How Can Children Build the Country They Dream Of?

The world faces many challenges to ensure its survival and well-being. The pursuit of control of the planet’s natural and energy resources, the expansion of religious ideologies and intolerance as well as distrust in governments has led to an understanding that solutions must be collectively made by nations, civil society, scientists, businesses and individuals, including children.

The United Nations (UN) promotes sustainable development, which sees the planet as an ecosystem that requires balance so there is a future that generations can enjoy. UN Sustainable development goals aim to ensure the dignity of workers, care for ecosystems and raw materials, as well as improved health services and education, with friendly and safe cities, adequate nutrition and protection of resources, including the use of toxins being banned. Linked to the rights of children, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a universal program providing a historic opportunity to promote the effective implementation of the rights of all children of all countries to start their life in the best way, survive and prosper, and to live without violence or mistreatment.

Chile and Agenda 2030

In 2015, when Agenda 2030 was launched, Chile committed to promoting compliance. Implementation and follow-up phases will continue until 2019. It was in 2017 that the initiative of convening children and teenagers to participate in the Yo Opino is my right that Chile involved the younger generation in intergenerational efforts to find solutions to some of the world’s most urgent issues.

An international debate on sustainable development includes action being taken in Chile, which is committed to integrating the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development into its national policies. This includes working with various ministries including foreign affairs, social development, environment, economy and tourism. A National Council oversees the integration of the Development Agenda to reduce all forms of inequalities and poverty in a human rights approach.

Chile’s government has also launched other initiatives to promote sustainable development. To advance economic growth, the Government adopted an Agenda for Productivity, Innovation and Growth. All of which has come together to reduce the rates of poverty in Chile, across several markers.

Yo Opino, es mi derecho / I think, it is my right

In 2017, Chile’s Ministry of Education, the Early Childhood Council, the National Association of Childcare Centers (JUNJI), Fundación Integra and the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), with advice from UNICEF and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) which works to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities through sustainable development, collaborated with the Ministry of Education to invite Chile’s educational establishments to participate in a national consultation named Yo Opino, es mi derecho (I think, it is my right), in which students were organized to begin a process of participation, debate and deliberation about a series of citizenship topics under the titles of values, responsibilities and commitments, rights, institutions and the country and school that they want.

Students from educational institutions throughout Chile, aged between 4 and 18 years old, were invited to be part of Yo Opino, it is my right, to give their opinions on the national debate about Agenda 2030 and the objectives of sustainable development goals promoted by the United Nations to promote equal rights, care of the planet, peace and prosperity.

Each educational establishment registered for the program, with material available for activities in the classroom for various age groups available to download. The results of which could then be entered online.

More than 1.5 million children and adolescents throughout Chile have participated in the activity, individually and through their schools and colleges as well as via cultural, sports and religious centres. This national exercise has been strengthening democracy in Chile as the participation of children, and young people have impacted at the level of public policies that are a priority for their age group.

How to participate

In the spring, activities take place in primary and secondary schools throughout Chile over a week.

Classroom resources can be downloaded from the Yo Opino website by teachers and the classroom debates recorded and the results uploaded online. Opinions can also be directly uploaded by individual children, young people and student associations affiliated to schools.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

In 1989, the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) for people under 18 years old was the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights that children everywhere have, including the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child.

Online casino support

The best online casinos are expanding sponsorship beyond gaming, to include community festivals and support for children to make their dreams come true by donating working materials in classrooms, once considered off-limits. They support non-profit organizations that improve the quality of life within the community. This is usually in the form for events that need funding and can include the costs of printing, advertising, etc., for the occasion. Organizations can usually only be considered to receive funding once a year only. Direct support for individual students is not possible.