And A Child Shall Lead Them

Abstract

<p>A child's view of their community and what they identify as community issues can offer useful knowledge in community organizing. This involvement is supported by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which asserts that children should have an opportunity to voice their opinions in matters that affect their lives. Unfortunately, children are rarely included in community organizing. This thesis explores ways children can be involved in community organizing. Focus groups with children ages 5-10 were conducted in the North End community of Hamilton, Ontario. In these groups, children spoke of ways they viewed their community and communicated these issues through art, photography and play. The study shows the potential of this method as a means to facilitate the authentic involvement of children in community organizing.</p>