Representatives from the Children’s Advisory Committees (CAC) of Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya, Lebanon, and Zimbabwe met in Harare, Zimbabwe from April, 20th to April 23rd, 2024, for the African Regional CAC Meeting. This gathering was organized to foster collaboration; it served as a platform for children and youth across these countries to exchange their realities, share experiences, and brainstorm new strategies. Throughout the discussions, participants highlighted the diverse challenges faced by working children in their respective regions, offering insights into the unique circumstances each country faces. The meeting provided an opportunity for these young advocates to learn from one another, strengthening their collective resolve to address child labor and other issues that are most relevant to them, such as climate change. In addition to sharing personal experiences, the representatives engaged in advocacy planning sessions aimed at creating strategies that can be implemented across borders. This regional collaboration underscores the importance of a unified approach in tackling the complex issues surrounding child labor and child rights. The meeting concluded with a commitment to continue working together in …

Children’s Advisory Committee coordinators from 7 countries came together in Istanbul for a week to share their experiences during a workshop and reflect on how to continue the great work we have done so far. The main topics of the discussions were, for example: – Embedding participation. and children’s committees: What opportunities are there to sustainably integrate children’s participation into internal and external structures and processes?– Social accountability: How can we make decision-makers or other service providers more accountable so that they implement the commitments they have made?– Global network planning: Building bridges around the world! How can we continue our work as a network beyond the project duration after 2024 and continue to work towards common goals? We had the support of child rights advisors Claire O’Kane and Ornella Barros. Due to travel restrictions, the other Dialogue Works colleagues took part in the workshop hybrid – which was also a new and interesting challenge for us. Overall, the global exchange was enriching and helpful for the future work of Dialogue Works and beyond.

From February 29th to March 4th, 2024, the Latin American Regional Children’s Advisory Committee (CAC) Meeting was held in Lima, Peru. This event was the result of months of preparation, with CAC members meeting virtually to develop the program and agenda. Representatives from Peru, Guatemala and Bolivia collaborated in advance, ensuring a meaningful gathering. The meeting began with an introduction to the Dialogue Works program, where CAC members presented their initiatives from each community. This was followed by an analysis of the realities of children’s rights in each country, focusing on key issues such as education, health, and child labor. The participants worked together to identify progress and challenges in these areas, creating a platform for sharing strategies and solutions. One of the key activities was a media and advocacy workshop, where a child rights journalist provided insights on effective communication strategies. CAC members engaged in role-playing exercises and created a video to practice delivering impactful messages. The meeting also included discussions on future collaboration, where CAC members brainstormed and planned joint activities for 2024. …

During the last year a lot happened at the Dialogue Works Family. We created a video with visual inputs from all our partners to let you know what is going on in the other countries. We hope you enjoy watching!

On the 4th of September, CWISH, our partner organisation Nepal, organised an interesting session on the topics of child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in Nepal. The session included participants from politics, civil society and children from our Children Advisory’s Committees (CACs).

The working children associated with our partner-organisation, PASOCAP, recently celebrated a great achievement. After more than 10 years of hard work, a milestone in the recognition of dignified work was reached. On the 8th of December, the municipality of Potosi approved and handed over the Municipal Law N° 419, which commemorates the day for the dignity of the working children in the city. Moreover, the law regulates the provision of funds for the work on protection and prevention issues related to working children.