Child Participation at the Global Campus. Strengthening Child and Youth Leadership Worldwide

Abstract

At an international child-led conference in January 2022, originally planned as an in-person event but held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children and young people came together to share their views, experiences and ideas. When the event ended, they did not want the exchange to stop. They wanted to stay connected, to keep working together and to turn their ideas into action. From that moment, the Global Campus Child Leadership Team (CLT) began to take shape. Since then, something remarkable has grown. Across regions and contexts, national Child Leadership Teams, under the umbrella of the global CLT, have developed into a community of children aged 12-17 who are identifying the issues that matter to them, creating their own projects and advocating for change in their communities and beyond. This publication is an attempt to capture a part of that journey. It takes the form of a tree. The branches represent the different themes the CLTs are working on, while the leaves show some of the many projects that have grown from them. Each leaf reflects an idea brought to life—shaped and led by children and young people themselves. Like the work it represents, this publication is not finished. It is a living tree. New leaves will be added as new projects emerge, and we hope to continue shaping and improving it over time, including through the feedback we receive. What stands out most is the energy and commitment of the children and young people involved. They are not just participating—they are taking initiative, setting priorities and creating spaces for change. Alongside them are the people who support and accompany this work in different ways, helping to create the conditions for participation and growth. There is a great deal to learn from what is being built together. At the same time, this work is still evolving. We are constantly learning about the challenges and constraints that come with enabling meaningful child participation, and about how we can do better. Being open about this, and continuing the dialogue with the children and young people involved in the CLTs and the Youth Advisory Group (YAG), is an essential part of the process. We hope this publication offers something to everyone who reads it - child or adult. We hope it sparks ideas, raises questions and shows what is possible when children are supported to take the lead. And we hope it invites you to learn more about the work that continues to grow from here.