Child reporters meet in Amsterdam

Children's International Press Centre Foundation (CIPC foundation) which recently became a member of Eurochild, held on 26 April 2018 its first International Child Press Meeting in Amsterdam.

The event gathered child reporters from different countries as well as adults and media-literacy experts who discussed on how to create the right environment and facilities for young people to participate in topics they find important and how to make their voices heard. 

Elise Sijthoff, founder of the CIPC Foundation, said: "Children want to be involved in society, but hesitate to trust media and politicians."

When asked to choose which issues they would like to cover in news reports, ChildPress reporters came up with several issues, such as: child abuse, child participation, drug consumption near schools, educational system, etc.

ChildPress reporters also received media trainings: filming, writing and choosing the right platforms to publish content and which audiences to target.

Julie Ward, Member of the European Parliament, who attended the event, said: 'children's rights and child press initiatives are closely intertwined: they both help making young people's voices heard.'

Matthew Pye, teacher, said: ’’ Many young people don't know whom to trust. Which is why it is so important to help them become autonomous.’’

During the event children expressed the will to have courses in schools that would teach them how to become critical thinkers, a more direct contact with institutions such as the European Parliament and asked for more accessible news.