From September 16 to 29, the International Bureau for Children’s Rights was pleased to welcome its Tunisian partners to Canada as part of its first South-North mandates under the Voluntary Cooperation Program (VCP): ADO+, represented by Dhouha Jourchi, and the Tunisian Forum for Youth Empowerment (TFYE), represented by Rahma Mejri. The aim of this partnership is to mutually reinforce skills and share practices in the field of child participation.
Here’s a look back at two weeks of constructive exchanges
Visit to Ottawa
Douha and Rahma with the Tunisian Embassy in Ottawa.
Dhouha and Rahma began their visit to Canada by meeting representatives of the Tunisian Embassy in Ottawa. This exchange was an opportunity to discuss the importance of international cooperation in the field of children’s rights and to present their mission.
The visit to Ottawa continued with a meeting with World Affairs Canada (WAC), which supports the program. Representatives of ADO+ and TFYE had the opportunity to present their organizations, share their experience in international cooperation and the impact of the Bureau’s Volunteer Cooperation Program. The meeting also highlighted the strengths of the program and put forward recommendations for its improvement.
Meeting with Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
This visit was also an opportunity to meet many Canadians interested in these actions and in international cooperation. On September 21, 2023, a conference was organized between the Bureau, ADO+ and TYFE on the theme of “Child participation”, and together we took part in the 6@8 cooperation event organized by the Canadian Public Engagement Group, of which the Bureau is a member. This latter event was an opportunity to provide valuable information on the role of cooperating people, the importance of international cooperation, all enriched by concrete testimonials, with the aim of engaging the Canadian public in carrying out an international volunteer cooperation mandate.
Visit to Montreal
Montreal panel on child participation.
On our return to Montreal, we organized an exchange on volunteer cooperation between the Bureau team and representatives of Tunisian partners, to share lessons learned concerning collaboration between the Bureau, its partners and cooperating individuals, with a view to enriching its implementation.
Dhouha and Rahma then had the pleasure of taking part in constructive discussions in the school where Motivation Jeunesse is headquartered and in a youth center, thus reinforcing the collaboration network and the exchange of useful information for the implementation of initiatives. A working session was also held between ADO+, TFYE and Motivation Jeunesse to prepare a virtual exchange space between the Tunisian and Canadian teenagers involved in their projects.
Finally, the trip concluded with our partners taking part in a panel discussion in Montreal with two local players also working with children and teenagers, ATLAS – the Côte-des-Neiges social pediatrics centre and Motivation Jeunesse. ADO+, TFYE and the two organizations shared experiences and lessons learned in supporting children’s groups in collective and collaborative participation processes, offering those present in the room and online new and inspiring perspectives and initiatives.
Acknowledgements We would like to extend our warmest thanks to Dhouha Jourchi and Rahma Mejri for their presence and tireless commitment to promoting children’s rights, and in particular for their full participation. Their visit has enriched our perspectives and strengthened our lasting ties. We would also like to thank the representatives of Global Affairs Canada and the Tunisian Embassy in Ottawa for the precious time they gave us, their active listening and their welcome. Finally, we would like to thank ATLAS and Motivation jeunesse for their invaluable collaboration. In partnership with
