{"id":3837,"date":"2023-11-17T14:54:19","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T14:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/?post_type=storiesprojects&p=3837"},"modified":"2025-11-20T17:10:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T17:10:17","slug":"creating-space-for-adolescent-voices-for-democracy-insights-from-save-the-childrens-country-roundtables","status":"publish","type":"storiesprojects","link":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/stories\/creating-space-for-adolescent-voices-for-democracy-insights-from-save-the-childrens-country-roundtables\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating Space for Adolescent Voices for Democracy: Insights from Save the Children’s Country Roundtables"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Zambia<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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ABSTRACT<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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For the Summit for Democracy Year of Action, Save the Children (SC) hosted nine national roundtables, providing platforms for young people and local civil society to speak directly to their governments about their leading issues for democratic reform and renewal. One of the nine participating countries was Zambia, where adolescents from across the country called on their government to improve children\u2019s participation in public decision making in order to strengthen democracy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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ENABLING FACTORS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Support from key stakeholders, including civil society leaders, government officials, bilateral donor governments and – most importantly – buy-in from the young people taking part.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Enabling<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A strong democracy and open civic space in Zambia, and attention to democratic renewal related to the Summit for Democracy Year of Action.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Enabling<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Various strategies to engage young people in different ways and give them multiple opportunities to participate, plus child safeguarding to ensure no harm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Financial resources and dedicated staff to facilitate participation from young people from a wide range of backgrounds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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While the promotion of human rights was at the top of the agenda at the first Summit for Democracy in December 2021, there was limited conversation specifically around children and young people\u2019s rights, and little opportunity to hear from them directly. Though young people under the age of18 cannot vote in most contexts, they can be civic actors for strong democracies \u2013 children and youth have a right to influence those government decisions that will affect them, and they can be powerful defenders of human rights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To bring a greater focus on children and young people during the Summit for Democracy Year of Action, Save the Children US (SCUS) provided a small grant to each participating SC country office \u2013 the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, the United States and Zambia \u2013 interested in facilitating the participation of diverse young people and local civil society to call for government action on issues of importance to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SCUS offered technical assistance by way of background on the US-hosted Summit for Democracy, as well as facilitating contacts with the US Embassy \/ US Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in each country. Save the Children\u2019s in-county offices focused the roundtables on issues from their advocacy agendas relating to democratic strengthening and the fulfilment of children and young people\u2019s rights in their country. These topics included transparency and access to [especially child-friendly] information, accountability for previously signed international commitments (e.g. the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Safe Schools declaration), public participation in decision-making, fair financing for public services for children and young people, climate justice, girls\u2019 political leadership and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case Description \u2013 Spotlight on Zambia Children\u2019s Dialogue on Democracy <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Zambia, SC convened a two-day event for adolescents to discuss how they hope to see improved participation for children for a strengthened democracy. At the \u2018Children\u2019s Summit for Democracy\u2019 in Lusaka, young people \u2013 both girls and boys – aged 12-17 travelled from various provinces to meet with local civil society organisations and government leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[The government] needs to bridge the gap between children and government. It is hard for a child like me to go to a minister and talk about democracy. So we want a structure for children to be able to access information.\u201d \u2013 Adolescent girl participant<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Following a day of preparation and interactive conversation with democracy and rights activists from civil society, the young people decided on their key \u2018asks\u2019 for the Zambian President: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. To improve children\u2019s participation in public decision making.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. To increase access to information designed for children.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. To create permanent platforms for children\u2019s engagement with the government.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. To ensure children\u2019s participation in developing school curricula, including action-oriented civic education.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    On the second day, the young people presented these questions and engaged in a dialogue with participating adults from the Zambian government, the US Embassy and other donors as well as civil society. The chair of the Zambian Parliamentary Caucus for Children committed to taking their questions to the President. In addition, in the time leading up to the 2023 Summit for Democracy, the Zambia office of SC continued to advocate on the issues selected through the dialogues and sending a letter detailing the requests to relevant ministries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cChildren are future leaders, so we need to learn about democracy. But we aren\u2019t just the future, we are also the present. And we need more information, in child-friendly language.\u201d \u2013 Adolescent girl participant<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Policies, institutions and civic environment:<\/strong> As a result of the peaceful transition of power and democratic openings following the election of the former opposition leader, now President, Hakainde Hichilema in 2021, Zambia has now been deemed a democratic \u2018bright spot\u2019 by USAID Administrator Samantha Power. During the 2021 Summit for Democracy, the Zambian President highlighted<\/a> the importance of building a strong and inclusive democracy by working alongside civil society and embracing decentralisation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This openness and attention to democracy in Zambia meant that the Summit for Democracy was a useful hook to highlight ongoing efforts. These included the recently enacted Children\u2019s Code Act No. 12 of 2022 and the development of the National Child Participation Framework. However, the Summit also exposed the need to support ministries in understanding how their various departments and jurisdictions can make connections between children\u2019s participation policies and democracy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Civil society and international actors were strongly supportive of the Children\u2019s Summit for Democracy roundtable. Zambian human rights activists, along with USAID and other donors, took part in the sessions and were eager to offer support to the adolescents. Their participation also lent additional legitimacy to the event in the domestic context, creating a general display of support that was useful for influencing government officials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Outreach & youth engagement practices: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n