City councils of the children

       City councils of the children

The town council of the children is  an assembly of children elected  by their schoolmates and who meet to take part in the life of their city and to express their opinion on the subjects which relate to them.

1.   A EUROPEAN INITIATIVE

The town council of the children is used as intermediary between the children and the town council of a city, which consists of elected officials charged to regulate the businesses of the commune. The creation of the town councils of the children goes back to 1979, international year of childhood.

One counts today nearly 1 200 councils in all France. This initiative does not relate to only France, but the whole of the European countries.

2.   THE ROLE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE CHILDREN

Generally, the town councils of the children play only one  advisory role: the young elected officials put forward ideas and formulate proposals.

But they can also have a more active role: the children take actions aiming at improving the life of tous.les.jours in their commune (road safety, environment, fight against racism, etc). According to the cities, the councils of the children have  initiative more or less and to be able.

3.   THE OPERATION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE CHILDREN

A town council of the children consists of old elected officials of more than nine years. As in any election, the candidates establish  a program  and organize  an election campaign. The elections are held in the schools or the colleges. The other pupils then have to vote. Sometimes they have a voter registration card.

The members of the town council of the children meet several times per annum. Their proposals are discussed in commissions or working groups devoted to a precise topic. The council has  a budget  which enables him to carry out its projects.

4.   RESPONSIBILITY, PARTICIPATION AND CITIZENSHIP

The town council allows the children to make the experiment of the life of  citizen. It learns how to them to work together and in the interest of all. The children discover the fundamental principles of  the democracy  while taking an active part in the elections, of the countryside to the examination. It is thus about a first step in the exercise of the democracy, before reaching the voting rights, at 18 years.

This initiative fits perfectly in the recognition of the rights of the child such as they are defined by the International Convention of the rights of the child of 1989: this Convention recognizes with any child  the right to freely express its opinion  on all the questions which interest it.