Children’s participation in society; a key to development: children as essential actors in improving their lives and communities

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Participation has become a key aspect of development in the last 40 years. Children’s participation in particular is gaining ground in NGO work and international initiatives. As established by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the fundamental right to express their views and have them taken seriously. Children and young people have first hand experience of the hardships and challenges that they face in their communities. They are capable of observing and assessing these issues and proposing solutions. As civil society challenges democracies to uphold justice and equality, children and young people hold the key to providing special knowledge and innovative approaches to bringing about changes in theircommunities and regions, and improving overall society. Making them partners in change means holding governments accountable to a bigger and more united public, leading to a sustainable path of development.