Voices of Activists and Academics - by Vicky Johnson & Tessa Lewin & Andrew West

About the Book

"Over the past three decades, research and intervention processes have been left wanting by the lack of the substantive inclusion of children and young people, as well as the challenge of adultism-- the ongoing and systematic disregard of many children and youth in decision-making. This book is inspired by the dedication of people across global contexts who have worked with children in communities to improve their lives, many of whom started out as youth activists. In each chapter, practitioners and academics from many global contexts share their experiences of being youth activists and working with children and young people in a participatory way, broadly based on rights-based approaches emerging from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)"--

Book Synopsis

In each chapter, practitioners and academics from many global contexts share their experiences of being youth activists and working with children and young people in a participatory way, broadly based on rights-based approaches emerging from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Review Quotes

'The need to involve children and youth in making the decisions that have a critical impact on their lives and wellbeing has never been greater. This inspirational book brings to a wide audience the voices, views and visions of children, and those who work with and support them, through research and interventions in a diverse range of contexts. Putting children and youth at the centre, it makes an important contribution to attaining child and youth rights and intergenerational justice.' Professor Peter Taylor, Acting Director, Institute of Development Studies (IDS) 'The participation rights of children has been one of the most popular and yet controversial in child rights discourse since the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989. This book addresses one of the most contentious elements in child participation - the adult-child relationship - drawn from over 30 years of participation ideas and practices from around the world. Based on experiential wisdom and lessons learnt in engaging with children, the chapters in this book redefine and reimage how meaningful adult-child dialogue and partnership can lead to the sustainable participation of children and young people and reshape the landscape of protecting and promoting children's rights and wellbeing. For those who are interested and engaged in this field, this book is a valuable resource to promote inter-generational dialogue and partnerships between adults and children towards achieving human rights for all children in the world today.' Victor P. Karunan, Visiting Professor in Social Policy, Thammasat University; Development Studies, Chulalongkorn University, and Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand