Practical Participation

At an event in Bradford recently, I gave a presentation based around our emerging findings about rights and participation at a time of policy and political change. Using live feed from RightSpace http://www.rightspace.org.uk/, we looked at some key themes about human rights, accountability and style of leadership and evidence of change.

I’ve taken some of the discussion with the video links to offer some reflections and hopefully generate comment and debate as we build toward the national RightSpace conference on 26 October in Sheffield. To check this out and book on line, go to http://rightspace.org.uk/content/event.

Rights rise

http://rightspace.org.uk/content/making-space-key-discussions

1989 saw the beginnings of an upturn in interest and understanding and use of rights language to promote the voice and influence of children and young people in matters that affect them. The Children Act of 1989 most coherently placed the right of children and young people in child protection proceedings to have their “wishes and feelings taken into account.” This was extended in the 2004 Children Act to all children and young people in need. Also in 1989, the UN set out the Convention on the Rights of the Child which has been signed and ratified by all nations of the world save two and both these – Somalia and the United States – are getting closer to doing so (www.childrightscampaign.org).

This movement to enshrine adult responsibilities for the wellbeing and welfare of children and young people into law is to be applauded, rather than leaving it to transitory attitudes or passing policy priorities. But there are some risks, two of which are explored here.

Human rights not children’s rights

http://rightspace.org.uk/content/liam-cairns-talks-about-human-rights-children

The language of children’s rights can speak of “them and us”, which can be interpreted as oppositional or divisive. Liam Cairn’s video clip shows the greater strength from affirming children’s human rights, drawing strength and learning from other “emancipatory movements.” And at the Children’s Rights Alliance for England’s (CRAE) annual children’s rights conference on 20 November 2009, Professor Klug urged that children and young people’s rights do not become a separatist movement, but one held and championed within a wider human rights framework which holds the “vision for society based on ethical norms,” rooted in “the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – the mother & father of all human rights instruments.” See the blog post at: http://www.practicalparticipation.co.uk/2009/11/20-20-vision-children’s-human-rights-in-focus/

Right and virtuous action

http://rightspace.org.uk/content/participation-virtue-talha-ghannam

Why do we do what we do? What is our motivation? We can look at this in three ways: because we ought to, because we’re told to and because we want to. If we only, for example, encourage children and young people’s participation because the law tells us we must, that is not very high motivation and may not face up to a contrary climate. Talha Ghannam’s short clip offers a powerful commentary on intention and the reason for action.

Right challenges

These two challenges above come together in a third area of concern: how we see and treat children and young people in England. We tend to polarise them as angels, victims, empty vessels, units of investment, threats and thugs. Our policy and personal responses too often shift to suit political expedient and public scapegoating. But, “Children and young people’s human rights are not a pick and mix assortment of luxury entitlements, but the very foundation of democratic societies” (Alvaro Gil-Robles, Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner). And our social and political reference points should enshrine this.

Leadership turned upside down

http://rightspace.org.uk/content/alex-farrow-twelve-years-participation

Leading and managing work with young people is being turned on its head. The position of the service user, however young they may be, is moving from object to subject, consumer to co-creator, empty vessel to expert by experience, receiver of services to being involved by right in their design, delivery and evaluation. These are transformative times. What impact is this having and should it have on the style of leadership and the accountability of managers to children and young people themselves? There are signs across local authorities and the voluntary sector that it isn’t all just about new structures, such as youth forums and advisory boards, or news systems like dedicated budgets, or monitoring and recording of participation activity.

Stubborn challenges

But there still seem to be some big challenges:

• Transactional or transformative participation: do we still tend to see active involvement as “come and join me in my organisation on my terms about things that will help our service”? Or is there evidence of participation as shifting to being about transforming relationships, understanding and collaborative working?
• Representational or participative democracy: are our main methods and approaches encouraging exclusivity and feeding into the few chosen being told they represent the many, rather than supporting grass roots engagement and empowerment?

A style of leadership that understands young people as having lives and interests reaching far beyond the bounds of a particular organisation is crucial to the full realisation of a society in which young people are equal citizens now, activists in vibrant, forward-moving communities, exercising their right to participate, including their right as citizens to dissent.

