Act2gether was created to gather, strengthen, and give visibility to children and adults that work in competent partnerships to realise children’s rights and well-being.
It offers an innovative approach to implementing children’s participation, bringing a well-being lens to rights-based approaches, by acknowledging each child’s uniqueness, the importance of intergenerational relationships, and by creating a space where the participants are able to practise their core capacities in a more refined way, helping them partner and weave personal and social change.
Act2gether was born out of our learning while co-organising Children as Actors Transforming Society (C.A.T.S.) *, an annual event dedicated to children’s participation for children and adults from all over the world. After 6 successful editions, we wanted to explore ways in which we could encourage others to engage children in decision-making and unleash the transformative power of working together across generations. C.A.T.S. was developed in partnership with Initiatives of Change France and Initiatives of Change Switzerland.
All Act2gether activities are part of a learning community that shares purpose, knowledge, and resources and adopts well-being and intergenerational approaches to children’s participation. The aim is to gather evidence that will advocate for social change and policy reform.
For more information, you can reach:
Maria Belen Paz Aguilar – International Development Director
Act2gether in Bolivia
Act2gether has been active in Bolivia since 2019, working to fulfil children’s right to participate in decisions that affect them as a condition for realising children’s rights.
Past cooperation included UNICEF Bolivia, Solidar Switzerland, Plan International, EDUCO, World Vision, Save the Children, UNFPA Bolivia, and local organisations that emphasise the importance of partnership between generations as a way to build more inclusive democracies through the participation of all.
Their work includes supporting a group of active children and young people between 10 and 25 years old who are local government authorities, creative actors and youth activists.
Act2gether in Palestine
In Palestine, Act2gether is facilitated by the Universal Education Foundation (UEF) trying to bring competent partnerships to the national level, starting with individual children and adults in order to involve the family, then the community, and finally, the country.
Their current aims are to secure political commitment from ministries, in particular the Ministry of Education, and institutionalise Act2gether through environmental school clubs spread across the territory where children and adults work together.
Act2gether in Palestine works with an advisory group of children (aged 11–18 years old) who come to the office once a week to participate in planning and training activities.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A2GPalestine
Act2gether in Germany
Between 2019 and October 2022, Act2gether was implemented in Germany by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, exploring children’s role in promoting social equity through intergenerational partnership. Bertelsman Stiftung co-created the concept and image of Act2gether and organised the very first 2getherLAND.
Today, Act2gether in Germany is led by the Kinderrechten Forum (KRF), which has been working with Bertelsmann Stiftung from the beginning of Act2gether and is now focusing on creating local spaces of dialogue addressing young people’s mental health.
Act2gether works with a young expert group — the JET team — who have been involved in designing and implementing all activities from the start .
2getherLand
Transformative gatherings for all ages to play with the serious challenges of their communities and the world.
2getherLand Online
Act2gether has been active in Bolivia since 2019, working to fulfil children’s right to participate in decisions that affect them as a condition for realising children’s rights.
Past cooperation included UNICEF Bolivia, Solidar Switzerland, Plan International, EDUCO, World Vision, Save the Children, UNFPA Bolivia, and local organisations that emphasise the importance of partnership between generations as a way to build more inclusive democracies through the participation of all.
2getherLand Germany
The 1st 2getherLand event happened in October 2019, with more than 230 participants from all over Germany. The “camp” enabled a dialogue between children and young people from deprived backgrounds on their problems and questions and the possibility of proposing solutions. Through cooperation between several national partners, 2getherLAND Germany pushed for fair opportunities in educational institutions, youth welfare, politics, administration, and civil society.
[Watch a movie about the gathering] (in German)!
2getherLand Bolivia
Bolivia hosted the second gathering in December 2019. More than a hundred participants felt the motto “Partnership between generations” in a day of proposals and participation exploring the theme of Children as Human Rights Defenders.
Between 2020 and 2022, Committees of Children from different departments in Bolivia held four national gatherings on the themes of Children as Human Rights Defenders, active citizenship and strengthening democracy through intergenerational partnership.
Read
to find out more (in Spanish).
