Background on Denver's Child & Youth Friendly City Initiative
In June 2006, representatives from the Mayor's Office for Education and Children, Assets for Colorado Youth, and the Children, Youth and
Environments Center for Research and Design at the University of Colorado at
Denver launched the Denver Child & Youth Friendly City
Initiative (CYFC),
inspired by the principles of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC). The CRC guarantees young people
the right to supportive environments
and opportunities to make their voices heard in matters that affect them. We
are working with key
stakeholders from around Denver to implement the CYFC
Initiative, including the Honorable Mayor John Hickenlooper, Denver Public
Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet, other Denver leaders, young people
and their families. By forming a broad-based coalition of
public and private
partners, we aim to unify and strengthen Denver's efforts to provide
healthy, safe, and caring environments for young
people, and, by extension,
all residents of Denver. This Initiative will not only benefit Denver's
children and families, but will also help the
city attract and retain the
workforce essential to the city's long-term well-being.
History of Child-Friendly Cities
The concept of “child-friendly cities” has been developed by a wide consortium of practitioners, academics and policy makers interested in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This Convention is the first legally binding international instrument to spell out the basic human rights of all children, including the rights to:
- survival and development
- protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation
- participation in family, cultural and social life
The process of building a Child-Friendly City is synonymous with the implementation of the Convention in a local governance setting. It is a city where the voices, needs, priorities and rights of children are an integral part of public policies, programs, and decisions.
Characteristics of Child-Friendly Cities
Child-Friendly Cities have environments that meet the needs of children and youth and processes through which young people can make their voices heard on matters that affect them. They are essentially municipalities in which children:
- influence decisions about their city;
- express their opinions on they city they want;
- participate in community l life;
- have access to basic health care, education and shelter;
- drink safe water and have access to proper sanitation;
- are protected against exploitation, violence and abuse;
- walk safely in the streets, on their own;
- meet friends and play;
- have green spaces for plants and animals;
- live in an unpolluted and sustainable environment;
- participate in cultural and social events;
- are equal citizens with access to every service, regardless of ethnic origin, religion, income, gender or disability
Denver as a Child-Friendly City
While the United States is one of two countries (the other is Somalia) that has not ratified this Convention, we believe that Denver has great potential to become the flagship U.S. city to promote the Convention’s principles and to set a standard in this country for protecting and ensuring children’s rights. Since the City of Denver has many initiatives already established that follow the recommendations for Child-Friendly Cities, it is an ideal place to take the lead role among US cities. Doing so will not only benefit Denver’s children and their families, it will also retain and attract the work force that is essential to the City’s economic well-being.
For additional information on Child-Friendly Cities, see:
Bartlett, Sheridan. 2005. Integrating children’s rights into municipal action: A review of Progress and Lessons Learned. Children, Youth and Environments, 15(2). colorado.edu/journals/cye/15_2/15_2_02_CFCReview.pdf
Carlson, Cindy. 2005. Youth with influence: The youth planner initiative in Hampton, Virginia. Children, Youth and Environments, 15(2). colorado.edu/journals/cye/15_2/15_2_12_YouthwithInfluence.pdf
Driskell, David. 2002. Creating Better Cities with Children and Youth: A Manual for Participation. Earthscan Publications Limited; UNESCO Publishing. ISBN 92 3 103815 X. www.unesco.org/most/guic/guiccbccy.htm
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