Nottingham Children and Young People Trust showed innovative leadership and strong accountability to children and young people by running a two event where the children and young people first had the space to identify the issues affecting them and agreeing their top participation priorities before being joined by the managers and leaders to agree action plans with clear responsibilities and time frames. The video tells the story.

http://rightspace.org.uk/content/accountability-nottingham-children-and-young-peoples-trust

What’s changed?

http://rightspace.org.uk/taxonomy/term/7

With such attention to the participation of children and young people in matters that affect them in recent times, backed by a vast array of laws and policies, we have perhaps been guilty of not asking searching enough questions about the purpose of this industry and who the beneficiaries have been. Adults have tended to justify participative activity mainly by the act of involvement itself and any changes to the organisation or service resulting. But as Liam Cairns explored earlier in his video clip, taking this approach risks confusing means and ends.

Evidence of dialogue and evidence of change

Lord Ouseley said in his report after the Bradford disturbances: ‘If the people who are supposed to benefit from change do not know that it’s happening, then it probably isn’t happening’.  How do we know children and young people have benefitted from participative activity? What’s better for them as a result? Is their area safer? Do they get better access to training or job opportunities? There may be representative structures in place like school councils or care councils, but are students and looked after young people getting a better deal as a result?

Stories to tell

http://rightspace.org.uk/tweets

For some years we have been researching, collecting and celebrating stories that give evidence from children and young people of dialogue and change. They are a great encouragement and inspiration. The tweets from this page give you one example a week. You can look at a whole archive at http://hbr.nya.org.uk/whatschanged and add examples by adding #rightspace to any tweets or adding a comment on line at http://rightspace.org.uk/taxonomy/term/7

Visit http://www.rightspace.org.uk/ join discussion on children’s human rights

Book for RightSpace event, 26 October, Sheffield

Bill Badham, Co-Director, Practical Participation

19 June 2010

[Summary: Two day course, and six-month action learning set on social media in youth work and youth participation] (Reposted from Tim’s Blog)

Getting started with digital youth work, or with using digital tools in youth participation, can seem daunting to many. It’s not enough to just talk about how digital skills are essential assets needed in the youth-serving workforce, or to point to tools and approaches that professionals should be using. Training opportunities, capacity building, and ongoing action learning to inform that training are all needed. Which is why I’m really pleased that 2010 will see the return of two key opportunities.

1) Social Media and Youth Participation Action Learning Set

Building on the Action Learning Set I co-facilitated last year, this six-month (one meeting a month) action learning supports participants who are working to increase their own organizations engagement with social media. Through expert inputs, workshops and shared action learning projects with peers – the action learning set aims to develop the skills of individuals, and the capacity of organizations, to engage with social media in youth participation.

Last year’s set resulted in a printed and online guide; and supported a wide range of local projects – ranging from those focussing on social media and youth engagement around commissioning, to projects supporting the use of social networks to engage young people in care in decision making.

You can find out more about this year’s action learning set (first session taking place at the end of January) and details of how to book in this flyer: Social Media and Youth Participation Action Learning Set

2) Two-day training for Youth Work Professionals

After a successful pilot, Katie Bacon will be leading a number of two-day trainings in 2010, on ‘Social Media for Youth Work Professionals’. Katie & I have developed the course together, and initially we’ll be running a number of sessions in partnership with LECP Training.

This two-day training is designed to support youth professionals from a wide range of backgrounds to develop their understanding of social media and how to use it as a tool in their work. Including hands-on activities to learn to use different social media tools – it’s a practical training that grounds the use of social media tools in professional values and practices.

You can read about the pilot training day in this reflective blog post from trainer Katie Bacon, and keep an eye on the LECP Training network for details of when the public course dates are announced (join the network to get training alerts).

We’re also exploring how this training might be offered as in-service training in individual local authorities, or offered on a regional basis – so if you might be interested in having Katie and/or I come to train with your service/region, then do get in touch.

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I’m also hopeful that 2010 will bring the completion of a couple more digital youth work resources I’ve been working on. More on that some other time…

Update: Booking form now available for 26th October 2010 Event: Book here.

