STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Tell the group that you are going to read out a series of questions and they should think about who should make a decision in each situation. If they think the child(ren) should make a decision, they hold up the blue card; if they think the youth leaders should make a decision, they hold up the green card; and if they think both should make a decision together, they hold up the red card. You can see if the result changes when you ask about children at different ages. Discourage discussion at this point and leave it until the debriefing.

2. DEBRIEFING

How did you find responding to the questions? Which ones were easier to respond to and which ones were more difficult? Why?

Is there a right answer or a wrong answer to the questions? Why (not)?

What difference does the age of the child make?

Explain the concept of ‘evolving capacities’; that children require enhanced competencies for responsibility and for taking decisions. Children in diverse environments, cultures and life experiences will acquire these competencies at different ages. The contributions and decisions children can make and the capacities they possess should always be acknowledged.

Why is it important that children take decisions?

Are there areas where children should not take the decision?

About which kind of questions can children first take decisions?

Are children involved in making decisions in your organisation? Which decisions are they? Are there decisions that they take on their own?

What are some ways that children can participate in the decision-making in your group?

QUESTIONS:

Who should decide what game to play in the afternoon when you meet? At 3 years old? / At 6 years old? / At 11 years old?

Who should decide whether you should wear a raincoat when going out for a trip in the rain? At 3 years old? / At 9 years old? / At 14 years old?

Who should decide whether smoking cigarettes is allowed in the breaks of your activities?At 6 years old? / At 9 years old? / At 15 years old

Who should decide whether you can stay up later than midnight during summer camps? At 5 years old? / At 9 years old? / At 14 years old?

Who should decide whether you can use a mobile phone during a summer camp? At 6 years old? / At 10 years old? /At 16 years old?

Who should decide on the destination for the next weekend-trip? At 8 years old? / At 12 years old? /At 16 years old?

Who should decide on the transport to take for that weekend-trip? At 8 years old? / At 12 years old? /At 16 years old?

Who should decide on the activity programme of the organisation for the next semester? At 8 years old? / At 12 years old? /At 16 years old?

Who should decide on how to spend the budget of the group for the next semester? At 8 years old? / At 12 years old? /At 16 years old?

CHALLENGES:

Too often self-organisation is restricted by limited economic resources.In our capitalist world, it is difficult to organise anything without money, but unrestricted funding for youth groups - that they could use for spontaneous activities rather than things that need to be planned and applied for months in advance - is very rare.

Adults often “don’t want children to make the same mistakes” that they did when organising things for the first time. But firstly, the adults’ way might not have been the best anyway and children might find new solutions, and secondly, we all make mistakes, and through mistakes we grow. Stay calm and let the kids do their thing!

IN PRACTICE: CAMP COUNCILS

Large camps, called “Children’s Republics”, were a key feature of the Childfriend movement in the 20s and 30s. During the Children Republics, they created “camp councils”, where children were elected to represent others in the decision-making process. Already the elections were important reflection processes for the children - thinking about whether they want to take responsibility, or who they trust to represent them well. Once elected, they had to learn to keep their personal interests and the needs of the overall camp apart and take just decisions for the whole group. The earlier children learn to take such positions, in a safe environment, the more they will also do so in the outside world and feel empowered to influence society.

In the 70s, most groups of the German Falcons moved to a system of “camp plenaries”, as they deemed it more democratic when EVERYONE in the camp could take decisions together, without going through elected representatives. However, during large camps, these meetings can get so big that there is no space anymore to really discuss, and they are often just used to announce information. Also, when everyone decides together, each individual might think more of their individual needs than of the group’s needs. In reality, nowadays both models are mostly combined - plenary for the smaller camp villages, and a representative system for large camps as a whole.

Children’s councils can of course also make bad decisions, just like any council! Many adults might be annoyed when the children decide to get rid of fixed bed times, for example. The discussions about noise in the days after the decision, the arguments during council meetings, the considerations of alternatives, are however important learning moments for the children’s political socialisation. They learn from experience - through very real situations, but in a safe space.

(from: 24 Stunden sind kein Tag No 31, Sozialistische Jugend Deutschlands - Die Falken).