We are happy to announce the launch of the book “A Handbook of Children and Young People's Participation” by Routledge publishing house, with the participation of professor Irene Rizzini and Lucas Almeida, young research assistant and member of the Youth Forum South Fluminense in Action (FJSFA/VR). Lucas is part of the project Participation and youth protagonism in Brazil: a study in the south of Rio de Janeiro. The project is an initiative organized by the research network International and Canadian Partnership on the Rights of the Child (ICCRP), coordinated by professor Tara Collins (Toronto Metropolitan University). Lucas began working with CIESPI/PUC-Rio in 2018, when we sought to further our understanding of child and youth participation in public spaces. The work then focused on public policies and spaces aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of children and adolescents.
The chapter “Affecting change in different contexts. Children's participation in social and public policy dialogues in Brazil, Canada and South Africa” is also authored by Tara Collins, Danielle-Jamax Heynes, Lucy Jamieson and Samantha (Sam) Walsh. The text discusses how children, young people and adults can learn from their intergenerational experiences based on the premise that different age groups should have common spaces for dialogue, shared learning and experiences and joint efforts in formulating public policies. Adult participation is important to promote children's and youth rights but by learning how to share power and time with children and young people it can generate more fruitful results. The case studies from Brazil, Canada and South Africa explore valuable lessons and the potential for intergenerational spaces to contribute to international debates on the subject.