UNHCR & Arigatou International - Invitation to Join a Consultation Session
Voices of Children on the Implementation of the UN HRC Resolution on Ensuring Quality Education for Peace and Tolerance for Every Child
November 5, 2024. 14h00 CET. Zoom meeting
INTRODUCTION
As stated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), children have the right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Given the profound influence that education has on childhood development, well-being, and future prospects it is essential that children are actively involved in shaping the policies and practices that impact the education they receive –particularly in matters related to human rights, peace, understanding, and the needs of the most vulnerable. Education should help children develop the skills needed to contribute to building peace in their communities. The UN Human Rights Council, in its resolution “Ensuring quality education for peace and tolerance for every child” adopted on October 11, 2023, mandated the UN Human Rights Office to develop a comprehensive report with specific recommendations on how to develop accessible, inclusive, equitable, and quality education for peace and tolerance for every child, particularly those in the most vulnerable situations, and how to incorporate it into educational programs.
The resolution invites member states to integrate human rights education, conflict resolution, and intercultural dialogue into educational curriculums. The role of education in addressing discrimination and violence has been highlighted in the resolution. Committed to valuing children’s voices and ensuring their suggestions and recommendations are considered, the UN Human Rights Office, in collaboration with Arigatou International, has initiated a listening process to gather insights for the preparation of the aforementioned report. This process has included two consultations in September 2024. The first was held in Geneva with experts on children’s rights and education to discuss how to empower children as agents of peace in their schools and communities. The second was a virtual consultation with 20 children, aged 12 to 17, from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, and Seychelles.
To further expand this listening process, a second virtual consultation with children will be held on November 5, 2024 at 14h00 Central European Time. Children from diverse backgrounds are invited to join the dialogue to share their views and recommendations on ensuring equal rights, quality education, and safe environments for all children, particularly the most vulnerable such as children with disabilities, children who are displaced, children from marginalized communities or living in conflict zones, victims of abuse or discrimination.
Participants are not required to have prior experience in peace education programs to join this open dialogue. Their insights will contribute to the development of the report to the Human Rights Council.
OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTATION
Engage children in a collective process of reflection on the human rights to which all children are entitled and how learning about their rights, and receiving an education that fosters respect for each and everyone can help them address challenges they face in their communities and schools, like bullying, discrimination, gender inequality, misinformation, hate speech, among others.
Create a safe, inclusive, and interactive space for children to engage in dialogue with one another on what is required to ensure children can enjoy their human rights, including their right to receive an education that nurtures the skills and values necessary to contribute to an equitable society.
Identify key recommendations from children on what they believe governments, teachers, and others need to do to ensure that every child can benefit from an education that aims to promote peace in schools, communities, and within and across nations.
CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPANT’S SELECTION
As experts in their own lives, all children have a valuable perspective on how education should be shaped. This invitation is open to all children, with or without experience in peace education programs. To participate, children must:
- Be between 12 and 17 years of age
- Be able to communicate fluently in English or Spanish
- Be available to join a 2-hour online dialogue via Zoom
- Be willing to explore the informative package that participants will receive before the session to ensure informed and meaningful participation. Children who have experience engaging in peace clubs, child advisory groups, or other social movements or campaigns in their schools or communities may find this event particularly relevant.
CONSULTATION STRUCTURE
Before the event, children will receive a package of child-friendly materials including a simplified version of the UN HRC Resolution, a child-friendly concept note, and an explainer video to prepare them for the dialogue. Adults supporting children can hold preparatory meetings to discuss the topic in more detail. However, beyond reviewing the materials and watching the explainer video, no other preparations are necessary for children to participate in the session as this is intended to be an informal dialogue guided by facilitators. The session will be divided into a plenary discussion and time for deeper reflections in smaller groups, as follows:
- A collective moment to get to know each other and break the ice.
- A break-out session to reflect on case studies exploring issues that affect children and hinder their ability to learn and live together harmoniously. In this session, children will delve into how education for peace can help overcome these challenges. They will also identify recommendations on what countries could do to ensure quality education for peace for all children, especially the most vulnerable.
- A final plenary session to share all recommendations and ways forward.
EVENT DETAILS
The consultation will be a closed session for up to 40 child participants who will be guided by a team of facilitators from Arigatou International. The participation of adults will be limited to the facilitators’ team, technical support, and interpreters. Fragments of the plenary sessions might be featured later on social media for advocacy purposes. Children will be informed of this and given the option to consent to the use of their contributions. The session will be held via Zoom on 5 November 2024 at 14:00 CET to accommodate different time zones. If your organization wishes to support children to join this consultation, please submit this basic form by November 1, 2024.
SUPPORTING RESOURCES
- Click here to access a child-friendly invitation to this event.
- Click here to access the consent forms that all children and their legal guardians must read and sign before the event
- Click here to access the child-friendly package for children to prepare for the
event.