Children’s Memorandum on Children’s Participation in Peace Building – Guatemala (2008)

Since 2007, three groups of children and young people from the organisations Utz K’aslemal, Young Men’s Christian Association, Talita Kumi, EDECRI and ADEBQ’I (Guatemala), have been involved in research and evaluation activities as part of Save the Children Norway’s global Thematic Evaluation (TE) on children’s participation in armed conflict, post conflict and peace building. During a workshop held in Guatemala City 1-3 July 2008, aimed at validating the results of  the TE, children and youth representatives from these organizations drew up a Memorandum identifying five main issues that children face to achieve a true participation in peace building:  

 1. Children’s opinions are not taken into account and they are considered as unable persons

 2. To learn about the causes of the internal armed conflict

3. To include the true history of the war in the school curriculum

4. Lack of security and increased violence as a result ofmaras (gangs)

5. To promote respect for cultural differences