A new project in partnership between Practical Participation, Investing in Children, Durham and the Centre for Social Action, De Montfort University.

In times of political, social and economic change how do we hold onto the progress that has been made to promote social justice for young people? How do we deepen the practice of listening to and involving young people in dialogue that leads to change? As organisational structures shift and practitioners are working in more challenging environments –  how can we create space for children, young people, practitioners and managers to reflect and learn together?

These are some of the questions we want to explore through a new project in 2010 in partnership with Investing in Children and the Centre for Social Action at De Montfort University – and involving a wider community of practice of people involved in work with children and young people.

The project will have its own online presence at http://www.rightspace.org.uk soon, but to get discussions started, take a look at the two video clips below from Liam Cairns and Bill Badham, and use the comments below to share your reflections on the issues discussed.

We look forward to more dialogue with you in the RightSpace in 2010.

Liam Cairns discussing Children’s Human rights

Bill Badham on key themes for RightSpace

On 20 November 2009, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child celebrated its 20^th birthday. No longer a teenager, it has become since its birth in 1989 the most universally accepted and ratified Convention the world has ever seen.

But what are its achievements and what are the challenges that lie ahead for its full implementation across the UK? This was the subject of the Children’s Rights Alliance for England’s (CRAE) annual children’s rights conference.

At the conference I was’ live tweeting’ with the #crae tag and sought to capture some of the main themes and draw out key issues as identified by delegates. Over the coming months, this dialogue will continue to help clarify the way ahead at a time of policy and probable political change. Add your reflections as we paint a larger picture and build toward a national conference in the early summer in partnership with Investing in Children.

The driving message throughout the conference was that for 20 20 vision, children’s human rights focus is the vital perspective for change.

Sir Al Ainsley Green, outgoing first England Commissioner at 11 Million, is convinced we have reached the tipping point for children and young people’s human rights in England, with the launch of Working Together, Achieving More.

But he was not suggesting complacency! For example Mosquito devices that hurt the ears indiscriminately of the young, against which there are no regulations at all. “If there was similar targeting of elderly people with their scooters or Zimmer frames there would be outrage,” he said.

Sir Al’s threefold challenges are our government’s treatment of asylum seekers and deporting child refugees, our treatment of travellers and, third our juvenile justice system. “These are regimes that are brutal and not fit for purpose,” he concluded.

Other pressing concerns from contributors and delegates included:

• Young people from CRAE’s Get Ready for Geneva project noted that all of their 14 recommendations appear in the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s legally binding Concluding Observations to the UK government – but what’s changed beyond the chance to have a say?
• For another young panellist there is outrage at government’s blanket belief that age discrimination does not affect under 18s. “Government is quite frankly wrong. The Equalities Bill should come into force at birth.”
• Tackle the education gaps caused by poverty, disability and being in care – these are the three education rights challenges for Christine Gilbert, HM Chief Inspector for Education at Ofsted.

And for delegates, what were their top three rights issues affecting children and young people?

• Beings not becomings; better informed on children and young people’s rights and learn from change achieved – Ginny Morrow (V.Morrow@ioe.ac.uk);
• Protect the advances of last 10 years, push for socio-economic equality and tackle youth justice wholesale – Lisa Payne (lpayne@ncb.org.uk);

Add your comments on government progress and the key challenges ahead.

What was clear was that, despite the challenges and disappointments of recent years, we may look back and see this 20th anniversary as a high tide of achievement for children and young people’s human rights in the UK, with the tide of policy and positive politics on the retreat.

On the larger canvass, concluding panellists therefore urged for backing for the current Private Members Children’s Rights Bill, seeking wholesale incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic law. If this seems wishful thinking, Professor Francesca Klug pointed out the years of lobbying before the European Convention on Human Rights became the Human Rights Act in the UK in 1998.

So happy birthday UNCRC! Professor Klug set the challenge for the coming few years which may yet see a retreat, not just against children and young people’s rights but human rights for all citizens. In this context, she urged that children and young people’s rights do not become a separatist movement, but one held and championed within a wider human rights framework which holds the “vision for society based on ethical norms,” rooted in “the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – the mother & father of all human rights instruments.”

