Abstract
The two‐way relationship between inclusion and participation makes municipal child participation organisations and experiences a key means of guaranteeing the inclusion in community life of children and adolescents, who are traditionally excluded from decision‐making and the promotion of changes in the realities of their lives. One of the main objectives of municipal child participation organisations is to ensure that these spaces are inclusive. This means that they must promote equality of guarantees and conditions in the development of the right to participation from a perspective that addresses the different axes of inequality, not only in access to these spaces but also in the relational dynamics that take place in them. Based on a theoretical reflection on inclusion and participation, this article analyses the data from a questionnaire applied to 279 people (191 technical figures and 88 elected authorities) from 179 municipalities in Spain, which seeks to describe the state of child and adolescent participation in municipalities that are part of the International Association of Educating Cities, Child Friendly Cities, or both. A qualitative analysis is made of those issues related to the strategies used to promote inclusion within the Children’s Councils, as well as in the initiatives promoted in the field of child participation. The results show agreement in considering Children’s Councils to be inclusive bodies, but the means and procedures used do not always guarantee this inclusiveness.
Highlights
Social and community participation allows people to be and feel part of their community, get involved collec‐ tively, influence their realities, and establish a framework of relationships that will result in personal well‐being and the improvement of the collective
This article draws on the research project Childhood and Participation: Diagnosis and Proposals for an Active and Inclusive Citizenship in the Community, Institutions and Governance (RTI2018–098821‐B‐I00), the purpose of which is to analyse the state of child partici‐ pation in the municipalities that are part of the International Association of Educating Cities (IAEC) and the CFC‐UNICEF
There were 279 par‐ ticipants (191 technical figures [TFs] and 88 elected authorities [EAs]) from 179 municipalities belonging to the IAEC networks (24.2%), the CFC‐UNICEF (35.8%), and other national networks in Spain related to child partic‐ ipation (12%)
Summary
Social and community participation allows people to be and feel part of their community, get involved collec‐ tively, influence their realities, and establish a framework of relationships that will result in personal well‐being and the improvement of the collective Those working to promote quality of life, guarantee rights, and reduce social inequalities agree that participation is a key indi‐ cator of social inclusion (Contreras et al, 2015; EAPN Spain, 2020; Emaús, 2015; Verdugo et al, 2021). Recognising peo‐ ple’s right to participation allows us to break with the power structure that places them in the position of those assisted and attended, of beneficiaries, recipients, sin‐ gled out, and excluded It implies over‐ coming social, political, and educational dynamics of meddling and interfering in people’s lives, denying their knowledge and taking away their autonomy, in favour of an action that respects the dignity of the person and the recognition of their capacities (Varela & Morán, 2017). This exclusion is due to a conception of childhood as a “lack of,” the “not yet” life stage (Casas, 2006), generating a double impact, that is, limiting access to opportunities for the development and emotional well‐being of children and adolescents and hindering the advancement of our societies by failing to incorporate their viewpoints
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