Activity:
Conferences
Participation
in conferences can be a valuable part of YAN
participatory projects. One has to be careful
of the intent of the conference. It would not
be a very useful exercise for the members if
the conferences are organized as single events
without building up on the theme of their projects
and without having a follow-up.
Objectives:
- To foster
identity of the network, recognition for the
representatives of the YAN group of children
and the YAN group itself.
- To provide
a platform for the children to voice their
opinions in an atmosphere of fun and for the
facilitators to get to know other organizations.
Materials:
The creative products made by the activists
in their YAN projects, like posters, movies,
skits etc. that can be exhibited and performed
in the conferences.
Duration:
Not specific. Variable depending on the context
of the coference. |
Gathering of activists
from different YAN centers in Boston at MIT |
Procedure:
- Conferences
should be organized as an assessment activity
after every 6 months at the network level
of YAN centers.
- It is important
that the activists choose the representatives
of their group. The
intent of a conference, to include the perspectives
of the young activists, should be made very
clear to them before they get involved.
- One way could
be that they all prepare questions that they
think are important to be addressed at the
conference and then to compare and contrast
the questions with the other members’
questions. They should then choose the representative
for the conference with the most number of
relevant questions.
- Or they could
choose representatives by a random lottery.
- To encourage
a wider range of discussion as well as topics
of concerns, the conference should host children
from a wide range of age group, the upper
limit being 18 years old.
- The activists
could use different means of expression like,
drawing & painting, skits, songs etc.
to voice their concerns at the conference.
Comments:
Conferences also provide a good opportunity
and context for documentation at the YAN Organization
and YAN Network Level.
Notes
from the Field: The 2004 Teen Summit
(organized by MIT and The Boston Museum of Science)
held at Boston is a good example of a conference
for children. 200 kids of different age groups
and countries gathered for a week of workshops,
discussions, talent show and celebration.
To see photos
of YAN 2003 gathering, click
here.
To see photos
of YAN 2004 gathering, click
here.
To Learn
More: Refer to Children's Participation,
The Theory and Practice of Involving Young
Citizens in Community Development and Environmental
Care, by Roger A. Hart, Earthscan Publications
Ltd., London, 1997
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