Børnedemokrati

FOR DECISION MAKERS

IN HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS AND HOUSING DEPARTMENTS

For decision makers

Give kids a voice in their neighborhood!

Kids Democracy can help strengthen both children, residential-democracy and the housing department. The children's skills and well-being can increase, residential-democracy can be modernized and future-proofed, and it can strengthen the housing department's communities, collaborations and image. Kids Democracy can also contribute to ensuring that everyone takes better care of the neighborhood and in creating joy in everyday life. Kids Democracy is a new initiative in the social housing sector. This page offers the necessary knowledge and inspiration, so that the sector's decision-makers can decide to establish Kids Democracy on an informed basis.

Kids Democracy is an obviously good idea in the social housing sector. Letting the children help decide how their lives should be, helps support our tradition for local democracy.

Flemming Stenhøj Andersen, director of FOB Slagelse

I am convinced that involving children and young people adds value to the local area. They can contribute with creative, forward thinking and innovative solutions which we need in our society.

Jette Egholm, children and culture director in Rødovre Municipality

We can see that the children grow and flourish from taking part in Kids Democracy. It is necessary to build on the resources that are already in the housing departments, and here the children are really important.

Jens Løkke Møller, head of department at BL

Directors of housing associations explain why
Kids Democracy is a good idea

The chairman of a neighborhood board shares advice on how to decide on establishing Kids Democracy

There are many good side benefits of Kids Democracy, which in their own way contribute to making the housing area better for both children and other residents.

Rikke Marie Rau, service and development manager at Civica

It is one of the traditional virtues, for the operating staff to have good contact with the residents. And Kids Democracy is a really good opening for that.

Ole Nielsen, director of Himmerland Boligforening

FOR OPERATIONAL EMPLOYEES

For operational employees

Get a good start!

There are four steps you can follow to get off to a good start in establishing Kids Democracy in the neighborhood. Each step contains knowledge, inspiration and good advice.

FOR COLLABORATORS

For collaborators

What can be gained from collaborating with Kids Democracy?

In Kids Democracy, you can collaborate with actors both inside and outside the residential areas. It can be municipalities, mayors, schools, clubs, recreation centers, police, fire services, private companies, etc. As a collaborater, you can offer knowledge, practical help or professional skills and also gain value yourself by collaborating with Kids Democracy. You can for example gain knowledge of the residential area's children and other residents, insight into the local area's challenges and opportunities, get sparring on concrete issues and increase networking in the residential area.

The collaboration can contribute to the Kid Democrats gaining a good understanding of how to handle and be around fire. It is good preventive work and an initiative that we would very much like to support.

Flemming Bjerring, Fire Inspector, Slagelse Brand og Redning

Kid Democracy and Child Rights Schools are about putting the children at the center and involving them in decision-making processes. We would never have had the idea of becoming a Child Rights School if it wasn't for the Kids Democracy project.

Lars Kristensen, headmaster, Hendriksholm Skole

Together with children from another housing department, the Kid Democrats have given us ideas on how our playgrounds can be improved. It is good that it is not just us adults who guesses what the children like.

Mikael Jakobsen, Playground inspector, Himmerland Boligforening

Flemming Bjerring, Fire Inspector, Slagelse Brand og Redning

Lars Kristensen, headmaster, Hendriksholm Skole

Mikael Jakobsen, Playground inspector, Himmerland Boligforening

Examples of collaborations

In Håndværkerparken, Kids Democracy collaborated with a fire inspector from Slagelse Brand og Redning on the department's new fire pit. The fire inspector spoke at a Kids Meeting with the Kid Democrats about rules and safety for a campfire. The Kid Democrats then developed ideas and sketches for the campfire, which they presented to the branch board. The board approved the proposal, and shortly afterwards the fire inspector and the Kid Democrats were able to invite the residents of the housing department to a festive inauguration of the campfire.

The communications company STEP collaborated with the Kids Democracy in Elmelunden to conduct a workshop with the purpose of decorating the housing department's robotic lawnmowers. The purpose of the workshop was to give the child democrats ownership over the robotic lawnmowers, and thus get both the Kid Democrats and the other children in the residential area to take good care of them. The Kid Democrats presented the beautiful robotic lawnmowers at a festive opening for the area's residents.

