Understanding the Right to Freedom
Issues of freedom: The right to children’s’ involvement
With this freedom, children acquire the right to take part in their society’s public and political life. This freedom is key to the welfare of the children and their society.
Empowerment of children
When children are appealed to and listened to by adults, they feel more involved in what happens in their country, and in the world. They become conscious of their rights, but also of the role they will play in building and managing their society. They develop a bigger sense of responsibility and self-confidence when given a role within municipalities and local decision-makers, and when they become the spokesmen of an entire generation.
Children take charge of their future
Children’s opinion is critical as the youth hold specific rights, the rights of the child. Therefore, children have the right to express their opinions and to propose ideas to improve the protection of their rights.
Thus, taking into account their age and maturity, it is important for states to give children the opportunity to regroup so that they can tackle, together with local, regional and national elected members, the current themes that affect them. Such themes include health, discrimination, citizenship, family, education, the environment, etc. Involving the children can truly help them to take charge of their own development.
Tomorrow’s citizens
If children are not yet considered full citizens because of their age, which does not allow them to vote or be electable, they are citizens-in-waiting, who will lead tomorrow’s societies.
Also, informing children of their rights and drawing their attention to the current problems and issues will help educate these future citizens and establish a dialogue between different generations in order to help preserve the democratic principles of societies.
Therefore, states have every interest to listen to them and integrate them into the decision process to encourage them to play an active role today, and to transmit to them the keys to the success of societies to come.
