From 21 to 24 October 2024, the Learning for Well-being Foundation took part in the XXIII Pan American Congress of Children and Adolescents, held in San Salvador, El Salvador. Organised by the Inter-American Institute for Children and Adolescents (IIN-OAS), the Congress brought together government leaders, civil society organisations, and young people from across the region to address the most pressing issues affecting children today.
This year’s Congress focused on three priorities identified by youth: mental health, early childhood development, and human mobility. These themes will inform regional policy recommendations for the next five years, guiding efforts to build more inclusive, child-responsive systems across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Youth-led policy dialogue: From “corazón a corazón”
A defining feature of the Congress was the parallel youth-led forum, where children and adolescents shared their lived experiences and recommendations through “corazón a corazón” (heart-to-heart) conversations. Among their calls to action, mental health emerged as a leading concern, highlighting the need for responsive, compassionate, and culturally grounded support systems.
Representing both the Foundation and Child Rights Connect, Maria Belen Paz Aguilar highlighted the role of intergenerational collaboration in policymaking. As a longstanding partner of IIN-OAS, Child Rights Connect supports youth engagement in regional governance processes, providing a strategic pathway for the Foundation to influence institutional dialogue on child rights and well-being.
Strengthening alliances across the region
The Congress also served as a platform to deepen collaboration with like-minded organisations such as Save the Children, Plan International, and the World Movement for Children. These alliances reflect a shared commitment: to centre children’s well-being in decision-making and ensure that public policy reflects intergenerational and child-informed perspectives.
Looking ahead, the Foundation—through its Act2gether office in Bolivia—will continue to support the monitoring and implementation of the Congress’s regional recommendations. This engagement is part of our broader commitment to ensure that youth voices do not only participate but lalso ead the transformation of systems across the Americas.
