City of Chemnitz children and youth conference focussing on tolerance

Karin Genkel initiated and launched the children's conference project in 2007 and successfully continued it last year as a children's and youth conference. The platform for discussion, exchange and encounters between children and young people in grades three to twelve was thus offered in a more age-appropriate and target group-orientated way. According to Karin Genkel, this will be continued in 2013: Once again, the children and youth conference will take place on three afternoons: for children and young people from 3rd to 4th, 5th to 7th and 8th to 12th school classes.

Karin Genkel: "Following last year's successful response, we would like to organise this year's 7th Children's and Youth Conference in three stages and once again offer an extra conference afternoon for girls and boys of different age groups and thus also a more intensive form for joint meetings and consultations. At this year's children's and youth conference, the participants will once again discuss various topics relating to children's rights with the young participants and, at the end, hand over a statement jointly formulated by the participants with the wishes of the young politicians to the city administration. We are looking forward to the response and cordially invite representatives of the media to accompany the three conference afternoons in the town hall."

For the preparation and realisation of her project, the children's representative has once again found good and experienced partners in members of the City Pupils' Council and students from Chemnitz University of Technology. All 39 Chemnitz primary schools, twelve secondary schools and seven grammar schools, the Chemnitz school model and the special educational support centre/school for the physically disabled were invited by the Children's Commissioner to take part in the 7th Children and Youth Conference 2013. The workshops on the three days of the conference will be led by pupils and students from Chemnitz University of Technology. Children and young people from Usti nad Labem, Chemnitz's Czech twin town, are also expected to attend this year. Members of Chemnitz City Council have also already registered their interest and participation.

The main theme of this year's conferences for pupils in years 5 to 12 is the major topic of tolerance: pupils from a wide range of age groups and school types will come together in the workshop to discuss the topic and their everyday experiences. As in all other workshops, experts will be on hand to answer questions from children and young people. In addition to the main topic, workshops on bullying, communication between pupils, teachers and parents, citizens (and fellow pupils) with a migration background and music, personality and style will be offered for years 5 to 7 and 8 to 12. The partner project on co-determination from Usti nad Labem will also be presented. For pupils in years 5 to 7, workshops on the topics of religious diversity and religious affiliation as well as health (medical check-ups at school, the problem of obesity) are on the agenda.

For the youngest pupils in Years 3 and 4, the focus will be on workshops on fundamental issues of children's rights - such as the right to freedom of expression and information, education and healthcare, participation in leisure, cultural and artistic life, the right to protection from violence and access to the media and the correct and responsible use of the internet.

Background: Since 1989, 20 November has been marked in the calendar as International Children's Rights Day or World Children's Day. The 7th Children's and Youth Conference in Chemnitz is also intended to use this day to educate children about their rights and to awaken their interest in politics.

Contact: Karin Genkel, Children's Representative of the City of Chemnitz, phone 0371 9095059, e-mail: kinderbeauftragte(at)stadt-chemnitz.de