/ Town Hall
Monday 17th September 2018
THE UNICEF-SPANISH COMMITTEE MEETS IN CALVIÀ WITH ALL THE ACTORS INVOLVED IN THE CANDIDACY TO OBTAIN THE 'CHILD FRIENDLY CITY' SEAL OF APPROVAL
The municipality of Calvià has been chosen for the follow-up visit of the candidacy to obtain the Child friendly city (CAI) seal of approval. The CAI seal emphasises a management model focused on a Child Rights approach, which involves internal coordination with other local actors, such as schools, and which promotes and generates real mechanisms of child participation, in the framework of a long-term strategy to incorporate minors into their policies and actions.
The UNICEF-Spanish Committee head of local childhood policies, Silvia Casanovas, led a visit to educational centres where children were able to explain first hand their experience with the workshops on children's rights in which they participated during the previous year, give their opinion about what it means for the childhood to live in a municipality like Calvià and explain the main proposals that they have carried out through the child participation body.
On their behalf, interviewed tutors stated that the experience of the workshops had been very positive to know the priorities of the children of the municipality, since it is a way of having their vision and not only of adult professionals. They agreed that workshops helped children to become aware of their role in improving their municipality, and the administration to respond to childhood proposals.
The heads of UNICEF also held interviews with the key people in the process to obtain this seal of approval, as with the mayor, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal; the deputy mayor for Social Cohesion and Equality, Nati Francés; the general director of Social Development and Equity, Ana Pérez, and the Social Cooperation technician, Cristina Gamundi.
They also met with the members of the Children and Adolescents of Calvià Round Table (MIA), in which the political representatives and 12 municipal departments are integrated. In this meeting, the representatives of UNICEF received a firsthand explanation on the work done by this internal coordination body and the main achievements. The Children and Adolescents of Calvià Round Table has played a very active role in the whole process since it has allowed the CAI candidacy to present a comprehensive and transversal plan with 147 actions in favour of children and adolescents.