[Tim is currently supporting young social reporters at the 2009 Internet Governance Forum (IGF)]

Since the key role of young people as leaders was written into the WSIS Geneva declaration, there has been some level of involvement of young people in the Internet Governance Forum.

This year has seen more youth involvement than ever – laying some strong foundations for future involvement in this forum, and other internet related fora.

There is clearly appetite for more youth involvement – which is a very good thing.

Yet good youth participation requires careful thought – and so to try and offer a bit of deeper perspective than the much re-tweeted soundbyte I shared earlier today, voicing frustration at the lack of nuance in conversation about ‘youth’ in the main session – I offer five (hopefully) constructive considerations on effective youth involvement in events like the Internet Governance Forum.

(1) Avoid determining the outcome of dialogue by the way you set it up

The way you frame a discussion has a big impact on the outcomes. When working with groups (youth or adult) who do not have prior experience of an issue – then the choice of inputs to discussion has a big impact on the outcome.

Instead of a ‘dialogue on e-safety’, perhaps hold a deliberative dialogue on living in a connected world – with inputs both on online safety and on benefits of the web. We need to think carefully about how to equip those who do not work already in Internet Governance areas to participate in discussions of Internet Governance.

(2) Identify the role in which young people are participating

Young people can participate in events in many different ways. As developers of technologies. As experts in their own experience, able to offer additional insights into a debate. As researchers. As campaigners. As policy makers. As learners, and as teachers.

Allowing younger participants to participate as ‘young developers’, ‘young internet users’, or ‘young researchers’ (etc.), rather than as simply ‘youth’, helps us to recognise the diversity of young people, and the complex contributions of young people to the Internet.

It also helps us recognise that young people are equal actors with older adults in many contexts.

(3) Recognise the systematic exclusion of young people & work to overcome barriers to participation

One reason to promote participation for ‘youth as an age group‘ (rather than any other conceptualisation of youth) is a recognition of the systematic exclusion and disenfranchisement of young people in many contexts.

However, systematic exclusion is not reversed by simply giving young people a platform (though this is a start) if the power asymmetries and knowledge asymmetries between young people and adults are not considered and addressed.

These asymmetries can be addressed both by capacity building (but that capacity building has to take into account (1) and make sure it is framed in broad terms), and by careful design of engagement processes and activities*.

(*In particular, a serious engagement with youth participation involves choosing new modes of conversation asides from the classic speaker-panel set-up)

(4) Recognise that no one individual or group can ‘represent’ a generation.

A simple point. But too often the views of one individual are talked of as ‘the voice of youth’.

Representation has three substantive main forms: statistical representation (where an individual presents an average / most common view based on clear evidence); representing a group (where an individual has a mandate from a population/organisation they are representing); representing an exemplar view (where a view ‘represents’ one example of simplified possible view).

Knowing when someone is representative (and in what way), and when they are representing their own views only, is important.

(5) Build on foundations of the years before

Some great foundations for youth engagement have been laid, both at WSIS and previous Internet Governance Forum gatherings.

Wheras older participants, in formal job roles related to Internet Governance, may have a history of being at each relevant summit and meeting leading up to an IGF – young people often only get to experience one or two events and lack the opportunity to build strong personal networks and social capital resources for influencing discussions.

Making sure that each year can build on what has gone before, and can help younger groups to gain cumulative understandings of the issues and opportunities of events like the IGF is key to the continued productive involvement of diverse individuals and groups of young people.

I offer these considerations written on the spot and as a newcomer to IGF – and I very much welcome reflections, dialogue, critique and other thoughts on participation in large and open events such as the IGF.

Reposted from Tim’s Blog

One of the curious things I’ve discovered in seeking to equip practitioners to engage with social technology is that, the more I explore about digital media, the more I end up creating printed resources, or at least, resources based on a book/handbook structure.

That’s the case with a new resource that was published today by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) that is the product of learning from the Network Participation action learning set I co-facilitated earlier this year.

Drawing on theory and case studies explored during that action learning set, ‘Social Media – Youth Participation in Local Democracy‘ is designed to step through some of the issues that practitioners need to consider in exploring the use of social networks and social media in youth participation.

