International Day

It is common practice for local councils to promote opportunities for public participation: neighbourhood councils, public hearings, participatory budgeting processes… But all too often, these initiatives face a frustrating reality: low levels of public engagement. And this is not due to a lack of interest, but because many people do not feel included or have not had the chance to develop the skills needed to participate actively and meaningfully.

Participation goes beyond simply expressing an opinion. It involves knowing how to express oneself, listen, argue a case, negotiate, understand how institutions work, recognise channels for dialogue, and have confidence that one’s own voice can bring about change. These skills do not emerge spontaneously in adulthood. They are cultivated, practised and learnt, and the best time to do so is during childhood.

When we invite children to get involved, whether at school, in the neighbourhood or in other local initiatives, we are helping them to develop communication skills, critical thinking and a sense of democratic citizenship. When they express their ideas, needs and dreams, and are listened to, they learn that institutions are not distant entities, but spaces where they can make a difference. Above all, they grow up with the certainty that their opinion matters and is taken into account to improve their school, their neighbourhood and their city. These participatory experiences and practices in deliberative spaces enable the acquisition of knowledge and skills, but also forge links with the local area and with the people they live alongside, helping to build relationships of trust.

Children are citizens of the present, which is why it is important that their voices are heard and that they learn the ways in which they can get involved – by expressing their views, making decisions and shaping their environment. These lessons will likely stay with them throughout their lives, helping them to become committed, responsible and engaged adults.

On this International Day of the Educating City, we invite all AICE cities to build cities that take children’s perspectives into account. Because, as Francesco Tonucci says, a city that is good for children is good for everyone. But we must also do so from an inclusive perspective that takes into account different voices, and especially those of children in vulnerable situations, in order to build more equitable and participatory educating cities.

Lluís Rabell

IAEC Delegated Chairman and Councilor of the Neighborhood Plan, Education, and Promotion of the Elderly in Barcelona. Councilor of the Horta-Guinardó District.

This edition focuses on the active role of children as an essential part of the community. Children have the right to be heard and to participate in decisions that affect their environment. In an Educating City, children are not merely recipients of services, but also key players in building a fairer, more inclusive and supportive community.

Many local authorities have already introduced educational initiatives and mechanisms for child participation, such as children’s councils, children’s parliaments or participatory budgeting, whether through schools, community organisations or the local authorities themselves.