On 12 July, the Minister for Equal Opportunities and the Family, Elena Bonetti, approved the Guidelines for the Participation of Girls and Boys by decree. The document, adopted by the National Observatory for Childhood and Adolescence and approved by the Unified Conference at its meeting on 6 July 2022, seeks to offer a renewed look at the participatory practices of the new generations, presenting some operational indications recorded from a universalist perspective in which differences and diversity are recognised and valued.
"The specific objective of the Guidelines", reads the presentation, "is also to guide the path of the National Observatory for Childhood and Adolescence, foreseeing the listening to and participation of children as a methodological tool to be implemented in all phases of the National Plan of Action for Childhood and Adolescence, looking ahead to its monitoring and the drafting of the next one, but also to direct other institutions, at all levels of government, and/or the various contexts in this sense, making the participation of children an intrinsic feature of the processes that concern them".
The Guidelines are designed primarily for adults who share experiences with children and young people in the range of life contexts, from the family to school and other formal and non-formal educational agencies, without neglecting other contexts that welcome children and young people in difficult circumstances (hospitals, care and protection services, etc.). They are thus aimed at operators of educational and social services, teachers, doctors, nurses and other health professionals, community care workers, psychologists, mediators, guardians, judges, lawyers, law enforcement, correctional officers, but can also be a useful reference for promoting the culture of participation in everyday family life.
"The text illustrates the deeper meaning of youth participation, showing how professionals - individually or in groups - can support the young people they work with to participate in decisions that affect them. Methodological indications are provided to establish a meaningful dialogue between adults and young people, including those in fragile or marginalised conditions, as well as those in the delicate phase of becoming an adult, in order to guarantee everyone the possibility of expressing themselves by resolving any barriers, including language barriers, that might limit authentic processes of participation".
A dedicated news item is available on the website for the Department for Family Policies.
Other materials and news can be found on this site under the theme Participation and leadership, which can be reached from the "Topics" navigation menu.