Podcast | What is child participation?

Children are not only the future; they are the present, even if they are not yet adult citizens who can vote.

In this episode, Davide Rambaldi, Eurochild Communications Coordinator, speaks with Eurochild Children’s Council members Georgios Efrem and Rhythm about what it really means to involve children and young people in decisions that affect their lives. They discuss how to move beyond tokenistic participation and photo opportunities and instead create real spaces where their ideas and experiences are heard and taken seriously.

The episode includes examples from Cyprus, Malta, and the European level, showing how young people are helping to shape projects and policies. These range from collaborating with local and national governments to share proposals, to participating in staff recruitment at Eurochild, and creating accessible reports.

They also talk about the importance of using clear and accessible language, not just what adults think is “child-friendly”, and why children’s views should be included from the very start, not added at the end superficially.

Georgios Efrem and Rhythm are supported by our Eurochild members, the Pancyprian Coordinating Committee for the Protection and Welfare of Children and the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society.

The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.