Children must be given more say in local and provincial politics. Noordenveld’s councilor Anita van der Noord has that rock-solid conviction. Today she organized a conference on children’s rights to convince regional administrators of this.
The theme of the conference. was ‘Growing up in poverty’ and was introduced by researcher Erik Meij. He worked at the University of Groningen, among others, and was concerned with the effects of poverty on children. Those effects are significant, he said. “One in thirteen children grows up in a household with a low income. They live an average of seven years shorter than other children.”
Organizer Anita van der Noord thinks it is logical that a Children’s Rights Conference should be organized in Veenhuizen. “Children from Amsterdam used to come here to receive education, so that they could participate in society.”
Although the situation has improved considerably in 200 years, Van der Noord believes that the position of children can still be improved. “Children should be given more of a voice. After all, it’s about their future.”
The conference was mainly attended by policy officers and makers from Drenthe municipalities. “But also people from youth or social organizations,” says Van der Noord. “It is good to think broadly about this, because children must be able to have a voice in society as a whole.”
Van der Noord was already campaigning for a Children’s Council in her own municipality. “He will soon come up with an advice on the theme of ‘traffic’ to the adult city council. She will then have to do something with it.”
It fits in with what Van der Noord calls ‘a new form of governance’. “But to get everyone to understand that, you have to keep repeating it. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Just until it’s in everyone’s head.”