My life- Your decision? - Perspectives on children's participation in municipal decision-making processes about their lives -

In the last twenty years, the Nordic welfare society has focused on children as active actors in their own lives. The changed childhood vision has been integrated into legislation and in social and educational work. How do laws and good intentions come into reality when the welfare society, the professionals and the children actually meet in different types of decisions? This is done with the purpose of discussing the challenges and opportunities that may exist for both the professionals and the children as regards the children's participation opportunities in the light of the best interests of children. Who controls the agenda? Do children and young people participate on their own initiative?
On the other hand, do they primarily follow the professionals' agenda? Is participation always the best of the child?
This workshop will discuss the above questions and a number of other issues, dilemmas and considerations related to the theme of children as active actors in their own lives. The children's perspective in relation to the above theme is based on the various projects in which the children have been involved.
Participants in the workshop will also be presented with the work of a Nordic anthology about children's participation possibilities for the purpose of upgrading and contributing to the development of anthology.