Viva’s Cutting Edge: Child Participation and Youth Advocacy
“The most effective advocates for children’s rights are the children themselves.” - Fe Foronda
Child Participation and Youth Advocacy Summary
Two sessions explored child and youth participation across diverse cultural contexts. Regarding child participation, speakers from Zimbabwe, the Philippines, and Venezuela highlighted barriers such as cultural norms, fear, and systemic challenges that silence children’s voices. The consensus was that meaningful participation requires mindset shifts, legal enforcement, and the principle that “anything for children without children is not for children.” A separate session on helping youth advocate for their own rights and needs featured speakers from partner networks in Honduras and Bolivia, as well as Save the Children, who presented successful youth advocacy initiatives and the principles they embed in their work to ensure youth engagement is safe, sincere, and meaningful.
Child participation in intolerant environments – Widdlack Nyahwedegwe (Viva Network Zimbabwe)
Widdlack, the director of Viva Network Zimbabwe, spoke about child participation in intolerant environments. Zimbabwe has a patriarchal cultural environment, but he is one person among others trying to “push the narrative and subject of child participation … which means children have space and involvement in decisions and actions that affect their lives.” He explained that because of fear used in disciplining children, there is little room for children to be heard: “Children are expected to listen each and every time because the adult knows everything, and the voice of the child does not mean anything … our subconscious mind tells us that it's not really important.” Widdlack affirmed that there are laws and protocols to protect children, but implementation is difficult, as “the one who is supposed to implement this law subconsciously does not agree with that law.” To remedy this ‘intolerant environment’, Viva Network Zimbabwe conducted research in 2018, which led them to agree that, going forward, child protection or other engagement meetings should always include child participation on the agenda, and that children should be invited as active participants to every meeting. This approach was brought to the government, and child protection committees were re-established in schools as child-led groups to handle children’s issues, as well as similar groups in churches.
He affirmed that now their motto is “anything for children without children is not for children” and noted that everything starts at the family level: “a parent who listens to their child at home is able to advocate for the same to happen at work, for the same to happen in the community, for the same to happen at Church, for the same to happen in government.”
The best advocates for children are children – Fe Foronda (PCMN)
Fe Foronda, the National Director of the Philippine Children's Ministries Network (PCMN), noted that “We at PCMN have come to a powerful realisation: The most effective agents and advocates for the protection of children and promotion of their rights are the children themselves.” As such, they work to equip children and youth through capacity-building activities that help them gain the skills and knowledge that they need to speak for themselves and to become the voice for other children whose stories often go unheard. “When we actively listen to children and involve them in decisions that affect their lives, we affirm their dignity, agency, and worth.”
She highlighted Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which clearly states the right of children to freedom of expression, thought, conscience, religion, association, peaceful assembly, and protection of their privacy and access to information. She recalled that in 1997, when she first became involved in a project related to what was then an emerging practice or movement in child participation, it was considered trailblazing: the first nationwide initiative curated to focus on child participation. This work helped shape the landscape for including children’s voices in decision-making at the highest levels of government. This has not been an easy achievement; it takes intentional, sustained effort to include child participation in everyday spaces like homes, churches, and schools. She noted, “Child participation should never be treated as just another project with a timeline and a goal. Instead, it is a guiding principle on how we work with children. For us, as duty bearers, it is a lifelong advocacy to listen to, respect and to recognise the decision-making capacity of children, especially on issues that affect their lives.”
A video was shared of a high school student, Alexandria Baccalisman, studying humanities and social science, who was part of a project championing youth engagement. Having had opportunities for training and learning about mental health, as well as building leadership skills, Alexandria describes her participation in Project Champ as “more than just a project. It's a home I've cherished for five years now.” She explained that one notable initiative was crafting a social accountability tool, serving as a community scorecard, to assess the effectiveness of local government services related to disaster risk reduction and social services. The youth organisation is now recognised as a member of the Local Youth Development Council of the Municipality and has successfully lobbied for legislation change.
Child participation should be safe and fun - Armi Martinez (SAO Philippines)
The point that children should enjoy their participation – and that it should not hinder them in any way - was raised. Armi Martinez from SAO Philippines noted that “child participation sometimes is not what is best for the child” in cases where a child is taken out of school to attend a consultation or misses out on normal childhood activities. Key considerations were:
The child must be at an appropriate age, which is suggested to be around 10 years, when they can form an opinion of themselves and others.
Children must have the skills and the right understanding of what it takes to participate, and be educated about their rights.
Children should be trained in speaking, decision-making, and leadership skills.
Simulations on how to engage with adults can be carried out before a public meeting to build their confidence and capacity.
Adults must also be properly prepared, particularly leaders in the community, as some adults require a mindset change to adopt the importance of children participating.
Children should be and feel safe (we should never violate a child’s rights because there is a need for participation).
The child should be consulted, and there should be consent, before they are involved – both from the child and their parent or guardian, if they are minors. The age of the child may impact the level of participation in decision making, but children can be involved at all levels; so a child of five years old can, for example, choose what she can wear for the day, though it would be inappropriate for them to be part of a Municipal Council.
