Voting is now open on ideas submitted by children and young people 

Children and young people can now vote on their peers’ ideas on how to strengthen the rights of the child. The call for ideas for children and young people was part of the implementation of Finland’s first National Child Strategy. The patron of the campaign is Mrs Jenni Haukio, spouse of the President of the Republic.

“Hearing the voices of children and young people improves their inclusion and equality and helps them realise that their thoughts matter and have an impact. In our time, when all too many children feel excluded from decision-making that affects them, the call for ideas carried out as part the National Child Strategy is a valuable and necessary effort as it strengthens the feeling of being heard,” says Jenni Haukio, spouse of the President of the Republic and patron of the campaign.

Children and young people were invited to submit their ideas for raising awareness of the rights of the child and for having these rights respected in every child’s life. They were admirably active in submitting ideas. All the ideas were discussed with the campaign’s panel, and the panel selected a longlist for voting. Children and young people can now vote on the longlist ideas, which are all feasible.

“I want to thank all the children and young people who sent ideas. There were plenty of them, and they were all very good. Unfortunately, we are unable to put all the ideas into practice now. However, we have kept all the messages and ideas we received and we will work on them and maybe carry them out in some other way. The panel selected for the longlist the ideas that affect all children and young people as broadly and equally as possible and that can be put to practice in 2022,” says Johanna Laisaari, Secretary General for the National Child Strategy.

Voting is open from 26 January to 9 February 2022. The online voting site can be found on the website of the National Child Strategy.

A shortlist of two to six ideas will be selected based on the votes cast by children and young people and these ideas will be put into practice in 2022 as part of the implementation of the National Child Strategy.

The results of the vote will be announced on February 2022 at 9.30–10.30 on the Government’s YouTube channel. The event will be hosted by Jussi-Pekka Rantanen, and Ansa Kynttilä will pay a visit via remote access. Children and young people of the Music Theatre Shed Helsinki will be performing at the event.

Inquiries

Johanna Laisaari, Secretary General for the National Child Strategy, tel. +358 29 516 1177, [email protected]
Laura Saarinen, Specialist for the National Child Strategy, tel. +358 09 516 3352, [email protected]