Networks

Children and Young People's Participation Learning Network

The Children's and Young People's Participation Learning Network seeks to stimulate thinking, policy and practice concerning children's and young people's participation. It brings together practitioners, policy-makers, academics and other researchers, and children and young people to:

• Promote critical learning between practitioners, policy-makers, academics and other researchers, and children and young people

• Develop and promote new ways of thinking about participation

• Support exchange between Network members, to promote collaboration and joint-working

• Share research, critical learning and other developments

• Liaise with other networks throughout the UK and beyond, to influence policy and practice

The Network asks questions such as:

• What affects how organisations and practitioners respond to children's and young people's views?

• What happens when children's and young people's views collide with adult views and agendas?

• What do children and young people gain from being involved in research and decision making? What are their agendas for research?

• How effective can children's and young people's participation be, when they are involved in settings which are not participatory?

• How does children and young people's participation fit with wider discussions about (active) citizenship, social action and civic society?

• To what extent can children's and young people's 'participation' address exclusion?

• Who is included or excluded by particular forms of participation?

Activities of the network include:

• Seminars and events
• Research and development
• Networking
• Website and email list

See http://www.uwe.ac.uk/solar/ChildParticipationNetwork/Home.htm for more details.

Edinburgh University Child & Youth Studies Network

The Child Studies Network fosters dialogue, collaboration and knowledge transfer between all those involved in research and teaching on children and young people at the University of Edinburgh. Its activities include:

• Lunch-time open sessions in which staff from across the universe to present and discuss their work
• Workshops on key issues in research with children and young people
• Seminars with external speakers
• E-mail list

The network is co-ordinated by Louisa Gairn in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (Louisa.Gairn@ed.ac.uk)

The Rights of Us

The Rights of Us pamphlet was written by a group of young people over a residential weekend. It arose from a number of meetings with children, young people and adults from across the UK on participation and social inclusion, from 2003 - 2005.

The Rights of Us Pamphlet 2005 can be downloaded here.

European Network of Masters in Children's Rights

The University of Edinburgh's MSc in Childhood Studies is a member of this network. The network aims to

• foster cooperation,
• produce innovative knowledge
• promote learning between advanced programmes on children’s rights across European Universities.

The network brings together academics, researchers, nongovernmental organisations and students.

See http://www.enmcr.net/ for more information.