In AKB Ved Milestedet, there is a good collaboration with the local school, Hendriksholm Skole. The school is close to the residential area, and all the Kid Democrats are enrolled there. It was therefore obvious to collaborate with the school on an excursion to Christiansborg to, among other things, strengthen the Kid democrats' knowledge of Danish democracy in practice. The operations employee in the housing department and the head of the school's after-school club therefore planned a joint trip for the Kid Democrats and two 6th grade classes.

As mayor of Rødovre Municipality, it has been a great pleasure to follow the many exciting projects that have arisen from the Kids Democracy in Kærene (AKB Ved Milestedet). By having children and young people involved and being heard about their needs and ideas for what a good residential area to grow up in can be - a very valuable co-responsibility and ownership of "their place" develops.

Erik Nielsen, mayor, Rødovre Municipality

The children spend a lot of time at school and in their residential area. In order to create the best framework for them, there is quite naturally a need for good collaboration across the board. Kid Democracy helps me to strengthen my relationships in the local area.

Per Bent Andersen, SFO/Club Leader, Hendriksholm Skole

Erik Nielsen, mayor, Rødovre Municipality

Per Bent Andersen, SFO/Club Leader, Hendriksholm Skole

FOR KIDS

Do you want to help make decisions where you live?

Are you between 9 and 13 years old and would you like to help make your residential area even better? Then read along here.
In Kids Democracy, children help make decisions their own neighborhood - how it should look and what fun things should be available in it.

You are experts in your own life, and therefore the neighborhoods need you, and need to hear how to create a good place to live for children

Stine Konradi, Konradi – liv i og mellem husene

What is Kids Democracy?

What can you do in a Kids Democracy?

What can you get out of participating in Kids Democracy?

What have other Kid Democrats done?

Halloween

Inaugurated a new playground

Decorated robotic lawnmowers

Nature playground

Fire pit

Suttetræ

Applied for funding for trampolines

Met the mayor

Collaborated with the housing department board

Visited another neighborhood

Been on a trip to Christiansborg

Recycling campaign

Met up with other Kid Democrats

Sankt Hans witch

LAN-day

Flea market

Knowledge for parents about Kids Democracy

In Kids Democracy, your children will have the opportunity to participate in various fun activities in the neighborhood. This could be going on a photo safari, visiting another residential area or participating in Kids Meetings. Here, your children can, among other things, help decide which physical changes and new activities should be done in the neighborhood. Kids Democracy is for all children between the ages of 9 and 13. You can find out if there is Kids Democracy in your housing department by contacting the operating staff or the department board for your housing department.

The practical stuff

▸ The activities are usually held on weekdays in the late afternoon, so that they do not interfere with your children's schooling

▸ It is the operational staff in the housing department who are responsible for the Kids Democracy. There will also be collaborations with the housing department board on some activities, just as collaborations can be established with others in the neighborhood and local area, such as the school, recreational club or fire service department.

▸ Criminal records are obtained from the responsible adults in the Kids Democracy

▸ The activities can for example take place in the housing department's common rooms or in the head operational staffs office

▸ The children will receive an invitation to the various activities, so that it is ensured that you are informed and that they are welcome to participate

▸ You may also be asked for permission to take photographs and permission to be driven in a car if the Kids Democracy is going on an excursion.

You can read more about Kids Democracy here

Children have the right to be heard and to help make decisions where they live. Kids Democracy gives your children a voice, so that they also can be involved in making your neighborhood an even better place to live

Jesper Nielsen, property manager in Elmelunden

Here they also work with Kids Democracy

AKB Ved Milestedet
Housing association AKB, Rødovre, 2018.

Kanalkvarteret
Himmerland Boligforening, Aalborg, 2018.

Elmelunden
CIVICA, Odense, 2018.

Håndværkerparken
FOB, Slagelse, 2018.

ABOUT KIDS DEMOCRACY

About Kids Democracy

Kids Democracy is about the individual child having the greatest possible influence on their own life in the neighborhood, and that resident democracy makes it possible for the children to have their say and to be met at eye level in an equal conversation with a goal of creating community and developing solutions that creates better neighborhoods for everyone

The definition is inspired by Hans Aage (professor of national economics) and Hal Koch's (historian and debater) theoretically conceptions of democracy and is also based on the practical experiences gained in the Kids Democracy project.

The basic idea

The basic idea of Kids Democracy is to give children influence over their own lives, where they live, and at the same time achieve more well-functioning residential areas via Kids Democracy. When children experience having a bigger influence over their own lives, they gain self-esteem. They experience being a resource, and they gain a positive image both of themselves and of the neighborhood they live in. The children experience being equal partners in the (local) community and do not experience 'outsiderness' or marginalization.

