Five secondary school representatives from the CLIA of Bailén, together with five from Baños de la Encina, participated in the Regional Meeting of Children and Adolescent Participation Councils (CREPIA) of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura. The event took place on October 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in Baños de Montemayor (Cáceres).
Under the slogan ‘Participation that enriches us’, the meeting focused on the right of children and adolescents to actively participate in matters affecting them, in line with the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Councilor for Children and Adolescence, Alfonsa García Camacho, highlighted the importance of Bailén's youth being part of such initiatives. "Child and adolescent participation not only means listening to our children and young people, but also offering them spaces where they can express their opinions, their experiences, and see that their contributions are important and can help improve the society they live in," she stated.
The meeting aimed to foster and formalize the effective participation of children and adolescents in exercising their rights and in formulating proposals and policies that affect them, promoting values such as active citizenship and democratic coexistence.
During the weekend, participants shared experiences in participation, strengthening connections between young people from different territories. Group cohesion, communication, sports, and collaborative work activities were developed, managed by the Minerva Association of Extremadura.
García Camacho noted that the experience was "an extraordinary opportunity to learn, but also to socialize, make new friends, and discover other ways of understanding and developing child participation." She emphasized that these experiences help young people gain confidence and discover their capacity to contribute.
The participation of children and adolescents from various autonomous communities further enriched the event, allowing for the exchange of experiences and best practices developed by different regional and local children's participation councils.
This space also facilitated the understanding of different territorial realities, particularly those linked to rural areas, and fostered the creation of common proposals to address shared challenges faced by children and adolescents.
"From Bailén, we are committed to ensuring that our children and adolescents are protagonists in the decisions and proposals that concern them," the councilor stated, adding, "when we give them the opportunity and the necessary tools, they are capable of contributing ideas, reflecting, and working together with other young people from different places."
The meeting concluded with the drafting of a manifesto, resulting from the contributions made during the event. This document will be read by representatives from the Participation Councils of Extremadura and Aragón, as well as by any representatives from Andalusia who wish to join.
Alfonsa García Camacho believes the manifesto's creation demonstrates that "child and adolescent participation can translate into concrete proposals and a collective voice." "It is important that our young people know that their opinions matter and that they have the right to be heard," she concluded.
The event was funded by the Vice Presidency and Ministry of Deregulation and Social Services and Family of the Junta de Extremadura and organized by the Minerva Association. The councilor thanked the organization for inviting their representatives and congratulated the five young participants from Bailén's CLIA for their "participation and commitment."
