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Children and young people as transformative researchers in Nicaragua Harry Shier CESESMA, San Ramn, Matagalpa, Nicaragua and Queens University Belfast 1

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In this presentation: Childrens lives in Nicaraguas coffee plantations. Nicaraguan child workers become expert consultants. From child consultants to Transformative Researchers. Young researchers make the television news. 2

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Preston Nicaragua

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Tropical, rural, mountainous

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Coffee is grown in the forests, protected by the partial shade of the forest canopy

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Much of it is still produced on large feudally-run plantations like this one, Santa Martha

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Harvesting coffee is highly labour-intensive. During the harvest period (November to February) many thousands of children work all day evey day picking coffee

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Contents of the sacks are measured at the end of each day, and registered workers are paid according to the quantity picked. Children are not registered and not paid.

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Living conditions are very basic

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These are typical family homes

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Primary schools exist in most communities, but are under-resourced, poorly staffed, and often in bad repair

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There are no secondary schools in rural areas

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CESESMA, the Centre for Education in Health and Environment, is a local voluntary organisation based in San Ramn. CESESMAs office in the town of San Ramn bought and renovated with support from the Irish Government through Irish Aid

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Our Mission Contribute to the promotion and defense children and young peoples rights through processes of learning and empowerment in rural schools and communities, in partnership with children and young people and other members of the community.

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18 2007: National conference on violence against children. The organisers needed an expert to do the keynote speech. Who should they ask? Someone from UNICEF, or from Save the Children? We said, Why shouldnt children do the keynote speech? They are experts in the topic of violence against children. And so a team of child coffee workers from Santa Martha coffee plantation became the first child consultants in Nicaragua Nicaraguan child workers become consultants

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19 Preparation

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Field research 20

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Data analysis 21 Drawing up recommendations

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Preparing a final report 22 Rehearsing the formal presentation

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23 Journey to the national conference in the capital city, Managua

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A direct challenge to the Minister for the Family and to all the conference delegates. 24

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The following year the children retold their experience in words and pictures in A Handbook of Children and Young Peoples Participation. 25

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2009: Children and young people from the indigenous community of Guadalupe Arriba research the issue of violence against children Preparation 26

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Analysis 27 Preparing the final report

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Presenting the findings and recommendations to a district forum of teachers and education ministry officials. Report published by CESESMA

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2009: Children and Young People Defending our Right to Play campaign Action-research teams carry out an appraisal of play opportunities and limitations in their communities.

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They present their findings and recommendations in both the local communities and the Municipal Children and Youth Committees. Community festival in Samulal Municipal Children and Youth Committee, San Ramn

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Campaign banners Children and young people defending our right to play, For health, learning, development, happiness and a life without violence.

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Article by the childrens research team in Nicaraguas childrens rights magazine Arco Iris (November 2009) National newspaper feature drawing on the childrens findings. Title: What are we playing at? These childrens research has had recognition nationally in Nicaragua:

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and globally: As a contribution to the report Childrens Right to Play published by the Bernard Van Leer Foundation which was influential in getting a UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment on Article 31. As a case study of good practice in Every Childs Right to be Heard, the resource guide on the UN Committees General Comment No 12 (UNICEF / Save the Children UK, 2011).

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34 2009: The Santa Martha coffee plantation Young Consultants team reforms to research the relationship between business and human rights on the plantation

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Field research

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Preparing the report and recommendations

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Presentation of the findings and recommendations at a regional conference in Matagalpa This report is also available on the website of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as a contribution to the Committee on the Rights of the Childs forthcoming General Comment on Childrens Rights and the Business Sector Report published by CESESMA.

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2011: Young consultants produce a child-friendly version of the UN Comm- ittees recommendations to the government of Nicaragua as part of a national campaign to push for compliance.

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National launch of the child-friendly version, programmed and presented by children and young people in Managua, August 2012 (three weeks ago)

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2011: Four teams of young researchers carry out their own self-chosen research projects El Plomo-La Garita-Siare team Research topic: Respect in the community, and how lack of respect leads to violence.

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Yasica Sur team Research topic: The violence that children and young people suffer in the home.

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Samulal team Research topic: Parents who hit their children. Why do they do it and what are the alternatives?

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Ycul team Research topic: Alcohol and violence in the community.

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The four research reports were published in book form by CESESMA in Nicaragua in March 2012. 44 An English translation has been produced jointly by CESESMA and The Centre at UCLan, and was launched on 5 September in Preston.

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A television news crew from national Channel 2 came to Ycul, and made a TV news feature about the young peoples research on alcohol and violence. 45

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