For a little over a year, Ettelbruck has had a children's municipal council in which 13 students take part. The town aims to become more child-friendly.
Through this initiative, the municipality wants to learn children's views on new projects and special topics. Making the town more child-friendly is best achieved with the help of the children themselves. That is why the children's council will also meet the real municipal council in its next session. Our colleagues from RTL.lu accompanied the children during their preparations for this meeting.
"How did you get into politics? What do you do when you don't all agree? When will the school playground be finished?" The children's municipal council has many questions for its adult counterpart. The school playground is particularly close to the young politicians' hearts. Lei explained that the football pitch is not very good. The ground could also be more colourful, added Kathy.
A term in the children's municipal council lasts two years. This gives those in charge the necessary time to work with the children and implement ideas. But before the work could begin, elections were organised. To be allowed to take part, Ahmad, Lei, Helena, and the other 10 children had to be elected.
"I still remember being surprised when I was elected", Helena said, because many other children had good ideas too. It is important to her that the streets in Ettelbruck become safer for children. Too often, cars fail to stop at zebra crossings, which she finds dangerous. Ahmad volunteered to get involved in order to advocate for younger children and especially for those facing financial difficulties, he said. He will soon be going to secondary school, but any changes – for example in the school building – would still be important for the other children, he added.
Out of 18 applications, 13 were selected. A total of 560 primary school children cast their votes. Over 11 sessions, the children campaigned for the issues that personally interest them. In addition to the school playground, road safety plays a role. General safety when they are out on their own is also important, Tamea said. Even if it does not happen often, it is a great concern for the children if strangers approach them on the street. However, it is also important to her that everyone can express their opinion in the children's council. No one should ever think they will be laughed at, Tamea said. She has learned that what children have to say is listened to.
And this is precisely where the children are meant to be empowered. Their opinions count and are taken seriously. That is why they will meet the "real" politicians before the summer holidays, Kathy explained, to pass on their ideas and help implement projects in a more child-friendly way.
Isabelle Mariutto from Ettelbruck's childcare service manages the children's municipal council, together with professionals from the drop-in centre and the school. The exchange with the municipal council is also intended to show the children that the ideas they have developed are taken seriously. To make it completely official, a charter – which the children helped draft – will be signed at the meeting with the "real" municipal council. It states that both municipal councils are committed to working towards a more child-friendly town. Changes to the school playground are already planned. Next year, new elections will be held to elect children to the children's municipal council once again.
