The City of Vienna asked over 22.000 children and young people about their views on the city and their future, and included them in its youth strategy.
the right to PARTICIPATION
Listening to children and considering their opinion in all matters that affect them promotes commitment, makes them aware of their own responsibilities and that of others, and provides them with political education. Participation is not a privilege, but a right. The City of Vienna takes this right seriously. As stipulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, every decision concerning children must be taken in the child's interest. Children’s opinions should be taken into account in all matters affecting them. In 2011, this right to proper participation of children and adolescents was included in the Austrian Federal Constitution. This means that children and young people have a right to be appropriately involved in matters that concern them. This practice increases identification with schools, parks, youth centres, districts, and cities.
WORKSHOPS IN FAMILIAR PLACES
In workshops, young people between the ages of 3 and 19 worked on questions about their lives in the city and their future. To involve young people from all backgrounds, the workshops were held by all kinds of caregiver across various locations, from nurseries to after-school care centres and schools, and youth centres to parks.
a BASIS FOR YOUTH STRATEGY
From February to April 2019, over 22,000 children and young people participated in over 1,300 workshops. Their input is being analysed by a social science institute. Nine topics that interested the children and young people have been identified, and 24 groups have been invited to send a representative to a children and youth advisory board to discuss the results. The results of the workshops of the 'Werkstadt Junges Wien' participation project will be integrated into the Vienna Children and Youth Strategy by 2020.
I'm deeply convinced that if you involve people in a city, especially the young people in the city, the city itself becomes a better place. But it also has an effect on the young persons themselves and it is something that gives young persons self-confidence and empowers them to actively change the world. And the world needs it.
