is contracted is falling as children and young people continue the behaviour patterns of their parents and are abused by those who are already infected. Yet, the 5 - 15 age group still has the lowest HIV rates of the entire African population. There is a real opportunity to stop the spread of HIV among this group. Children have an important role to play in responses to the pandemic, but adults need to start to create real space for them to do so.

Children express concerns which are often different from those of adults. Their involvement leads to solutions that are more relevant to their needs. Therefore development interventions which involve children as active participants are more effective and efficient.

Children's participation must be on their own terms and in pursuit of their own visions for the world around them. Children are not here to be looked at with pity or wonder. They are future adults, future leaders, future parents.

Children are receptive to attitude and behaviour change in a way that many adults are not. Children are not only effective educators of each other but also of adults. Children want to do something positive for their families and communities and take part enthusiastically when given the opportunity.

Children have the right to be involved in decisions that affect them, as stated in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Plan has taken on the challenge of children's participation by developing our entire organisational approach into one where we work with children, rather than for children. The approach - Child Centred Community Development - has allowed children to become involved in community-wide consultation processes, making decisions on how to run their schools, and advocacy at national and international levels. Not only are we striving to systematically incorporate children's participation into our work, but Plan is actively advocating it to governments and donors.

Children's participation must start with children themselves, on their own terms and in pursuit of their own visions and concerns for the world around them. Children are not here to be looked at with pity or wonder. They are future adults, future leaders, future parents.

Children's participation in development should not simply be seen as a means of preparing the young for their future role as adults. Children's participation is an important tool for the social and economic development of children and their families now. Yet, they are one of the last population groups still routinely excluded from decision-making processes, which in essence remains an adult domain.

Plan UK is about to publish a report on understanding and evaluating children's participation in development. The report assesses how large international organisations with complex systems and hierarchical management structures can respond sensitively and flexibly to the challenges that will emerge when children are given a voice.

The challenge is for NGOs, governments and donors to have the courage to let go and follow where children lead.






Contributed by Feyi Rodway, Plan UK's Policy and Advocacy Adviser. Reprinted with permission from BOND.

To read another Global Envision article about the effects of globalization on a particular population segment, see The Poverty Impacts of Female Employment.