This is a very welcome report that I hope will be widely read and it's good messages applied. The tremendous abilities of children and adherence to there rightful role to be informed and involved participants, not only in responses to HIV and AIDS but in all aspects of their well being, is too frequently neglected and often with no apparent added positive results.
I have witnessed and had the pleasure of participating in discussions and planning by numerous amazing children and young people from around the globe advocating for their own rights. They are the experts on the topic of their own lives and the conditions surrounding them and have many lessons to teach adults. Unfortunately they frequently suffer indignity and sometimes resulting harm because so many adults, often with good intention but little experience interacting with children as intelligent collaborators, refuse to or just never consider consulting and listening to their ideas and opinions. They need to be invited and welcomed as valued participants in dialogues about their lives and communities and supported in their own efforts if optimal success is the goal of programs and projects.
Children's rights will not be widely respected unless children themselves become the subjects of respect and cease to be the objects of adult only interventions.
Seen and Heard: Involving Children in Responses to HIV and AIDS
This is a very welcome report that I hope will be widely read and it's good messages applied. The tremendous abilities of children and adherence to there rightful role to be informed and involved participants, not only in responses to HIV and AIDS but in all aspects of their well being, is too frequently neglected and often with no apparent added positive results.
I have witnessed and had the pleasure of participating in discussions and planning by numerous amazing children and young people from around the globe advocating for their own rights. They are the experts on the topic of their own lives and the conditions surrounding them and have many lessons to teach adults. Unfortunately they frequently suffer indignity and sometimes resulting harm because so many adults, often with good intention but little experience interacting with children as intelligent collaborators, refuse to or just never consider consulting and listening to their ideas and opinions. They need to be invited and welcomed as valued participants in dialogues about their lives and communities and supported in their own efforts if optimal success is the goal of programs and projects.
Children's rights will not be widely respected unless children themselves become the subjects of respect and cease to be the objects of adult only interventions.
Miriam Lyons