It’s available to order from the LGIU Website, and for online purchase via Central Books.

(P.S. If you’re interested in more practical resources to support youth engagement and youth work uses of digital technology – keep your eyes open, as I’m in the midst of working on a new toolkit hopefully ready early in the New Year…)

Sex Sense is a local sexual health advice service for young people in Portsmouth & South-East Hampshire. With a small team covering a large area they needed an easy to maintain online presence which would raise awareness of the services they offer – and would make sure young people could easily find out about clinics and drop in advice sessions available to them. We developed a Drupal based website for the service – and explored how online advertising and widgets could help raise awareness of the Sex Sense service.

Creative consultation
Finding out what young people wanted to know about the Sex Sense service was a top priority when we started development – but because of the nature of the service – getting a group of service users together for a workshop wasn’t going to work. So, instead we designed an accessible visual worksheet that Sex Sense staff could ask young people at drop-in sessions to take a look at, or which they could use to have informal discussions with small groups of young people.

The responses we got helped set priorities for the site’s development. A map of clinic locations, and details of bus-times were felt to be particularly important – so we included both Google Maps and Transport Direct’s route planner into the site.

Web strategy, not just websites

We were clear from the start that Sex Sense needed a web strategy, not just a website. Information about the service is found on a variety of other websites, and we knew that to raise awareness of the service amongst young people we couldn’t just rely on them searching for ‘Sex Sense Portsmouth’ or typing in the web address. So, we looked broader than just website creation and we have been working on:

• Making sure the site is search engine optimised to a variety of key words that young people may search on;

• Providing Sex Sense with information on how to use tools like Google Alerts and advanced search strings to find out who else is featuring information about their service – so they ensure correct details are given on other websites;

• Providing guidance on how to encourage other relevant sites to link to information on the Sex Sense site;

• Providing RSS feeds of key information from the site such as clinic and drop-in session times, and basic information about the service – so that other sites can use these, rather than copying data;

• Making use of online advertising to target information to a geographically specific area;

We’ve encountered some challenges with using social media sites to target online advertising for a sexual health service at under 13 – 19 year olds, but are continuing to explore and evaluate effective online advertising for the service.

A bit more background
We first started thinking about the need for web or content strategies at BarCampUKGovWeb08 and you can read a few reflections on that here.

Hear by Right is a standards tool which supports organisations in mapping and planning for improved youth participation.

Tim developed the first Hear by Right website in 2003, and since then we have continued to maintain, update and develop the content management system behind the site – as well as providing regular training and support for the Participation Team at The National Youth Agency who maintain the content.

The Hear by Right website is recognised as a leading resource for youth participation in the UK.

Sharing the learning from strategic planning
At the heart of Hear by Right is a mapping and planning matrix, provided as a word document for users of Hear by Right to fill in. We took this matrix, and provided tools to convert each mapping and planning entry into a unique entry in the Hear by Right content management system.

By encouraging the many local authorities, government departments, public bodies and third sector organisations using Hear by Right to share their completed mapping and planning matrices, this makes it possible to explore any of the standards and indicators in Hear by Right, and to see what other organisations are doing or are planning in order to meet that indicator.

A library of shared resources
Alongside shared entries from the mapping and planning matrices, the site includes space for share resources linked to organisational sectors and to standards and indicators from Hear by Right. So, instead of just looking at an indicator about including youth participation as a core part of staff job descriptions, users of Hear by Right can download a selection of example job descriptions shared by other Hear by Right users, or they can access relevant briefing papers prepared by Hear by Right partners.

Supporting local networks
Every organisation taking part in a Hear by Right training session is invited to fill in a contact card which will allow them to be added to a local network map – supporting practitioners to find others geographically nearby who they can work with to develop their youth participation and to share their learning.

In the future we hope to add more social features to the Hear by Right site to connect practitioners to each other more directly in online communities.

From strategy on a shelf, to shared learning
Standards should be about change – not form filling. That was always a core value of Hear by Right, and so developing the Hear by Right website was an ideal opportunity to explore how standards can act as a taxonomy for online shared learning.

The role of online tools in bringing strategy to life is a theme we are keen to explore further.

Visit the Hear by Right Website