Every 5 years representatives of governments, unions, employers, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and civil society come together to review the situation of working children worldwide, the progress made to eliminate the worst forms of child labour and the methodologies and approaches that proved successful to support that end. In 2022 this “Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour” will be set in Durban, South Africa. As most of you know, it has been our goal from the start to ensure the participation of working children in this international forum. We have therefore had many meetings and discussions with different parties engaged in the organisation of that conference, primarily from ILO and the South African Government. While those meetings were at times challenging, we are happy to announce that in the end, selected civil society organisations were invited to send 5 children each to the conference in Durban, Dialogue Works included. We discussed this invitation with our Global CAC and chose 5 representatives to join the Conference. These children will, together with 30 children…

In January 2022 the first meeting of the Global Children’s Advisory Committee of Dialogue Works took place. 16 CAC members from 8 countries from different all parts of the world will from now on meet to advise, support and strengthen the advocacy of the campaign. It is a platform for CAC members to exchange with and learn from each other. Within the CAC, working children experience the value of sharing experiences, exchange about their lifes, cultures and CACs, listen to each other and work together on joint global advocacy activities. We meet online once a month for two hours. One main focus of the Global CAC 2022 is the advocacy preparation for the Global Conference on Child Labour, which takes place in May 2022 in South Africa.

The African Climate Summit, held in Nairobi, brought together Child Advisory Committee members of Dialogue Works like Julie, Mike, Phenylle and Diana, who are also actively engaged in addressing climate change within their communities. These youth delegates, representing the organization Welfare of Children and Youth Kenya, shared their experiences and insights about climate issues, their expectations from countries responsible for climate change, and recommendations for a better approach to include working children and youth in international policy debates. Children are affected by climate change Phenylle, a 17-year-old Kenyan citizen, describes her involvement in the ‘adopt a tree’ project, which aims to raise awareness of environmental conservation in their community. Her dedication to this cause led her to participate in the African Climate Summit, where she had the opportunity to meet and learn from fellow young climate advocates. Phenylle emphasizes that the effects of climate change are not limited to adults; they profoundly impact children’s lives, affecting not only the environment but also their livelihood and daily experiences. Phenylle’s experience at the summit was not only informative but…

Participation, or the lack thereof, significantly impacts the mental & emotional state of a child – and it also determines whether policies aiming to improve children’s well-being and resilience will acutally do so. The paper is based on the insights aquired during the international campaign and research project It’s Time to Talk!, an exploratory study of working children’s experiences during COVID-19 and wider research and evaluation evidence. Read it here in English, Spanish & German.

Kabwe (17 years, Zambia), Micah (18 years, Zambia) and Grace (18 years, Kenya), all members of Dialogue Works Children Advisory Committees (CAC), participated in this event and shared their experience. With regard to the impact of the pandemic on violence against children the three youth representatives explained that children face manifold forms of violence, including physical, emotional but also sexual violence due to the lockdowns and the closure of schools. Many children have started to work to compensate for income or job losses of their parents due to the pandemic and are exposed to high risks of exploitation and violence as explained by Micah. The children also explained how their Children Advisory Committees have taken action to support children and families during the crises. They have, for instance started a dialogue with local stakeholders to communicate their messages. “If you want children to stop working, parents need fair wages to be able to feed the family.” Grace, 18 years old from Kenya, serves as a waiter in a hotel “If a girl is working in…