Child Participation Program aims to make sure children’s views are taken into account in Hintalovon’s work and to advocate for children’s right to be heard in Hungary.
Working for children with children it is a major principle and practice at the Foundation: child participation is therefore a mean and an end. The program aims to empower children and support adults in involving children in a meaningful way.
We had been working with high school volunteers from its establishment in 2016, and it grown to be a special program the following year. Hintalovon was the first NGO that involved children in child rights advocacy regularly and is the most influential organization in promoting meaningful child participation from a child rights approach in Hungary.
Children’s involvement in Hintalovon’s work
Children aged 13-17 contribute with their opinion and support to all activities of the Foundation, from the conception of an idea to the full realization and evaluation of it. In 2022, we work with 18 Child Rights Ambassadors biweekly. Our work with child volunteers is guided by the special Chapter of the Foundation’s Child Safeguarding Policy. It is based on the 9 principles of child participation as laid down in the UNCRC General Comment No 12.
Our efforts for the realization of children’s rights are to succeed only if their point of view is also taken into account. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the right to express their opinion and to be heard in all matters affecting them. Children are competent in issues affecting them and given the right questions, information, environment and support they are valuable partners in making a change in children’s lives.
Working to promote meaningful child participation
The program addresses adults to engage children in issues affecting them, to listen to the children’s perspectives and to work with them in a way that is meaningful and high-standard. This is done by advocacy and awareness-raising, developing and sharing child participation resources and offering consultancy.
Main activities
- participatory research (e.g. CRC reporting, INCLUDE, INTERNETMOST)
- child-friendly materials (e.g. Lanzarote Convention, UNCRC, demonstrations)
- methodology guidelines (e.g. Guidelines for the media, for conference organizers)
- awareness raising campaigns (e.g. Children in political campaigns)
- consultations with children (e.g. Yelon articles, child-friendly materials, blog of National Media and Infocommunications Authority)
- cooperation with children (e.g. trainings and projects)
- engaging children (e.g. CRC reporting, Instagram, raising awareness about opportunities to influence decision-making)
- sharing our child participation practices (e.g. Lanzarote, ChiLLS)
International references
- CRC monitoring
- Eurochild Child Participation Reference Group
- Council of Europe
- Include project
- Chills project
Who works in the program?
Child Participation Program is composed of a multidisciplinary team of 6 people with a background in psychology, law, advocacy, research, drama education, journalism, teaching and project coordination. We work with three mentors: Viktória Botos, Anna Glatz, Zsófia Sall, a coordinator Lilla Buday-Palotay, a researcher Karolina Balogh and a program manager Barbara Németh.
