JOHANNESBURG – In a pivotal moment for youth participation in South Africa’s democracy, Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), together with industry partners hosted the National Children’s Dialogue from October 11-13, 2024, in Gauteng. This groundbreaking event marks a significant step towards recognizing and amplifying the voices of the nation’s youngest citizens in shaping the country’s future through a national campaign called “Hold My Hand”. This campaign aims to galvanise the nation behind a National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children led by the Presidency.
The event brought together 38 children aged 13-18 from all nine provinces, representing a diverse cross-section of South African society. These young participants, drawn from various child-focused organisations and advocacy groups, engaged in intensive discussions and activities centred around five key thematic areas: Health; Education; Identity, Agency & Connectedness; Safety & Protection, and Media & Digital Rights.
Mahalia Naicker, a 17 year old, shares her thoughts on the event, “ I have learnt so much this weekend but something that really stuck out for me was how amazing the minds of children are, how much they have to offer and how much they can really make a change in the world. I can make a change, I should participate more and build a way to make a better South Africa.”
This dialogue precedes the national dialogue announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his Opening of Parliament Address in July 2024. By precursing the national dialogue with this focused children’s event, MMA and its partners are setting a new standard for inclusive governance and demonstrating a commitment to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which asserts children’s right to express their views freely in all matters affecting them.
Phakamile Madonsela, Public and Media Skills Development Manager at MMA, stated, “Children make up 35% of South Africa’s population – that’s 21 million children. Their voices are not just important – they are essential in shaping the policies that will affect their future. This dialogue is a crucial step in ensuring their perspectives are heard and considered at the highest levels of government.”
MMA and event partners hope that the outcomes from this dialogue will be presented by the children themselves to relevant stakeholders, including the Government of National Unity, policymakers, business leaders, and civil society representatives. The first of these engagements takes place this week where three children, voted for and elected by the children themselves take centre stage and will share their concerns, challenges and solutions to a wider audience.
This National Children’s Dialogue is part of a broader movement to increase child participation in national decision-making processes and in a campaign entitled “Hold My Hand” that is led by children. This campaign provides platforms for children to showcase their voices, their ideas and their actions in an all of society call to action. In a related initiative, the Presidency and Department of Social Development has convened, in collaboration with various partner organisations, a two-day Children’s Sector Consultation on October 17-18, 2024, at the Birchwood Hotel in Kempton Park, Gauteng. This is a culmination of 12 months of behind the scenes work by technical teams across government and civil society and will bring together 200 stakeholders including children, to ensure that children’s voices are heard and included in the Children’s Sector consultation.
The sector consultation will deliberate on the draft National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC) and the National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC5). Children representatives from the National Children’s Dialogue will also be present to share their experiences and feedback including co-directing the two day programme. Children have shared their own messages in a video compilation as well as consolidated input from the five thematic areas that align to the draft NSAAC.
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