EU TACSO 3 organises two “Children’s Rights and Principles of Child Participation Training Programmes” for both civil society organisations (CSOs) and children in Turkey. Below you can find the announcement published at TACSO 3’s website:
https://tacso.eu/calls-for-participation-childrens-rights-and-principles-of-child-participation-training-programme-for-turkey-deadline-27-january-and-15-february-2021/

“Call for Participants: Children’s Rights and Principles of Child Participation Training Programmes for Turkey (Deadline: 28 January and 15 February, 2021)”

“EU TACSO 3 is organising “Children’s Rights and Principles of Child Participation Training Programme” for civil society organisations (CSOs) in Turkey to promote children’s rights in the work of CSOs as well as child-led organisations[1] and children in general. The Training programme will take place in the first half of February 2021 and consists of two distinct training programmes:

1) Training programme targeting CSOs whose main focus are children’s rights and/or working with children, including CSOs particularly working in the field of humanitarian aid, seasonal agricultural workers, refugees and Roma population and

2) Training programme targeting child-led organisations and children in general.

The objective of Children’s Rights and Principles of Child Participation Training Programme is to provide practical guidance to CSOs and child-led organisations to adopt, implement and secure children’s rights in their works. The training programme also targets to improve the knowledge and organisational skills of child-led organisations so as to let them build strong alliances with their international counterparts along with children living in different cities in Turkey. The Training Programme on children’s rights and principles of children participation is also considered relevant as a part of mitigation measures following the COVID-19 pandemic and will have an added value for elimination of negative effects of pandemic on children. The training programme targets up-to 40 CSOs (including child-led organisations) from Turkey in total and will provide them with:

• The knowledge on children’s rights guaranteed by international conventions and national laws and to clarify the obligations of signatory states to secure children’s rights;
• Practical knowledge on necessary step and principles of child participation;
• Concrete examples and best practices of protection of children’s rights and children participation in Turkey and worldwide;
• Increase capacities of CSOs to adopt and apply the principles of child participation and to develop their own organisational strategies;
• Existing tools and manuals for children’s rights as well as existing reports on the current state of children’s rights.

Training modules and practical work will be conducted on-line.

The Training Programme consists of two different training tracks dedicated to different target groups:

• First Training Programme: Targeting CSOs whose main focus are children’s rights and/or working with children, including CSOs particularly working in the field of humanitarian aid, seasonal agricultural workers, refugees and Roma population. The training programme will be conducted in sequence of three (3) steps:
• a one-day training (two consecutive half-days) to provide background information on children’s rights, international conventions, existing national legal framework as well as principles and steps of child participation;
• practical work through mentoring and coaching (“homework” for participant CSOs) to develop their own organisational strategies to ensure child participation;
• a one-day (two consecutive half-days) follow-up meeting that will give floor to keynote speakers from different CSOs, who are specialized on children’s rights, child inclusion and/or child protection to facilitate sharing of experience, exchange and networking among participating CSOs.

In order to ensure effective training with in-depth approach and practical exercises, the number of selected CSOs will be limited (up to approximately 25). Each step of the capacity development programme for children’s rights and principles of children participation will include the same participants as the participating CSOs will be expected to attend the whole process.

The one-day training (two consecutive half-days) training for CSOs whose main focus are children’s rights will be organized on 4-5 February, between 10:00 – 13:30hrs Turkey time both days and the one-day (two consecutive half-days) follow-up meeting will be organized on 18-19 February, between 10:00 – 13:30hrs Turkey time both day. The deadline for applications is 28 January 2021, 17:00hrs Turkey time. Application form is available here.

Second Training Programme: Targeting child-led organisations and children in general. The training programme will consist of one-day (two consecutive half-day) simplified training for providing background information on children’s rights, international conventions, existing national legal framework as well as principles and steps of child participation.

In order to ensure effective training with in-depth approach and practical exercises, the number of selected CSOs and children will be limited (up to approximately 15).

The one-day training (two consecutive half-days) training for child-led organisations and children in general will be organized on 6-7 March, between 11:00 – 15:30hrs Turkey time, both days. The deadline for applications is 15 February 2021, 17:00hrs (Turkey time).  Application form is available here.

Interested CSOs for each training programme should apply by filling in and submitting the application form via EU TACSO 3 CRM system (through online application forms provided at the links above). Each CSO can assign one representative and can apply only for one of the training programmes, which is most relevant to the target group of two different training programmes.

The selection will be made by EU TACSO 3 Project team based on the following criteria:

• Regional distribution;
• Thematic area distribution;
• Gender equality;
• CSOs who would like to adopt an organisational strategy on children’s rights and child participation.

Participants will receive certificates after successfully completed the whole training programme.

Training programme will be delivered by prominent experts, in Turkish language.

After the competition of each training, downloadable manuals which will include the content of the training programmes as well as good practices of child participation will be developed and will be made public.

The call is also available in Turkish here.

[1] “Child-led organisations” is largely understood as ‘any organisation with members below 18 years old’ depending on the “child” definition of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. On the other hand, “child- or youth-led participation” is identified in the UNICEF’s Tool for “Children’s Participation in the Work of National Human Rights Organisations (NHRIs)” as a notion in which children are provided with the space and opportunity to initiate their own activities and carry out advocacy (https://www.unicef.org/eca/sites/unicef.org.eca/files/2019-02/NHRI_Participation.pdf). Although, in Turkey, children’s freedom of association is guaranteed by the amendment in the 3^rd Article of the Law of Associations, in practice, children cannot be able to make use of their rights due to structural barriers, such as they are obliged to obey external factors (family, custodians) (https://www.tusev.org.tr/usrfiles/files/orgutlenme_rapor_web_(1).pdf). Thus, apart from its literary definition, “child-led organisations”, in this ToR, child-led organization is considered any CSOs (including non-legal entities, initiatives as well as children councils of municipalities/ministries) which is initiated or run through the participation of child(ren).”