The Finnish Children’s Parliament influences online

400 child representatives of Finnish municipalities

9-14 year old influence online

Discussions every week

Every municipality has 2 representatives

Established 2007

Topics of discussion from children• Mold problems at schools • What do you do in the internet? :-)• Student council• School bullying!• Are web games good or bad?• Use of alcohol and tobacco• What’s wrong with volleyball?• Girls and boys• Helmet!

Any issues can be discussed on children’s web parliament!

Direct quotes from our discussion topics online

Web parliament offers a lot

Weekly chat meetings

Discussion forums

Blogs

Questionnaires

Games and fun

Children act as chairs

Password protected place for children

Next to a friend in virtual meetings

Decision-makers in a dialogue

MPs, MEPs, ombudsman for children and other decision-makers meet with us in chat meetings

Children do not only ask but also suggest and talk about different issues

Our experiences so far have been positive

Different ways to get heard

• Children’s reports• Events• Media• Seminars• Statements• Meetings• Creative ways

Elk mascot - child-friendly support

Valto the elk listens to children’s hopes, worries and questions in face to face meetings, through e-mail and online

Children active participants in communicating child rights

• Best way from child / young person to child• Provide material for children (UN CRC art. 13)• Begin communicating child rights early – not when

we’re 15• Let children learn as much as possible themselves• Possibilities and events to influence and to learn

about child rights• Planning and testing ideas and material with children

Children part of planning

Gain children’s attention with humor and respect

• Use of humor and funny things• Adults adressing the issue need to have respect to

children and their views• Think about different age groups of children• Good ideas are not enough, execution needs to be

visible and attractive to children• Child rights part of school curriculum• Promote best practices on communicating child

rights

Different age groups of children

Campaigns and material

• Use of TV and social media• Presentation material with lots of pictures and not

too much text• Use of famous people children like or people that are

good with children and interested in the issue• Make it visible in municipalities – on posters at

schools, on a way to school• Interaction between European children online• Videos, events, workshops

Song of child rights on Youtube

Our examples

• Children talking about child rights to other children and to adults (powerpoint material by adults)

• Cartoons and video interviews by children• Song ”We belong together”• Drawing competition for schools with Europe

Information in Finland• Mini plays written by children• Media workshop (children write articles to local

magazines and material for morning openings at schools)

Children creating messages on child rights

Thank you!

toimisto@lastenparlamentti.fi

www.lastenparlamentti.fi

facebook.com/lastenparlamentti