The organization and democratic culture of social housing areas provides the opportunity to involve children in the democratic work as part of the existing resident democracy via the neigborhood's permanent resources, mainly operating staff and neighborhood boards. At the same time, the Danish system for resident democracy is regarded in an international perspective as one of the most far-reaching in terms of residents' formalized rights and opportunities for co-determination. Despite this, children are very rarely part of the decision-making processes in the social housing areas.

Development of Kids Democracy

The housing association AKB, Rødovre and Konradi - liv i og mellem husene took the initiative for the Kids Democracy project to help ensure children's voice, commitment and ownership in social housing areas. The project was carried out from 2015 to 2019 and consists of a pilot project and a development project:

The pilot project took place in the housing department AKB Ved Milestedet, and the purpose was to investigate and pilot test how Kids Democracy can be designed. The development project has been carried out across Denmark in selected housing units in Civica in Odense, FOB in Slagelse, Himmerland Boligforening in Aalborg and continued in AKB, Rødovre. The purpose here has been to investigate how the good experiences and methods from the pilot project can be further developed, tested and used in other housing departments with different characteristics. The results are good, and Kids Democracy is today rooted in the selected housing departments.

The project was supported by

The expansion of Kids Democracy

Pilot project on Kids Democracy in Greenland

In the period 2019-2021, the Greenlandic housing association INI A/S and Konradi - liv i og mellem husene will carry out a pilot project on Kids Democracy in Greenland. The project takes place in Greenland's second largest city, Sisimiut, in the three residential areas Deichmannip Aqq., Aqqartarfik and Paamaap Kuua. The purpose is to contribute to increasing the well-being, co-determination and democratic skills of Greenlandic children. In the pilot project, it is investigated how to involve children and give them a say in Greenlandic residential areas. The current results are good and the ambition is to spread Kids Democracy to other Greenlandic residential areas. Follow the project in Greenland here.

The pilot project in Greenland is supported by

Kids Democracy in Helsingør

Boliggården and Konradi - liv i og mellem husene is in the process of establishing Kids Democracy in the residential areas Nord Vest, Nøjsomhed and Vapnagaard in Helsingør. It is part of the larger development project 'Sammen om Hinanden', which is also carried out in collaboration with SSP Helsingør and Østifterne. The purpose is to give children and young people positive tools and self-understanding so that they make decisions that are healthy for themselves, others and their future. Kids Democracy must contribute to developing the children's democratic understanding, skills and participation. New methods and tools for Kids Democracy will be experimented with along the way. Follow the project here.

The project is supported by

Further expansions in Denmark

Housing association AKB, Rødovre and Konradi - liv i og mellem husene's ambition is to spread Kids Democracy widely in the social housing sector. The goal is that even more children gets a voice where they live and that Kids Democracy can contribute to creating even more well-functioning residential areas. Concretely, the plan is for Kids Democracy to spread further, so that a greater number of housing organizations and departments establish Kids Democracy and thereby benefit from its many positive benefits. That is why Boligselskabet AKB, Rødovre and Konradi - liv i og mellem husene are working on a joint initiative to spread Kids Democracy in Denmark.

Kids Democracy in an international perspective

Kids Democracy can help ensure that Denmark follows the international guidelines for children's fundamental rights, which were decided at the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Denmark agreed to in 1991. Kids Democracy can be particularly helpful in fulfilling the convention's articles 12 and 13 on children's right to participation and freedom of expression. At the same time, Kids Democracy can contribute to the fulfillment of the UN's global goals from 2015, which focuses on social and sustainable development, also for children. Here, Kids Democracy particularly can contribute to fulfilling world goals 10, 11 and 16 in relation to representativeness in political decision-making processes.

Behind Kids Democracy

Fondation-supported project

The development project is primarily supported by VELUX FONDEN, while the General Research Pool under the Danish Transport, Building and Housing Agency has supported both the pilot and development project.

Housing association AKB, Rødovre is the project owner and Konradi - liv i og mellem husene is the project manager for both the pilot project and the development project.

Contact us

Experience from the Kids Democracy projects shows that the initiating and supporting function, via personal contact with both housing organizations and departments, is of great importance for a successful Kids Democracy.

You are therefore always very welcome to contact project owner Søren Lillevang and project manager Stine Konradi for further information or inspiration about Kids Democracy.