My work has been with children who have been involved in the government of their own schools. Involving children in the government of their own communities is another step in the right direction.
What I find astonishing when I read about CWC is the degree of trust in the knowledge and awareness of young people, and the way these young people have been enabled to influence and assist local government.
Two paragraphs will illustrate these points. The first is taken from a report by P. J. Lolichen on ethical issues in children’s research:
The children who collect/generate information must have complete ownership over that information. They can decide what to do with it. The adult facilitators should ask the children's permission to use any information they have generated.
And the second is from a CWC report in 2007:
The first Children's Grama Sabha report is from Halli Hole, a remote Panchayat of Udupi District, one of the field programme areas of the Concerned for Working Children. Hundreds of children took part in this Sabha last week in which the Panchayat reported back to children about the successful implementation of nineteen programmes that are a direct result of the issues raised by children during Children's Grama Sabha in 2006.
Nineteen programmes! This shames Britain
