On September 9, 2026 we took a closer look at how actively listening to children can strengthen their capacity to shape the spaces, decisions, and everyday experiences that affect their lives. Members of the Working Group on Children’s Rights opened the discussion by offering a shared perspective: that rights are not simply granted, but understood, supported, and lived. Rather than remaining abstract concepts, they are rooted in children’s everyday realities and take shape through lived experience.
We explored how this comes to life across diverse contexts, including stories of: children with disabilities in Malaysia, children experiencing violence in homes and communities in Mexico, those coping with extreme conditions in Nepal, and how children from the UK, North America and Canada reflect on their experiences and express their lived perspectives through a range of creative mediums.
These themes are reflected in a recent publication in the Canadian Journal of Children’s Rights / Revue canadienne des droits des enfants. Participants are warmly encouraged to read, download, and share the articles (available at no cost): Vol. 13 No. 1 (2026): Children’s Rights Across Generations: Lived Experience and the Transformative Power of Intergenerational Engagement
Partnership
Landon Pearson Resource Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children’s Rights