Vacation Bible Plan – a tool for engaging children (Maritza from Red Viva Venezuela)
Maritza Sabila is the director of the Children's Department of the National Alliance in Venezuela, which implements programmes through the RENACSENIV network she leads, which is supported by Viva. She noted that child participation brings about change, and interactive learning occurs at all levels when children are involved. She mentioned that children face many challenges, such as violence, limited access to health and education, and displacement. She explained that they carry out activities to protect against violence and support marginalised groups based on Biblical principles as communities of faith, following the example of Jesus Christ: “the church gives spiritual aid, offering hope, dignity and a path of transformation.” She shared one successful strategy, the Vacation Bible Camp, noting that “We want children to learn that they are administrators and responsible for what God has given them … (blending) spiritual with agro-ecological awareness in a fun and community environment.” As children and adolescents actively engage in activities such as planting seeds, they learn to take responsibility for God's creation.
The panel concluded by addressing the challenges they have faced, including normalising giving children space and fostering dialogue between parents and children. The need to teach parents and adults the value of children was raised, with particular emphasis on ‘Understanding God's heart for children.’ Fe Foronda explained that in every manual or toolkit that PCMN prepares, there is always a chapter on the worth and dignity of children and the importance of ensuring they can participate.
Youth Advocacy
Young people are not just future citizens - Inés Caballero (Red Viva Bolivia)
Inés Caballero explained that Red Viva Bolivia, which she co-founded 25 years ago, focuses on child and youth agency and participation. Inés emphasised that “we should not only see them as future citizens, but also recognise their actions in the present.” She outlined their model, which creates real spaces for real participation, which is not just about the child, but also adults: “Working with children and adolescents on the issue of child agency and participation is not possible if we do not first work on the adults. It's about transforming the adult's role, not as an adult who does things for the child, but as an adult who accompanies the child through the process.” She explained that, as Bolivia is a country with an adult-centric culture and approach, many people do not see the need to help children develop their own voices. She described initiatives such as the Leadership Academy: in each city where Red Viva Bolivia operates, there are spaces where it develops or strengthens children's skills, while also helping children and youth work on personal development, self-esteem, self-knowledge, and self-confidence, to stimulate emotional expression, empathy, and decision-making. She stressed the importance of monitoring and sustaining these processes with children’s input, noting that children meet monthly. Local and national gatherings are also held to help youth express themselves and develop their leadership. Inés highlighted advocacy efforts, including municipal children’s commissions and the “Month of Good Treatment,” observed every September since 2006 and now a national initiative per an ordinance requiring all public institutions to implement actions promoting good treatment.
Building youth who are anti-corruption - María Luna (Viva Network Honduras)
María Luna then spoke about the 27 years of work done by Viva Network Honduras, describing programmes focused on children, youth, and families, as well as anti-corruption initiatives. María explained how they train children and youth to be transparency monitors through a curriculum which consists of 17 lessons, from first grade to eleventh grade, integrated into schools nationwide, thanks to an alliance with the Ministry of Education. She detailed the creation of manuals, transparency schools, and certification processes for educational centres. They have also developed children and youth councils in municipal offices, who “analyse and raise issues with state authorities that directly affect them, and they demand solutions from the authorities.” She also mentioned the ‘superheroes’ that were developed, called Transparencia (transparency), Corruptón (corruption), and the other is Confidencia (confidence) “because everything also has to be easy and child-friendly, and it's impressive how children reflect on this topic.” She explained that children learn what transparency, corruption and accountability are, what educational oversight bodies are, and what social audits are: “They then organise themselves as ambassadors of transparency and ethics” and develop an operational plan, put it into action, and conduct audits of their municipalities' youth interventions. “With young people, it’s about dynamism, right? They inject all that dynamism into the network, energy, and courage. They are fearless and innovative, creative, and highly committed, loyal and transcendental … we trust that the generations and culture in our country will be transformed by these young people.”
Not adult-centric participation - Roberto Torres (Save the Children)
Roberto Torres from Save the Children discussed the organisation’s commitment to child participation as a fundamental right under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. He mentioned many adjectives related to child participation, such as ethical, voluntary, inclusive, meaningful, and safe. He explained that it is important to ensure that children are given opportunities to express themselves according to their contexts, ages and level of empowerment, and it is imperative to avoid “adult-centrism that was present in the participation. In other words, we wanted mini-adults who would be there, saying things that adults often didn't want to say or couldn't say … There shouldn't be any situations where the children are just decorative, where they're pushing the adults' agendas, so we need to be mindful of that.” He shared some challenges related to child participation, including limited political will, structural inequality and discrimination, unsafe environments for participation, the challenges of digital challenges and the related technological divide, and the potential for negativity towards children who speak up. “I mean, in many public institutions, they say, "Okay, let the child come and express their demands and so on." But when the child tells a public official, "You're not doing your job right," that's a problem, isn't it? So that's one of the challenges we face.” Roberto outlined Save the Children’s ten principles for participation, including institutional empowerment, capacity building, intergenerational collaboration, equity, and cultural transformation. He concluded by emphasising adaptation and innovation as keys to sustaining meaningful participation.
The session ended with a Q&A, during which speakers addressed questions about avoiding the instrumentalisation of participation and developing anti-corruption materials. Inés stressed working with adults to raise awareness and giving children autonomy in choosing spaces and actions. Roberto added that co-creating agendas with children ensures legitimacy and prevents exploitation. María emphasised the importance of having diverse, skilled technical teams and of involving children throughout the entire process. All agreed that meaningful participation requires time, resources, and commitment, and a mind shift change away from adult-centricism: as Inés said, “I think that concept is key for us, that is, the child is not a small adult, he is a child.”
These sessions were from a Cutting Edge conference in July 2025, organised by Viva, an international charity that inspires, equips and connects networks of churches and community-based organisations to work together to make a bigger, better and longer-lasting impact in the lives of children. For more information about Viva or Cutting Edge, please visit viva.org.